This is my last blog entry as Music Alive! composer in residence with the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association.
It has been an amazing three years, and I will miss everyone so much. This was an experience of a lifetime, the kind that composers live for.
Some of my favorite moments happened at Reveille, VYOA’s summer program. Although I was only in residence a few weeks each year, most of my time was spent in rehearsals or traveling around the state to visit schools, so this was one of the few times I really had a chance to interact with the VYO musicians on a personal level. Since the musicians live on campus, I think they were a little more relaxed. This allowed for some great conversations, especially in the Elley-Long hallway, which seems to be one of the easiest places to strike up a conversation. There’s something cozy and magical about the Elley-Long Music Center that makes you want to socialize, or at least makes it easy just hang out and talk.
One aspect of a residency that makes working with a youth orchestra incredibly difficult is the amount of change-over. With a professional orchestra, there is a lot of consistency, since players often stay with an orchestra for many years, if not their entire careers. With a youth orchestra, one year you might have a great group of trumpet players, but maybe there are very few violists. Each year will be completely different, which makes developing a new orchestral work incredibly challenging. As a composer, you want to cater the piece to the orchestra as much as you can, and really capitalize on what’s great about the ensemble that given year. Incorporating the idiosyncrasies of the ensemble also gives the piece personality on a technical level, and even composers like Mozart would write pieces with great parts for certain players that happened to be around at the time.
Aside from the musicians themselves, anyone who is involved with VYOA knows that there were administrative changes these last three years. However, through it all, everyone was incredibly supportive and friendly, and I am really glad I had the pleasure of working with Jeffrey Domoto and Rosina Cannizzaro at the end, and Jeffrey Buettner for the entire three years, as well as Lisamarie, Art, Mia and Liza.
An interesting aside: Rosina and her husband Nic lived right next door to Victoria and I while we were in school at Indiana University, and we even did gigs and had pot luck dinners, so I was very happy when I found out she was (and they were) moving to Vermont to work with VYOA. This just goes to show that friendships you make when you are in school can and often do become lasting friendships later in life. It’s so great to leave VYOA knowing it’s in such great hands.
I also really enjoyed working with the choir. One fascinating aspect of working with singers, particularly in the rehearsal room, is that because there’s no stage acting as a virtual wall, or instruments each musician can hide behind, it is much easier to make eye contact. To see their facial expressions and watch them smile when something funny occurred was really amazing. One of my favorite moments was when Jeff Buettner asked them what they thought of the choral movements of A New Eaarth. Their descriptions were incredibly evocative—even more detailed than what I was thinking while composing these pieces! This was one of those moments when I wish I had a video camera or recorded what they said.
Another highlight of working with the choir on Did You Hear?, a piece with text by writer-librettist David Cote that explored the themes of rumors and gossip. The choir members suggested these themes, so we really felt like this piece was truly theirs. It is quite theatrical, and really unlike almost every other choir work out there. David and I were so moved by their enthusiasm and performance that we plan on writing more pieces that incorporate theatrical elements, if we can find the right choral groups to work with. In essence, we want to create a new genre, and we have the Vermont Youth Orchestra Chorus members and Jeffrey Buettner to thank for inspiring us.
My residency culminated in a final project, A New Eaarth, for orchestra, chorus and narrator that centered on the issue of climate change. The fact that we were able to snag noted environmentalist, educator and author Bill McKibben to narrate, and have everything work out, with the difficulties in scheduling around such a busy environmental icon, was a minor miracle. It was amazing how everyone pulled together, especially since the piece was literally hot off the press. I was emailing parts to Jeff Domoto right before (and even during) the rehearsals, and parts were being delivered to the players and immediately rehearsed. Everything turned out incredibly well, and although the piece was quite substantial, the musicians really pulled it together as a whole. I received so many positive and moving comments about the piece and the entire concert that I was almost overwhelmed.
As I have said all along during my three years with VYOA, this experience was really about giving the musicians an opportunity to work closely with a living composer, and to go out in the community and really promote VYOA to the entire state. I hope this experience will end up being as fulfilling for all of the musicians and everyone else as it was for me. It was an incredible three years that I will never forget.
Robert Paterson, VYOA Composer-in-Residence, 2009-2012
VYOA Brass Day – November 3!
/0 Comments/by RosinaThe VYOA is pleased to announce Brass Day on November 3 from 1pm-5pm with special guests the Boston-based Triton Brass Quintet. This event is FREE to the public!! Students, educators, and brass players of all ages are welcome! The day starts with a performance by the Triton Brass Quintet and includes clinics, workshops, and a brass choir reading session.
