Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra

Fall 2020

• For decades, PYSO has participated in festivals and toured both at home and abroad: the American Symphony Orchestra League’s National Youth Orchestra Festivals in 1998 and 2002; international festivals in Austria, Scotland and Switzerland; concert tours of Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic, and Germany (2005), China (2008), Italy (2011) and Austria, Slovakia, and Czech Republic (2014) and Spain (2017).

• Commissions and Premiers have included: Hannah Ishizaki 's “City of Bridges” in 2017; John Harbison’s “Mary Lou” in 2009; David Stock’s “Clarinet Concerto” in 2005; Morton Gould’s “Hosedown” in 1995; Morton Gould’s “The Jogger and the Dinosaur” in 1993; John Anthony Lennon’s “Suite of Fables” in 1991.

• Many PYSO alumni have won positions in major symphony orchestras both here and abroad. Others have gone on to very successful solo and chamber music careers, as well as important teaching positions at colleges, universities, public and private schools, and private studios. Those who have not chosen careers in music will undoubtedly cultivate a lifelong appreciation of the arts and become the audience members of the future.

Let’s look at what’s happening NOW!

Welcome to all our students, both returning and new members!

Here are the people that you’ll be working with this year.

Earl Lee,Music Director

Bridget McKenna, Social Media Coordinator

Craig Johnson, Executive Director

Eve Goodman, Program Director

Sectional Coaches

Jeremy Black,Violin

Peter Snitkovsky,Violin

Marylene Gingras- Roy, Viola

David Premo,Violin

John Moore,Bass

Jack Howell,Woodwinds

George Vosburgh,Brass

Pius Cheung,Percussion

Gretchen Van Hoesen,Harp

Rodrigo Ojeda,Keyboards

Season Overview / Beyond the Notes

SectionalsStudio classes with sectional coaches

Playing pieces of music together

Beyond the NotesSpecial guest speakers

Various topics discussing life as a musician

Virtual Orchestra Repertoire:

• Aaron Coplands Hoe Down

• Sergei Prokofiev’s March from The Love

of Three Oranges

• Igor Stravinsky’s Finale from Firebird

Suite

• Pius Cheung’s Unsynced

Also exploring...• Richard Wagner’s Prelude to Die

Meistersinger von Nürnberg• Claude Debussy’s Prelude to the

Afternoon of a Faun• Hector Berlioz’ Hungarian

March from Faust• Wolfgang Amadeus

Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter”

• Georges Dukas’ Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Repertoire

Get to Know your SectionSeptember 13, 2020 at 6:30 PM

• Start with full group session with Earl, then break out into individual sectionals for strings, percussion, harp and piano.

• Woodwinds and Brass will have Breakout Sectional Classes for individual instruments – flute-oboe-clarinet-bassoon-horn-trumpet-trombone (+tuba).

Rhian KennyPrincipal Piccolo

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Beyond the Notes:Evolution of the OrchestraSeptember 20, 2020 at 6:30 PM

• Historical background of our modern-day orchestra with special guest Mark Stambaugh, member of the Composition Faculty at the Manhattan School of Music.

Dr. J. Mark Stambaugh

Getting to Know your SectionPart 2September 27, 2020 at 6:30 PM

• Start with full group session with Earl, then break out into individual sectionals for strings, percussion, harp and piano.

• Woodwinds and Brass will have Breakout Sectional Classes for individual instruments – flute-oboe-clarinet-bassoon-horn-trumpet-trombone (+tuba).

Max BlairAssociate Principal Oboe

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Injury Management and "Return to Play" for the Instrumental MusicianOctober 4, 2020 at 6:30 PM

• Michael Tsang, PhD, Physical Therapy

• Michael is also a PYSO Alumnus who played piano with the orchestra from 2007 to 2011 and went on the PYSO Tour to Italy in the summer of 2011

Michael King-Hon Tsang, PT, DPT, MMOrthopedic Physical Therapist

UPMC Rooney/Fu Sports Medicine Center

Copland's Hoe-DownOctober 11, 2020 at 6:30 PM

• Start with full group session with Earl, then break out into individual sectionals for strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, harp and piano.

• First deadline for students to submit recordings of Copland’s Hoe-down. Earl will review the recordings and give constructive comments to each student on how to make improvements.)

Jim NovaSecond/Utility Trombone

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Explore Your Creativity by Writing Music

October 18, 2020 at 6:30 PM

Earl will explore the concept of composing music with special guests Pius Cheung (Percussionist, Composer and Teacher at University of Oregon).

During the session Earl and Pius will create a framework/guideline for students and encourage them to write a one-minute piece for their instrument.

Pius Cheung

Unsynced, Followed by SectionalsOctober 25, 2020• The evening will start with Pius Cheung and

Earl in a short session to explain the playing instructions for the recording of Unsynced.

• Sectional Classes: Start with full group session with Earl, then break out into individual sectionals for all strings, percussion, harp and piano.

• Woodwinds and Brass will have Breakout Sectional Classes for individual instruments –flute-oboe-clarinet-bassoon-horn-trumpet-trombone (+tuba). James Rodgers

Principal Contrabassoonist

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Explore Your Creativity by Writing MusicFollow UpNovember 1, 2020 at 6:30 PM

• Earl and Pius will select a few of the submitted works and spend the first half of the class analyzing the selections. The second half of the class Earl and Pius will play a few of the recordings.

Synced/UnSynced score, Pius Cheung

Sectionals & BreakoutsNovember 8, 2020 at 6:30 PM

• Start with full group session with Earl, then break out into individual sectionals for all strings, percussion, harp and piano.

• Woodwinds and Brass will have Breakout Sectional Classes for individual instruments – flute-oboe-clarinet-bassoon-horn-trumpet-trombone (+tuba).

Open Door with Earl

• Earl will have weekly sign up times for students to meet and discuss college auditions, music related issues, college application process and more!

Screenshots from some of Earl's first virtual meetings in March 2020.

Mindfulness for MusiciansNovember 15, 2020

• Special guest Shirli Nikolsburgand Earl discuss ways to overcome performance anxiety as well as teach relaxation techniques

(Times TBA)

Shirli Nikolsburg

Final Sectional, Submission Day 2November 22, 2020 at 6:30 PM

• Submission day!• Recordings of Copland, Prokofiev, Stravinsky and Cheung pieces are due.

Beyond the NotesSpecial Guest TBA

November 29, 2020

• Final submission day

Screenshots from Beyond the Notes sessions from Summer 2020

FINAL SESSIONS & WRAP UPDecember 6, 2020 at 6:30 PM

• If possible and safe for PYSO to meet in small groups, Earl will lead a live reading rehearsal session. If not possible to meet, Earl will hold open door sessions with individual students

Photo from PYSO's first ever virtual performance of Nimrod from Elgar's Enigma Variations

PYSO "Playing it Forward"December 13, 2020 at 6:30 PM

• PYSO Premier’s it’s Fall Virtual Orchestra Film!

Photo from PYSO's first ever virtual performance of Nimrod from Elgar's Enigma Variations