Youth and Adult Studies: Feel the Encouragement

NEC Preparatory School

LARGE ORCHESTRAS

9:00 String Training Orchestra (STO)

Peter Jarvis, conductor

Rehearsals: Saturday, 9:00-10:00 am

While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of the 9:00 STO are in grades 3-5.

Technical requirements: for beginning string players. Students must demonstrate by audition that they have mastered basic technical aspects of playing the instrument and can read music. The determination of which String Training Orchestra (8:00 or 9:00) a student is placed in will be made in September.

Examples of recent repertoire: Allegro from “The Magic Flute” (Mozart), Concerto for Orchestra (Handel), Evening Alleluias (Smith), Processional from Suite for Strings (Siennicki), Shaker Fantasia (arr. Del Borgo), The Crimson Trail (Frost), Indian Dance (Bartók), The Telegraph Message (Giammario), Prelude and Dance (Corelli)

8:00 String Training Orchestra (STO)

Peter Jarvis, conductor

Rehearsals: Saturday, 8:00-9:00 am

While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of the 8:00 STO are in grades 4-7.

Technical requirements: for advanced beginner to early intermediate string players. Students must demonstrate by audition that they have mastered basic technical aspects of playing the instrument and can read music proficiently. Most students placed in the 8:00 STO have had previous ensemble experience and are comfortable in some upper positions. The determination of which String Training Orchestra (8:00 or 9:00) a student is placed in will be made in September.

Examples of recent repertoire: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major (Bach), Contrasts in E Minor (Feese), Dorian Variations (Israel), Scherzo from Symphony No. 1 in D major (Mahler/arranged), Pirates of the Caribbean (Badelt/arr. Ricketts), Chorale and Fanfare (Vivaldi), Danse Macabre (Saint-Saens), Variant on an Old English Carol (Traditional)

Preparatory String Orchestra (PSO)

Joung Hoon Song, conductor

Rehearsals: Saturday, 8:30-10:00 am

While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of the PSO are in grades 6-8.

Technical requirements: for intermediate string players. Students must demonstrate by audition that they are comfortable shifting and playing fast passagework.

Examples of recent repertoire: Examples of recent repertoire: Overturensuite in G Major: "La Bizarre" (Telemann), The Nutcracker (Ballet Suite), Op.71a (Tchaikovsky)

Junior Repertory Orchestra (JRO)

Adam Grossman, conductor

Rehearsals: Saturday, 8:30-10:00 am

While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of the JRO are in grades 8-9.

Technical requirements: for intermediate string players. Students must demonstrate by audition that they can play with fluidity and have a developed vibrato. Students placed in JRO are generally comfortable playing three-octave scales and arpeggios.

Examples of recent repertoire: Overture “Die Dirne” (Telemann), Deep River (arr. Fisher & Rissland), Presto from K. 138 (Mozart), Sinfonia No. 2 (Caldara), Lady Radnor’s Suite (Parry), Sinfonia No.10 (Caldara), Adagietto (Bizet), Slow Minuet (Parry)

Youth Repertory Orchestra (YRO)

Jane Ezbicki, conductor

Rehearsals: Saturday, 1:00-3:00

While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of the YRO are in grades 8-11.

Technical requirements: for upper intermediate string, woodwind, brass, and tympani players. Students must demonstrate by audition good intonation, a variety of bow strokes and dynamics. Students placed in YRO are generally comfortable playing complete concertos from the baroque and classical periods.

Examples of recent repertoire: Overture in the Italian Style in C Major (Schubert), Symphony No. 103 “Drumroll” in Eb Major (Haydn), Suite in A Minor (Telemann), Concerto No. 23 in A Major (Mozart), Clair de Lune from Suite Bergamasque (Debussy), L’Arlesienne Suite No. 1 (Bizet), Overture to the Marriage of Figaro (Mozart), Intermezzo from Cavelleria Rusticana (Mascagni), Symphony No. 101 "The Clock" (Haydn)

Youth Symphony (YS)

Steven Karidoyanes, conductor

Rehearsals: Saturday, 3:15-6:00 pm. Touring ensemble.

While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of the YS are in grades 9-12.

Technical requirements: for advanced string, woodwind, brass, and percussion players. Students must demonstrate by audition a high level of musicality and technical mastery in all facets of playing their instrument. Students placed in YS are generally comfortable playing complete concertos from all stylistic periods and have significant prior orchestral and chamber music experience.

Examples of recent repertoire: Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor (Borodin), Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op 17, Little Russian (Tchaikovsky), Prelude to Die Meistersinger (Wagner), Symphony No. 8 in F Major (Beethoven), Symphony No. 7 in C# Minor (Prokofiev), Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 6 (Paganini), Symphony No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 13, Winter Daydreams (Tchaikovsky)

Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (YPO)

Benjamin Zander, conductor

Jonathan Cohler, assistant conductor

Rehearsals: Saturday, 3:10-6:00 pm. Touring ensemble.

While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of the YPO are in grades 10-12.

Technical requirements: for highly advanced string, woodwind, brass, and percussion players. Admission to YPO is extremely selective. Students placed in YPO generally play at a level which will guarantee them admission to selective conservatories. Younger college-age players are sometimes invited to fill vacancies due to the absence of qualified pre-college players.

Examples of recent repertoire: Candide: Overture (Bernstein), Three Places in New England (Ives), La Valse (Ravel), Symphony No. 5 (Shostakovich), Rapsodie espagnole (Ravel), Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33 (Tchaikovsky), The Planets, Suite for Large Orchestra, Op 32 (Holst), Rite of Spring (Stravinsky), Overture to William Tell (Rossini), Sinfonia Concertante, Op. 125 (Prokofiev), Symphonie Fantastique (Berlioz)