Kicking off the VYO 2008-09 Concert Season
Vive La France!

The VYO kicks off their 46th season on Sunday, September 28 at 3:00 pm at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts. Spend an imaginary afternoon in Paris as conductor Troy Peters leads the orchestra in a program of works by Emmanuel Chabrier, Claude Debussy and Camille Saint-Saëns. South Burlington High School flutist Kelly Herrmann presents François Borne’s Carmen Fantasy and Champlain Valley Union High School pianist Samantha Angstman performs the first movement of Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major. The program culminates with Alexander Borodin’s mighty Symphony No. 2. The concert provides a taste of the coming season as VYO members eagerly anticipate their tour of Québec and France in July 2009, celebrating the Lake Champlain Quadricentennial.

Tickets: VYO Season tickets are on sale now! Single tickets for VYO concerts will be on sale as of September 15 at the Flynn Box Office. To purchase tickets, call 802-86-Flynn or visit www.flynntix.org.

Season sponsor: Concert sponsor:

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*This program will also be performed on Friday, September 26 at 8:00 pm at Harwood Union High School in Duxbury. Tickets: Adults/Seniors $5; Students $2. Tickets available at the door. Information: 802-655-5030

Photo: Stina Plant

VYO Blog is LIVE!

During the weeks preceding the fall concert, VYO soloists Kelly Herrmann and Samantha Angstman will begin to post their thoughts and comments about the excitement involved in being an orchestral soloist. Additional VYO members will post blog entries in May and July, as the students focus their blog around their preparation for each of this season’s concerts.

Expect unique perspective and wit, as our students comment on all aspects of their musical activity; everything from rehearsals and impromptu music history lessons to loading in and out on performance day at the Flynn Center. Go backstage with our students by simply visiting www.vyo.org and clicking on the new "VYO Blog" button located on the menu bar.

Vermont Youth Philharmonia Fall Concert

Vermont Youth Philharmonia, led by conductor Anne Decker, presents their Fall Concert on Saturday, September 20 at 7:00 pm in the Elley-Long Music Center at Saint Michael’s College. Karl Rzasa is the featured soloist, presenting the Weber Bassoon Concerto in F Major, Op. 75. Karl is a familiar face at the VYOA, having taught for several summers at the Reveille Music Festival. A native of Manchester, NH, Karl holds a Bachelors Degree from Oberlin College and a Masters Degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

The program also includes the Gypsy Baron Overture by Johann Strauss Jr., Charles Gounod’s Faust Ballet and Fanfare for the Family Farm by Vermont composer Gwyneth Walker. Tickets: Adults/Seniors $5; Students $2. Tickets available at the door. Information: 655-5030.

Presto Fall Concert

The Presto ensembles, conducted by Asiat Ali, present their fall concert on Saturday, November 15 at 11:00 am at the Elley-Long Music Center at Saint Michael’s College. Free Admission. Information: 655-5030.

Photo: Katie Schaffer

VYOA Reprises Online Auction and "Musical Chairs"!

Our second annual Online Auction and "Musical Chairs" events are underway! Currently, we are seeking donated items for the online auction from local businesses, individuals and artisans. During last year’s online auction, bids on over 140 auction items raised $12,000 that directly funded the VYOA’s orchestral and choral programs.

This year, the online auction culminates with a festive "Musical Chairs" exhibit and silent auction on Friday, November 7 at the Champlain Mill. Original, handcrafted or re-purposed chair designs created by Vermont artists will be featured in both the online auction and the Musical Chairs exhibit and silent auction party. The public is invited to attend this FREE event to view the chairs and participate in the auction.

To donate an auction item or a musical chair, or to volunteer your time to either event, please visit www.vyo.org.

Photo: "Cello Chair" donated by artist Sandra Mudge

Welcome to New Staff - VYOA Development Manager and Operations Assistant

Liza Reed joins the VYOA staff in the newly created position of Development Manager. A former Development Associate with the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, she helped to build their fundraising program and organized a benefit cabaret, among other successful endeavors there. Liza holds a degree in American Studies and Sociology from Middlebury College, where she graduated in 2006. In addition to throwing a mean ultimate frisbee, Liza is active musically, having studied Suzuki piano, alto saxophone and French horn.

Franklin County native Betsy LeBlanc joins the VYOA as the Operations Assistant, a position that includes the management of Vermont Youth Strings, Presto, and Vermont Youth Chamber Winds. A 1995 graduate of the VYO, Betsy is an accomplished clarinetist with an active performing schedule. She was a featured soloist with the Vermont Youth Philharmonia during the 07-08 season, and maintains a busy clarinet studio at the Elley-Long Music Center. Betsy holds degrees in music and orchestral training from The Juilliard School and McGill University. In addition to teaching and performing music, Betsy is an avid marathon runner.

Piatigorsky Foundation Tour visits the Elley-Long Music Center

The VYOA presents world class musicians Evan Drachman, cello, and Jeffrey Grossman, piano, in a unique recital as part of the Piatigorsky Foundation Tour on Thursday, September 11 at 7:30 pm at the Elley-Long Music Center at Saint Michael’s College.

Evan Drachman has enjoyed a distinctive musical career. He is the founder and Artistic Director of the Piatigorsky Foundation, whose mission is to make live classical music a part of everyday life, especially for communities who would otherwise not have the opportunity to hear it. When not touring with other Piatigorsky musicians, he tours as a guest soloist or with an orchestra presenting recitals and concerts throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Born in Boston, he holds degrees from Peabody Conservatory, the New England Conservatory and the Curtis Institute of Music.

Jeffrey Grossman is known for his wide-ranging musicality in nearly every style. His extensive experience includes repertoire for the piano, harpsichord, and chamber organ from every period of the classical repertoire. A native of Detroit, he holds a BM from Harvard College and an MM from Carnegie Mellon University. He also co-founded and currently serves as artistic director of the Cambridge Early Music Project.

This is the first VYOA event to feature the 7-foot Steinway grand piano (built in 1918) that was recently donated to the VYOA by the family of Allan McIlvaine, who passed away last fall. Ms. McIlvaine had been a supporter of the VYOA since the 1960's, and the piano she enjoyed for many years in her home will now enter a new phase of life in the hands of student and professional musicians alike. We are thrilled to present this lovely instrument, along with our extreme gratitude, to the McIlvaine family through this musical event on September 11.

This concert is FREE and open to the public. A post-concert reception with the artists will be held immediately following the performance. For more information, call the VYOA office at 655-5030.

Presented by the Piatigorsky Foundation

Annual Fund Campaign

"Music for Youth, Music for Life!" The VYOA is bigger and better than ever during the 2008-09 concert season! We heard a record number of auditions this year, resulting in our largest student population to date, as well as a significant increase in scholarship requests. As we continue to expand in order to meet our students' needs, we hope we can count on your generous support. The VYOA's Annual Fund Campaign goal this year is $220,000. This is an aggressive goal, but one that we can meet with your help.

For more information on how to make your gift, visit our website at www.vyo.org. Please know that your donation - in any amount - will be greatly appreciated by our students, staff, and Board. Thank you!