VYOA to participate in Burlington Six Pack Onstage!
/0 Comments/by RosinaFor the first time ever, the Burlington community is working together to help recent graduates and young workers explore the performing arts. Created especially for arts-parched 20- and 30-somethings, Six Pack Onstage is your chance to enjoy a wide variety of arts performances at a great price. The VYOA is proud to be participating in this exciting new ticket offer. Six Pack Onstage is a great opportunity to experience theater, chamber music, the symphony, and much more for one low price. Click on the logo for more information.
VYP Kicks Off Concert Season on August 27
/0 Comments/by VYOA StaffVermont Youth Philharmonia Fall Concert
Monday, August 27 at 7:00 pm
Elley-Long Music Center at Saint Michael’s College
Yutaka Kono, conductor
Featuring Aaron Copland’s popular “Variations on a Shaker Melody.,” L’Arlésienne (The Girl from Arles) Suite No. 2, written by Georges Bizet. The concert will culminate with the Overture to Die Meistersinger von Nürenberg by Richard Wagner.
Tickets: $5 Adults / $2 Students
Tickets available at the door on the night of the performance.
Information: 802-655-5030
Congratulations to the 2012-13 VYO Soloists!
/0 Comments/by VYOA StaffThe VYOA is happy to announce our five soloists for the 2012-13 concert season!
A senior at Mount Mansfield Union High School, violinist Lea Martin will present the Allegro molto e con brio of Dimitry Kabalevsky’s Violin Concerto in C major. at the season opening VYO concert on September 28 & 30.
Colchester High School senior Lauren Zwonik will present the Rondo from the Mozart Flute Concerto in D at Orchestrapalooza on December 9.
Mitchell Goff, a homeschooled senior from Plattsburgh, New York will play the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor at the annual VYO New Year’s Eve First Night Concert at the Flynn Center.
Clarinet player Ryan Wolbach will perform the Weber Concertino in E minor at the Vermont Youth Philharmonia Spring Concert on April 14, 2013.
Montpelier High School senior Lydia Herrick will close the VYO concert season on May 3 & 5, 2013 performing the first movement of the Svendsen Romance in G major.
Alumni on Facebook
/1 Comment/by VYOA StaffTrying to find an old stand partner? Interested in an upcoming alumni event taking place in your city or town? Want to say “hi” to someone on the artistic or admin staffs?
Stay in touch with your VYOA friends on the new Facebook Alumni Group... Join today!
This Just In: Master Class with Violinist Rachel Barton Pine
/0 Comments/by VYOA StaffSunday, July 15 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Elley-Long Music Center at Saint Michael’s College
Violinists of all ages and abilities encouraged to attend and observe!
Registration deadline: Wednesday, June 20
To register, contact Kathy Reilly – kathy@vermontviolins.com
About Rachel Barton Pine
Sponsored by Vermont Violins/Burlington Violin Shop
New Audition Dates Added!
/0 Comments/by VYOA StaffAdditional audition dates have been added to our schedule.
June 8 — younger string players (7th grade and younger)
June 19, 27, 28 — all instrumentalists
June 27 — singers
Please email auditions@vyo.org to schedule your appointment to audition for one of our orchestras or choruses!
Holiday Closing
/0 Comments/by VYOA StaffThe VYOA Offices will be closed on Monday, May 28 in observance of Memorial Day.
A Fond Adieu from Robert Paterson
/0 Comments/by VYOA StaffThis is my last blog entry as Music Alive! composer in residence with the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association.
It has been an amazing three years, and I will miss everyone so much. This was an experience of a lifetime, the kind that composers live for.
Some of my favorite moments happened at Reveille, VYOA’s summer program. Although I was only in residence a few weeks each year, most of my time was spent in rehearsals or traveling around the state to visit schools, so this was one of the few times I really had a chance to interact with the VYO musicians on a personal level. Since the musicians live on campus, I think they were a little more relaxed. This allowed for some great conversations, especially in the Elley-Long hallway, which seems to be one of the easiest places to strike up a conversation. There’s something cozy and magical about the Elley-Long Music Center that makes you want to socialize, or at least makes it easy just hang out and talk.
One aspect of a residency that makes working with a youth orchestra incredibly difficult is the amount of change-over. With a professional orchestra, there is a lot of consistency, since players often stay with an orchestra for many years, if not their entire careers. With a youth orchestra, one year you might have a great group of trumpet players, but maybe there are very few violists. Each year will be completely different, which makes developing a new orchestral work incredibly challenging. As a composer, you want to cater the piece to the orchestra as much as you can, and really capitalize on what’s great about the ensemble that given year. Incorporating the idiosyncrasies of the ensemble also gives the piece personality on a technical level, and even composers like Mozart would write pieces with great parts for certain players that happened to be around at the time.
