kapellmeister Posted February 7, 2003 Report Share Posted February 7, 2003 Hello all- I know I'm probably opening a major can of worms here , but well, in the spirit of free debate, here's my question: Which youth orchestras do you consider to be the best in the country? (sorry for all those non-US residents, my apologies!) To start it off, here's my list (in no particular order): San Francisco Youth Orchestra, Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, NEC's Youth Philharmonic, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Baltimore Youth Orchestra... I have some others, but this is just a start to get some posts flowing... Thanks, -KM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liljustin Posted February 7, 2003 Report Share Posted February 7, 2003 California Youth Symphony ranks up there with San Francisco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iupviolin Posted February 7, 2003 Report Share Posted February 7, 2003 Pittsburgh Youth Orchestra, hands down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainyann Posted February 7, 2003 Report Share Posted February 7, 2003 How many people have heard many of the orchestras perform? I haven't heard any of those but I have heard many others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kabal Posted February 7, 2003 Report Share Posted February 7, 2003 Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm, How would anybody know this? I am sure there are some very fine youth orchestras out there, but since most of them dont travel to places where they can be judged fairly, and they do not make CDs, we cannot judge them. Cleveland has a good lil youth band. How they rate against the others, I have no clue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One_Tree_Hill Posted February 7, 2003 Report Share Posted February 7, 2003 Philly Youth Orchestra is great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyosha Posted February 7, 2003 Report Share Posted February 7, 2003 i think all youth orchs claim to be the best in the country... (well, at least SOME of them do) Lyosha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantinik Posted February 7, 2003 Report Share Posted February 7, 2003 I have no idea which is the best. But I can say, with very little doubt, that the largest per capita is Olympia, Washington. So large, in fact, that they have split into two full youth symphonies, each with their own training orchestras. This in a town of 70,000 people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsMazas Posted February 7, 2003 Report Share Posted February 7, 2003 Olympia Youth is absolutely fab! I'd almost say that they're better than the SYSO, but that's only because their string section is kickass. Our chamber orch had to compete against theirs last year, and it was somewhat of a challenge...but in the end we ended up winning. The odds of that: crazy! I'd join Olympia's if I didn't live so dang far away, especially since a load of my friends are over there. Great group, they've got my bet. --Mazas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantinik Posted February 7, 2003 Report Share Posted February 7, 2003 Thanks! Which one? We have two: one is the Capital Area Youth Symphony (CAYSA), the other is Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia (SOGO). My older daughter is a violinist in the latter, and also plays the oboe with my younger daughter playing flute in the training orchestra. SOGO has a huge sound in its string sections, despite the fact that there are in fact only 18 violins (CAYSA has a larger string section, but many fewer horns.) SOGO is also rather unique in structure. It was founded by students themselves, and they choose the conductor. While there are auditions to join, there are NO auditions for chairs, no permanent concert master -- they switch on every piece, and no strict division into first and second violins. Everyone gets to play everything. The theory is that if one knows the music better from different vantage points, one is likely to play better. And no time is wasted in pointless competition -- all energies are focused on the music. As you note, it works! I doubt SOGO quite competes with SYSO's string section, but player for player.... (I'm a proud dad, and my wife sits on the Board.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minuet Posted February 7, 2003 Report Share Posted February 7, 2003 YUP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsMazas Posted February 8, 2003 Report Share Posted February 8, 2003 Hmmm...whichever one Amy Lee was in last year! --Mazas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted February 8, 2003 Report Share Posted February 8, 2003 Regarding Shantinik's post about seating auditions, while I tend to dread seating auditions (I'm a violinist in Chicago Youth Sympnony), I find that by having them, it FORCES the players to practice their parts thoroughly and know their parts extremely well. We just had our seating auditions for the spring, and last Sunday we played through the Totenfeier from Mahler's 2nd Symphony for the first time. Because we were fresh off of auditions for it, we were all playing it at a really high level, and I'd have to say it sounded really good for a "first run-through." On a totally unrelated note, MAHLER IS THE BOMB!!!! So while I agree that it is good to rotate seats and not be too caught up in the "seating extravaganza" (which by the way, we have co-principals for just about every instrument, and people switch between first and second violin parts for different pieces), I think it is invaluable for the orchestra as a whole, and it prevents the slacker-syndrome that might occur in a 110 piece orchestra, because you get to embarrass yourself in front of the conductor and a panel of judges if you don't practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantinik Posted February 8, 2003 Report Share Posted February 8, 2003 Not likely to be any slacker syndrome if you might find yourself as first chair any particular week rather than being able to hide in the back by having once messed up an audition! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted February 8, 2003 Report Share Posted February 8, 2003 Well then I retract my statement about slacker syndrome. Though the slacker that hides in the back of the orchestra might just possibly disappear after re-entry auditions the next year. Yet this brings up another issue, and I think we would be kidding ourselves if we said that everyone in the orchestra was equally capable of leading the orchestra. I know that I follow the concertmaster very closely, and being able to lead in a position such as concertmaster is a skill that needs to be practiced. Not to mention some people simply lead better than others, which will add to the stability of the section. I am concertmaster of another youth orchestra, and I know that if I only served as concertmaster once or twice a season, I would be nervous and absolutely befuddled as to what I have to do for the section. The section would not always be certain when they should come in, and our bowings would never stay the same because all people have different ideas. There are certainly merits to loosening the "orchestral tension," but competition is what helps make one their best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlo_jsb Posted February 8, 2003 Report Share Posted February 8, 2003 Hehe, are youth orchestra (LSSO) has over 40 violins in total (22 1st, 21 2nd). Carlo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One_Tree_Hill Posted February 8, 2003 Report Share Posted February 8, 2003 Mahler is great. Especially #5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnaM66 Posted February 9, 2003 Report Share Posted February 9, 2003 New York Youth Symphony. we get to perform in Carnegie Hall and get coached by mems of the NEw York Phil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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