News Release

Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra Celebrates 25th Season

Release Date: October 22, 2010

James Feddeck conducting the
Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra in Severance Hall

Photo by Roger Mastroianni

The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO) celebrates its 25th season with a series of three Severance Hall concerts throughout the 2010-11 season plus a special Alumni Concert on May 29, 2011, welcoming back former members of the Youth Orchestra who return to perform with current members of the ensemble. The season includes the world premiere of Chasing the Moon by Matthew Smith, an undergraduate student at the Cleveland Institute of Music who won the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra’s 2010 Composition Competition. Youth Orchestra Music Director James Feddeck, now in his second season, will conduct all concerts.

Sunday, November 14

The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, directed by James Feddeck, will perform its first Severance Hall concert of the 2010-11 season on Sunday, November 14, 2010, at 3 p.m. The program: John Adams’s Short Ride in a Fast Machine, Francis Poulenc’s Suite from Les Biches, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F major, Opus 68 (“Pastoral”).

FREE CONCERT PRELUDE

A Prelude Concert will be held in Reinberger Chamber Hall beginning at 2:00 p.m. The Prelude will feature excerpts from Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Opus 131, and Ravel’s String Quartet in F major, performed by Youth Orchestra ensembles, and is free to concert ticket holders.

Sunday, March 6

The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, led by Youth Orchestra Music Director James Feddeck, will perform its second Severance Hall concert of the 2010-11 season on Sunday, March 6, 2011, at 7 p.m. The concert will feature the Youth Orchestra’s annual collaboration with the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus. The program will include Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and selections from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana.

Sunday, May 22

The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, led by Youth Orchestra Music Director James Feddeck, will perform its third Severance Hall concert of the 2010-11 season on Sunday, May 22, 2011, at 7 p.m. The program will include Samuel Barber’s Essay No. 1, Respighi’s The Pines of Rome, and the world premiere of Matthew Smith’s Chasing the Moon. In addition, the winner of the 2011 Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition will perform as soloist with the Youth Orchestra.

Sunday, May 29

The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra will perform a special concert on Sunday, May 29, 2011, at 2 p.m., in celebration of its 25th season. For this concert, COYO alumni will return to Severance Hall to perform with current Youth Orchestra members in a variety of works. In addition to current Music Director James Feddeck, three former COYO music directors will return to lead a portion of the concert. The program will be announced at a later date, and posted online.

TRUMPET MASTERCLASS BY COYO ALUM LYLE STEELMAN

As part of the celebration of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra’s 25th season, Cleveland Orchestra Assistant Principal Trumpet Lyle Steelman will give a masterclass in Severance Hall’s Reinberger Chamber Hall on Tuesday, February 15, 2011, at 4:00 p.m. Cleveland native Lyle Steelman is one of three current Cleveland Orchestra members who is a former member of the Youth Orchestra. He played in the Youth Orchestra for the 1996-97 season. This masterclass is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. They may be obtained through the Severance Hall Ticket Office, online, or at the door on February 15. See below for Ticket Office hours and how to reserve free tickets.

The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO), now in its 25th season, is a full, 100-member symphony orchestra from 45 communities in 14 counties across northern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. The Youth Orchestra was founded in 1986 under the direction of former Cleveland Orchestra Resident Conductor Jahja Ling to provide talented young musicians with a pre-professional orchestra training experience of the highest possible artistic standard. Since that time, more than 1,200 young musicians have benefited from the unique musical experiences that COYO offers: weekly coachings with members of The Cleveland Orchestra, rehearsals and performances in historic Severance Hall, and opportunities to work with internationally renowned guest artists and conductors, including Pierre Boulez, Peter Eötvös, Yo-Yo Ma, Kurt Masur, Gil Shaham, Michael Tilson Thomas and Cleveland Orchestra Music Director Franz Welser-Möst.

Three former members of COYO are now members of The Cleveland Orchestra: Alexandra Preucil Dolan, violin; Eliesha Nelson, viola; and Lyle Steelman, trumpet.