Aside from the musicians themselves, anyone who is involved with VYOA knows that there were administrative changes these last three years. However, through it all, everyone was incredibly supportive and friendly, and I am really glad I had the pleasure of working with Jeffrey Domoto and Rosina Cannizzaro at the end, and Jeffrey Buettner for the entire three years, as well as Lisamarie, Art, Mia and Liza.
An interesting aside: Rosina and her husband Nic lived right next door to Victoria and I while we were in school at Indiana University, and we even did gigs and had pot luck dinners, so I was very happy when I found out she was (and they were) moving to Vermont to work with VYOA. This just goes to show that friendships you make when you are in school can and often do become lasting friendships later in life. It’s so great to leave VYOA knowing it’s in such great hands.
I also really enjoyed working with the choir. One fascinating aspect of working with singers, particularly in the rehearsal room, is that because there’s no stage acting as a virtual wall, or instruments each musician can hide behind, it is much easier to make eye contact. To see their facial expressions and watch them smile when something funny occurred was really amazing. One of my favorite moments was when Jeff Buettner asked them what they thought of the choral movements of A New Eaarth. Their descriptions were incredibly evocative—even more detailed than what I was thinking while composing these pieces! This was one of those moments when I wish I had a video camera or recorded what they said.
Another highlight of working with the choir on Did You Hear?, a piece with text by writer-librettist David Cote that explored the themes of rumors and gossip. The choir members suggested these themes, so we really felt like this piece was truly theirs. It is quite theatrical, and really unlike almost every other choir work out there. David and I were so moved by their enthusiasm and performance that we plan on writing more pieces that incorporate theatrical elements, if we can find the right choral groups to work with. In essence, we want to create a new genre, and we have the Vermont Youth Orchestra Chorus members and Jeffrey Buettner to thank for inspiring us.
My residency culminated in a final project, A New Eaarth, for orchestra, chorus and narrator that centered on the issue of climate change. The fact that we were able to snag noted environmentalist, educator and author Bill McKibben to narrate, and have everything work out, with the difficulties in scheduling around such a busy environmental icon, was a minor miracle. It was amazing how everyone pulled together, especially since the piece was literally hot off the press. I was emailing parts to Jeff Domoto right before (and even during) the rehearsals, and parts were being delivered to the players and immediately rehearsed. Everything turned out incredibly well, and although the piece was quite substantial, the musicians really pulled it together as a whole. I received so many positive and moving comments about the piece and the entire concert that I was almost overwhelmed.
As I have said all along during my three years with VYOA, this experience was really about giving the musicians an opportunity to work closely with a living composer, and to go out in the community and really promote VYOA to the entire state. I hope this experience will end up being as fulfilling for all of the musicians and everyone else as it was for me. It was an incredible three years that I will never forget.
Robert Paterson, VYOA Composer-in-Residence, 2009-2012
VYOA Presents 2012 Scholarships
/0 Comments/by VYOA StaffCongratulations are in order for three VYOA students who were all recognized recently with awards and scholarships.
St. Johnsbury Academy senior Perry Emerson was awarded the 2012 Hermance Prize at the VYO Spring Concert on Sunday. The flutist and VYO member presented a beautiful performance of the Sonatine for Flute and Piano by Henri Dutilleux at the Hermance Prize Recital on May 1st. Perry plans to attend the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY next fall, where he will major in flute performance.
Colchester High School senior Nikolas Kaim was presented with the Weathers Music Scholarship at the VYO Spring Concert on Sunday. A charter member of the VYO Chorus since its’ inception 5 years ago, Nikolas plans to pursue musical theater and voice at Ithaca College next fall. He hopes to continue to study voice and vocal technique, and to teach voice studies at a university level one day.
Vermont Youth Philharmonia violinist Basundhara Mukherjee was presented with the Aaron Xue Friendship Award at the VYP Spring Concert on April 1. Established by the Xue family in memory of Aaron, a VYP cellist who died in 2009, the annual award recognizes a student who is a supportive colleague, role model, and true friend to their peers in Vermont Youth Philharmonia. A tenth grade student at South Burlington High School, Basundhara has played the violin since the age of 7. A highlight of the season for her was performing selections from Carmina Burana with the VYO Chorus this past winter at Orchestrapalooza.