LARGE ORCHESTRAS

 

Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (YPO)
Benjamin Zander, conductor
Jonathan Cohler, assistant conductor

Rehearsals:  Saturday, 3:10-6:00 pm.  Touring ensemble - June 2009 tour. 

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. 

 

Youth Symphony (YS)
Steven Karidoyanes, conductor

Rehearsals:  Saturday, 3:15-6:00 pm.  Touring ensemble - June 2009 tour. 

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. 

 

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. 

 

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. 

 

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. 

 

8 O'clock 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. 

 

9O'clock 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. 

 

 

SMALLER ORCHESTRAS

 

String Chamber Orchestra (SCO)
Peter Jarvis, conductor

Rehearsals:  Saturday, 10:00 am -12:00 pm

While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of the SCO are in grades 9-11. 

Technical requirements:  for upper intermediate and advanced string players.  Students must demonstrate by audition a high level of musicality and technical mastery.  Students placed in SCO are generally comfortable playing complete concertos. 

 

Virtuoso Baroque Soloists
Aldo Abreu, director

Rehearsals:  Saturday, 10:00am - 12:00noon

While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of the 10:00 BCO are in grades 7-12. 

Technical requirements:  for advanced string and keyboard players.  Students must demonstrate by audition a high level of musicality and technical mastery in all facets of playing their instrument.  Students placed in BCO10 are generally comfortable playing complete concertos from all stylistic periods and have significant prior orchestral and chamber music experience. 

 

8 O'clock Baroque Chamber Orchestra (BCO8)
Aldo Abreu, director

Rehearsals:  Saturday, 8:00-10:00am

While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of the 8:00 BCO are in grades 5-10. 

Technical requirements:  for upper intermediate string and keyboard players.  Students must demonstrate by audition good intonation, a variety of bow strokes and dynamics.  Students placed in BCO8 are generally comfortable playing complete concertos from the baroque and classical periods. 

 

Recorder and String Orchestra (RSO)
Aldo Abreu, director

Rehearsals:  Saturday, 4:00-6:00pm

While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of the RSO are in grades 4-11. 

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

 

Friday Baroque Ensemble (FBE)
Aldo Abreu, director

Rehearsals:  Friday, 6:30-8:30pm

While ensemble assignments are made by level, not age, most members of the FBE are in grades 3-11.  Adult students also participate in the FBE. 

Technical requirements:  for intermediate string, wind, and keyboard players and singers.  String players must demonstrate by audition that they are comfortable shifting and playing fast passagework. 

 

Preparatory Baroque Ensemble (PBE)
Aldo Abreu, director

Rehearsals:  Saturday, 3:00-4:00pm

While orchestral assignments are made by level, not age, most members of the PBE are in grades 1-6. 

Technical requirements:  for beginning string, wind, and keyboard players.  Students must demonstrate by audition that they have mastered basic technical aspects of playing the instrument and can read music. 

 

 

WIND & BRASS ENSEMBLES

 

Youth Jazz Orchestra (YJO),

Ken Schaphorst, conductor

Rehearsals: Wednesday, 7:15-9:15 p.m.

 

Open to advanced saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, guitar, bass, and percussion players. Auditions are generally at the level of all-state auditions. 

 

Youth Brass Ensemble (YBE),

Eli Epstein, conductor

Rehearsals: Saturday, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

 

Open to advanced brass and percussion players.

 

Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble (MYWE),

Michael Mucci, conductor

Rehearsals: Friday, 4:15-7:00 p.m. Touring ensemble - June 2010 tour.

 

Open to advanced high school-age (grades 10-12) woodwind, brass, and percussion players. Auditions are generally at the level of all-state auditions. 

 

Junior Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble (Jr. MYWE),

David Samour, conductor

Rehearsals: Friday, 4:15-7:00 p.m.

 

Open to junior high school-age (grades 7-9) woodwind, brass, and percussion players. Auditions are generally at the level of Jr. District auditions. 

 

Renaissance and Baroque Wind Band (RBWB)
Aldo Abreu, conductor

Rehearsals:  Friday, 4:30-6:30pm

While RBWB ensemble assignments are made by level, not age, most members of the RBWB are in grades 8-12.   

 

 

CHORUSES

 

Youth Chorale & Youth Camerata (YC)
Ryan Murphy, conductor

Rehearsals: Saturday, 3:00-4:30 p.m. full ensemble; 4:45-5:45 Youth Camerata only.

 

Open to advanced high school-age (grades 9-12) singers, Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass. 

 

Youth Gospel Choir (YGC)
Evelyn Lee-Jones, conductor

Rehearsals: Sunday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.

 

Open to singers ages 9-18, Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass. 

 

Chamber Chorus (ChC)
Matti Kovler, conductor

Rehearsals: Saturday, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

 

Open to advanced (ages 14-18) treble voices. 

 

Children's Chorus (CC)
Matti Kovler, conductor

Rehearsals: Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

 

Open to intermediate to advanced (ages 10-14) unchanged treble voices. 

 

Preparatory Chorus (PC)
Matti Kovler, conductor

Rehearsals: Saturday, 9:15-10:00 a.m.

 

Open to intermediate (ages 8-10) unchanged treble voices. 

 

Singing Circle (SC)
Matti Kovler, conductor

Rehearsals: Saturday, 8:30-9:15 a.m.

 

Open to beginning (ages 7-8) unchanged treble voices. 

 

 

CHAMBER ENSEMBLES

 

Auditions for chamber ensembles and small jazz ensembles take place in September.  We begin scheduling those auditions after August 15 by phone at 617.585.1130.  NEC Prep offers a large range of chamber ensembles for string, wind, brass, piano, and voice, as well as a number of small jazz ensembles.