The Shenandoah Valley Youth Orchestra and Junior Strings ensemble will perform 7 p.m. Sunday, Mar. 25, in Lehman Auditorium.
The 25-member orchestra, conducted by Maria Lorcas, will perform “Carmen Suite No. 1” by Georges Bizet and “West Side Story Suite” by Leonard Bernstein. Ashley Wright will be featured soloist on the “Clarinet Concerto” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Jessica Hostetter and Sean Hsu will perform “Concerto for Two Violins” by Johann Sebastian Bach with string orchestra.
Ashley Wright Ms. Wright, the daughter of Douglas and Kimberly Wright, is a senior at Turner Ashby High School and has played the clarinet since sixth grade. Chosen by audition to perform the evening’s featured solo, Wright has been a member of the Youth Orchestra for four years.
A student of Leslie Nicholas, she was chosen by audition for District Band and the All-Virginia Band and has participated in the George Mason University Honor Band. An active student musician, she served as the TA Marching Knights senior drum major this year, performed in bands that accompanied the school musicals the last four years and is a member of the TA Jazz Ensemble. Wright also serves as secretary of TA’s Tri-M Music Honors Society, and she plans to major in music education in college.
The 17-member Junior Strings ensemble, directed by Sharon M.D. Miller, will perform a variety of music including “Rondeau” from “Masterpiece Theater” by Mouret, a Bach chorale and “Fiddle Fest” by local composer James E. Clemens.
Junior string members are from Rockingham, Augusta, Page and Shenandoah counties and from West Virginia.
The Shenandoah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra is part of EMU’s Preparatory Music Program. The program also includes instrumental music instruction (violin, viola, cello, guitar, flute, clarinet, harp, piano) and Musikgarten (ages birth through 6). Sharon Miller is administrative director for the program that enrolls over 325 students from 6 Virginia counties and West Virginia.
A five dollar donation is requested at the door to assist in the operation of these groups.
Information about the Preparatory Music Program may be obtain from EMU’s web site (www.emu.edu/music/prepprog)or by calling 540-432-4277.