Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra Offers Online Program, Extends Registration for Charles Ives Music Festival

Each week the WCYO conductors, under the leadership of Music Director Eric Mahl, are providing on-line virtual rehearsals and video tutorials for our Symphony Orchestra, String Ensemble and Wind Ensemble. Students are asked to rehearse at home to a full ensemble recording then perform with their peers led by soloists in the on-line gatherings with their conductor. “We were all so happy to see the musicians again in our first virtual gathering,” said Executive Director, Ruth Feldman, “and we are learning how to navigate the technology, finding our way as an ensemble to keep making music together and enjoy the camaraderie that a youth orchestra like the WCYO offers.”

The program will continue to evolve over these next weeks with the addition of on-line conductors’ hours, similar to office-hours, for questions and sectional-based musical exploration. Assuming the continuation of current gathering restrictions, the season will conclude with a compilation of individual performances into a virtual ensemble video recording of select movements from Symphony No. 2 by Alexander Borodin for the Symphony Orchestra, Capriol Suite for Strings by Peter Warlock for the String Ensemble, and Second Suite in F by Gustov Holst for the Wind Ensemble and virtually viewed on what would have been the WCYO spring concert day, May 31st.

Additionally, CIMF Artistic Director Paul Frucht continues to work with his exciting team of Artist/Faculty to provide a dynamic and fun summer program for area adult and youth musicians. CIMF is offering a Chamber Music Program on August 5th - 8th for adults (21 and older) and a Chamber Music and Orchestra Program for youth (21 years old and younger with at least two year’s experience on their instrument) for the week of August 10th -16th. Youth musicians do not need to be a member of a WCYO ensemble to participate. CIMF will also present a series of concerts for the community featuring cellist Julian Schwartz, pianist Marika Bournaki, the Ulysses Quartet, and more. To accommodate the changing summer schedules of so many, CIMF will continue to accept applications for the workshops until April 20th and for select instruments on a rolling basis. All auditions can be submitted via video.

WCYO is based in Ridgefield, CT and serves youth musicians from over 20 area towns and offers concerts, music workshops and masterclasses for adults and youth through CIMF. To learn more about the WCYO or CIMF, please visit our websites at wctyo.org and charlesivesmusicfestival.org or email us at wcyo@wctyo.org.