As one of the best youth orchestras in the country, the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra has garnered a number of prestigious accolades. Following the opening concert of the Youth Orchestra’s 2007-08 season, The Plain Dealer commented that “As the last movement [of Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2] ascended to its sunny peak, the orchestra filled every corner of Severance Hall with tonal gold.” In March 2008, The Plain Dealer stated that the Youth Orchestra’s performance of the conclusion of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 “shook the hall in a blaze of youthful glory.”

In June 2009, the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra made its first appearances (performing four concerts) in Boston, Massachusetts, and surrounding areas, marking the first COYO tour since the Youth Orchestra’s triumphal tour performance at Carnegie Hall in 2001.

Each of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra’s concerts this season is to be broadcast on later dates by WCLV 104.9 FM. The November 14 concert is scheduled to be broadcast at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 9, 2011, and 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 20, 2011.

The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus are part of The Cleveland Orchestra’s wide-ranging Community Music Initiative (CMI), which seeks to engage the community in transformational musical experiences, and to foster a love of music and a lifetime of participation in the musical arts. For more information, please contact the Orchestra’s Department of Education & Community Programs at 216-231-7355, or visit clevelandorchestra.com.

SELECT YOUR OWN SEATS

Severance Hall patrons can select their own seats online. Clicking on any “Buy Ticket” button on the calendar will link to the Ticket Reservations page. This ticket ordering page automatically displays the “Select Your Own Seat” option (if applicable). Patrons may alternatively select the “Choose Best Available” option.

PRINT-AT-HOME TICKETS

Severance Hall patrons have the option of printing their tickets at home. Choose the “Print-at-Home” option on the Delivery Method page during online checkout.

The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra is supported by a generous grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation and by many other donors. Endowment support is provided by The George Gund Foundation and Christine Gitlin Miles.

The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus is supported by the Edward and Ruth Wilkof Foundation.

Ticket and Parking Information

Ticket Prices: $12 each (reserved seating). Three-concert season subscriptions are also available for $30. Boxes are available at $160 per concert (8 seats per box). .

Ticket Office: The Severance Hall Ticket Office is located in the Smith Lobby. The entrance and 15-minute Ticket Service parking are along East Boulevard. The Ticket Office is open 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Closed Sundays and holidays, except for those days with performances, when the Ticket Office opens 3 hours before concert start time.

Group Sales (groups of 10 or more): Call the Cleveland Orchestra Group Sales Office at Severance Hall at 216-231-7463 or email groupsales@clevelandorchestra.com for information.

Parking: For information about parking for Severance Hall concerts, click here.

Venue information: Severance Hall, which opened in 1931 as the home of The Cleveland Orchestra. Severance Hall is located at 11001 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106.

Calendar Selections

Sunday, November 14, 2010, at 3:00 p.m.
(Prelude Concert at 2 p.m. featuring chamber music by Beethoven and Ravel,
performed by members of the Youth Orchestra)

Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra
James Feddeck, conductor

ADAMS Short Ride in a Fast Machine
POULENC Suite from Les Biches
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6 (“Pastoral”)

Tickets: $12 (reserved seating)
To order: 216-231-1111, 800-686-1141, or visit clevelandorchestra.com to select your own seats and print your tickets at home
Location: Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland

Sunday, March 6, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.
(Prelude Concert at 6 p.m. featuring chamber music performed by members of the Youth Orchestra)

Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra
James Feddeck, conductor
Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus
Frank Bianchi, director

Program includes:
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scheherazade
ORFF Selections from Carmina Burana

Sunday, May 22, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.
(Prelude Concert at 6 p.m. featuring chamber music performed by members of the Youth Orchestra)

Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra
James Feddeck, conductor
featuring the 2011 Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition winner

Program includes:
BARBER Essay No. 1, Opus 12
MATTHEW SMITH Chasing the Moon (World Premiere)
RESPIGHI The Pines of Rome

Sunday, May 29, 2011, at 2:00 p.m.

Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra with alumni
James Feddeck, conductor

Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra Alumni Concert

Program and ticket information to be announced. Watch for complete details at online.

Location: Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland

All artists and programs are subject to change.

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Press Contacts
Jennifer Schlosser, 216-231-7518; Email: jschlosser@clevelandorchestra.com
Ana Papakhian, Office: 216-231-7476; Cell phone: 216-370-2595; Email: anap@clevelandorchestra.com