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Les Muses joins provincial youth orchestra for concert this weekend in Moncton
“[Inspiring excellence] is what we do,” says Antonio Delgado, musical director of the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra.
It’s also the name of the 80-member provincial orchestra’s concert to be staged Saturday night in Moncton.
“We call it a concert weekend,” says Delgado. “We bring the students [together] from all over the province to learn and rehearse, and then we put on a concert.”
Formed in 1965 when Philip Oland, then president of the New Brunswick Symphony Orchestra, pushed for a youth contingent, the NBYO was Canada’s first established youth orchestra.
Auditions are held each spring across the province. These determine not only membership, but each member’s role within the orchestra.
With an orchestra featuring upwards of 35 different instruments, there’s always a chance their sound will be unbalanced if the kids all gravitate to their favourites.
“This is always a problem throughout the world,” laughs Antonio.“There are some instruments that just seem more fun, like the clarinet which leads to the possibility of the saxophone, which leads to jazz and dance music.... But this year we have a really balanced orchestra, a good number of every instrument.”
Organizational work takes place in the summer and by fall the orchestra goes on tour or holds practice concerts around the province. In the past they’ve performed at the Forbidden City in China with New Brunswick pianist Roger Lord, at Carnegie Hall in New York and in concert halls in Italy, Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic.
A CD recording of their performance in China won the NBYO an East Coast Music Award.
This year, as part of Canada’s 150th Birthday celebrations, the NBYO will commission an original song and launch a school outreach program.
The composition will be recorded by the orchestra, accompanied by a soloist and choir, on Canada Day and the NBYO will premiere the work during a public performance in Moncton on July
2. The orchestra will then embark on a tour of eastern Canada.
More details about the tour will be announced at Saturday’s concert.
“This is my seventh season with the NBYO,”says Delgado, who came to New Brunswick from Venezuela where he learned his craft through the national classical music program for youth that would become the model for New Brunswick’s Sistema, “It is amazing how much growth there has been – way more and way faster than when we started up the Sistema program. And there are also always new projects, new stuff going on. It is very exciting time.”
“This concert is called Inspiring Excellence for many reasons,” Delgado says. “We are not only always trying to inspire our kids, but we are also helping them to try for excellence. We have so many talented and amazing youth and we know that with just a little push they can pursue all of their dreams.”
Saturday’s concert will feature pieces by Beethoven,Tchaikovsky,and Mocayo, and a number of special performances.
“Each year we have a competition,” says Kim Shields, orchestra manager, “where we invite orchestra members to come audition for a solo performance in one of our concerts. We have had violinists and clarinetists try out, but this year for the first time it was a percussionist!”
Jocelyn Blanchette will perform a solo musical number on the Marimba, the percussion instrument where the musician uses four mallets to strike the keys, creating both melody and harmony.
“There really is a lot happening in this concert,” Kim laughs, “We are also performing with ... [Moncton] singing group Les Muses, led by Monique Poirier, and last but not least, we will be announcing our big Canada 150 Tour which begins with our annual Pops on the Riverfront concert [on July 1] and then sees us heading to three cities in Canada, which will be announced during the show.”
She also promises more surprises and good news.
SHOW FACTS
• What: New brunswick Youth orchestra Presents: INSPIRING EXCELLENCE / INSPIRER L'EXCELLENCE
• When: Saturday, Jan. 14, 7 p.m.
• Where: Wesleyan Celebration Centre 945 St George blvd,
• TicketS: $20 for adults, $10 for students
– With files from Tom Bateman
