Norwalk Youth Symphony invites prospective families to virtual open house

 As it resumes a full schedule of in-person rehearsals ahead of its upcoming outdoor concert at Cranbury Park, The Norwalk Youth Symphony (NYS) is making plans to return to a full season of musical instruction, concerts and events for its 2021-2022 season. NYS will be conducting a virtual open house June 9 at 7 p.m. for parents interested in learning more about the NYS program (Link).

Now in its 65^th year, NYS provides student musicians in the fourth grade through high school with the opportunity to learn, experience and perform classical music with training by its staff of highly trained conductors and teachers who nurture a love for the music in the young players while they form lasting friendships with children from throughout the Fairfield, New Haven and Westchester counties.

During the open house, conducted over Zoom, members of NYS, its conductors and student musicians will describe the NYS program, the audition process, concert schedule and, for musicians in the Principal and Concert orchestras, the opportunity to perform in Italy during a weeklong concert tour scheduled for early summer 2022. As in previous concert tours, the NYS European performances always prove to be a highlight of the students’ years with NYS.

The NYS also includes performs at venerated concert halls, such as Carnegie Hall and Tanglewood, in regularly scheduled years.

As the region makes progress in controlling the spread of the coronavirus, especially as more of the population is vaccinated, NYS will continue to abide by safety protocols in adherence to state standards and will phase in eased practices as warranted.

Despite the pandemic’s impact on the 2020-2021 program, NYS was able to mount an ambitious program for its musicians, conducting rehearsals and performances using virtual technology and layering the individual musicians playing into concert performances. Along with the rehearsals for its orchestras, it began a program for musicians interested in performing in chamber ensembles and provided a series of performances for ensemble players.

That ability to adapt resulted in an active program of bringing in prestigious musicians from such orchestras and conservatories as The New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony and the Cleveland Institute along with internationally acclaimed classical soloists to lead one-on-one master classes with NYS students.

Meanwhile, the Principal and Concert orchestra conductors, Jonathan Yates and Russell Ger, began a series of adult music appreciation seminars where they discussed the great composers, their works and their influence on the music that came after.

For more information, contact the NYS at nysed@norwalkyouthsymphony.org, or by phone at 203-866-4100.