Spokane Youth Symphony showcases its strengths at Fox this weekend
The Spokane Youth Symphony will celebrate the “strength of music” at the Fox Theater this weekend.
The Spokane Youth Symphony consists of four total orchestras: the Spokane Youth Strings conducted by John Marshall, the Spokane Youth Sinfonietta conducted by Jerilynn Harris, the Spokane Youth Philharmonic conducted by Roberta Bottelli and the Spokane Youth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Philip Baldwin. Over 250 students make up this symphony season.
Many young musicians start with the Spokane Youth Strings and gradually work their way up as they improve their skills over time. By the time they reach the Spokane Youth Symphony Orchestra, some are capable of playing music at a similar level to the professionals in the Spokane Symphony.
“They have to audition to get into the program and all of them have to audition for the appropriate level their playing is suited for,” said Jennifer O’Bannan, the youth symphony’s executive director. “It’s not really based on their age as much as the level that they are playing at.”
All four groups will be performing three pieces at the Fox Theater on Sunday. Each conductor selected pieces that generally fit the theme of the evening, or at least their interpretation of “the strength of music.” The wide-ranging repertoire will feature an array of songs relatively unknown as well as those that are more popular, such as Edward German’s “Winter” from his suite “The Seasons” and Carl Maria von Weber’s “Overture” to the iconic opera “Der Freischütz.”
“A couple of those aren’t really commonly known pieces, but they’re really beautiful,” O’Bannan said. “Challenging music for the kids, but they do a great job.”
Sunday afternoon’s performance will be the second in the youth symphony’s United in Music concert series. The first theme was “musical friendships” while the next is “the power of persistence” in March. The theme of May’s series finale will be “together we reach for the stars,” a concert celebrating the conclusion of the series and all the hard work put in by the young musicians throughout the season.
Performing on a stage as grand as the Fox Theater, as the youth symphony has been doing since 2007, acts as a nicely wrapped bow on top of the finished product for the young musicians within the program. Looking out past their music stands, conductor and the bright lights above, the musicians view a sea of supportive family members and attendees within a historic venue.
“It really adds to the performing experience, because I know when kids work hard like they need to for this sort of thing, and then it’s not a very nice venue or they can’t be heard or seen well, it’s hard for them,” O’Bannan said. “By being that audience, it helps them to feel like what they’re doing has value to people and makes them want to keep doing it, and the applause in a beautiful place and all that is very important.”
O’Bannan encourages even those without children in the program to attend in order to support young musicians, because she firmly believes there is something special and heartwarming about seeing such young individuals perform difficult yet beautiful music at such a high level.
“Just seeing how the groups advance is really interesting, even to people who may not have kids in the program,” O’Bannan said. “I have friends who have come after I’ve encouraged them to come to a concert, and they’re hooked. I mean they’re just community members, but they come and they’re just so inspired every single time.”