Old York Road Symphony
| Old York Road Symphony | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Abington, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Symphony orchestra |
| Years active | 1932-present |
| Website | |
| Members |
Music Director Yoon Jae Lee |
The Old York Road Symphony is an American orchestra based in Abington, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest all-volunteer orchestras in the country. The orchestra was founded in 1932 by Stanley Chute of the theater orchestra of the Old York Road Players, Suzanne C. Meder of the Jenkintown School of Cultural Arts, and Louis Angeloty, who had been concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra. In the spring of 1933, 20 members of the orchestra gave their first concert in the Keswick Theatre in Glenside. In September 1934 the Symphony received its charter as a non-profit organization, and has been in continuous operation ever since.[1][2] The mission of the orchestra is "to provide an outlet for the interests and talents of serious musicians of all ages, while enriching the cultural life of suburban Philadelphia." [3]
Staff and Productions
Yoon Jae Lee leads the orchestra as music director, a position he assumed in 2008.[4] The orchestra consists of about 60-65 volunteer musicians, whose weekly rehearsals produce four or five concerts each year, ranging from symphonic concerts and orchestral soloists to pops and family concerts.[5] Abington Junior High School is the orchestra’s primary performance venue, although concerts have also been given at Penn State Abington and at other locations.
Music Director Yoon Jae Lee enjoys a multi-faceted career as conductor, arranger and pianist. Founder and Artistic Director of Ensemble 212, he is also on the faculty of City College of New York and is the Music Director of the Wyoming Seminary Civic Orchestra in Pennsylvania. A native of New York City, Lee began his musical studies on the violin and piano. At age 17, he began his career as a conductor and two years later, participated in a masterclass by Kurt Masur at Alice Tully Hall. He received degrees in piano and conducting from the Mannes College of Music receiving the N.T. Milani Memorial Conducting Fellowship and the Peter M. Gross Fund. Maestro Lee also studied at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg in Austria. During that time, he appeared as guest conductor with the Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, Bruckner Orchester Linz, and served as Assistant Conductor to the Salzburger Kammerphilharmonie. Maestro Lee attended the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen under the tutelage of David Zinman and Murry Sidlin.[6][7]
Community Outreach and Young Artists Competition
The orchestra also has an active youth outreach program and is engaged with local public schools in encouraging music studies. These student-focused programs have two primary objectives. First, to encourage young instrumentalists to continue to study and practice their craft, and to acknowledge and reward them for doing so. And second, to develop future audiences, by exposing students who are not musicians to the joy of music and enrich their lives for many years.
One of the most important community outreach initiatives of the Old York Road Symphony is its annual “Young Artists Competition”, the winners of which then perform with the symphony in the following season’s Young Artists Concert. For more than 13 years, the symphony has sponsored this pair of events to showcase the talent of local youthful music students. Consistent with the symphony’s Mission Statement, this competition and its associated concert provide an opportunity for students to perform and a forum to help introduce other teens and young adults to classical music and musical instruments.
This competition for young musicians in the Delaware Valley is held every spring. Outstanding candidates are identified through an extensive network of relationships and contacts that orchestra members have established over many years with music teachers in both public and private schools, as well as studio music teachers. The teachers not only recommend students for the competition but also encourage them to participate. A panel of three musician judges selects the winner, or winners, who receive a modest cash prize and the opportunity to perform as featured soloists in the following season’s Young Artists Concert.[8]
The orchestra also provides teaching materials to the music teachers in the schools attended by the winners. The use of these materials in the classroom helps to expose a wide cross-section of students to the music that will be performed by their classmates and, ultimately, to generate more interest in classical music among the younger generation.
References
- ↑ Philly.com "On the calendar" Retrieved January 30, 2012
- ↑ Old York Road Symphony offering ‘Popular Light Classics' on Saturday, Phillyburbs.com Wednesday, April 27, 2011 Retrieved January 30, 2012
- ↑ Old York Road Symphony History Retrieved January 3, 2012
- ↑ Old York Road Symphony launches 79th Season at Penn State Montgomery Media November 16, 2011 Retrieved January 13, 2012
- ↑ Sound the Horn for Old York Road Symphony, Abington Patch.com Retrieved January 13, 2012
- ↑ Yoon Jae Lee Homepage
- ↑ Wyoming Seminary
- ↑ Local symphony showcases spectacular young artists, published March 8, 2011, montgomerynews.com