Cascade Youth Symphony to perform side-by-side with Seattle Symphony

As part of the Seattle Celebrates Bernstein Festival and in tribute to the legendary composer and conductor, Music Director Gerard Schwarz will re-create a Leonard Bernstein Young People’s Concert for Benaroya Hall audiences on Saturday, May 8, at 11 am and Tuesday, May 11, at 10:30 am. 

Gerard Schwarz photo by Yuen Lui Studios.

The concerts will feature Seattle Symphony performing side-by-side with young musicians from around the region, including the Cascade Youth Symphony and three teen soloists. The May 8 program is part of Seattle Symphony’s Gilman Family Discover Music series, designed for children ages 5 to 12 and their families. Tickets are available for $20 per adult and $15 per child/senior. The May 11 concert is a MySymphony program oriented towards middle and high school students and tickets are available for $8.

The performances will be presented in a music-with-commentary format, with Maestro Schwarz as musical host leading the orchestras and providing insight into music. The Cascade Youth Symphony will join Seattle Symphony for Bernstein’s Overture to Candide and the 4th movement of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World.” Side-by-side concerts provide an opportunity for young musicians to work and learn alongside professional musicians in rehearsal and performances.

Leonard Bernstein led a total of fifty-three Young People's Concerts during his tenure with the New York Philharmonic, covering a broad range of subjects. Bernstein used the Young People's Concerts to introduce young performers to the musical world: for example, 16-year-old André Watts made his debut on the program on January 15, 1963. While such programs were already a Philharmonic tradition when Bernstein arrived, he made Young People’s Concerts a centerpiece of his work and part of what he described as his "educational mission." He later referred to them as being "among my favorite, most highly prized activities of my life." 

Under the leadership of Music Director Gerry Jon Marsh (photo courtesy CYSO) and presented by Kennelly Keys Music and Classical KING FM 98.1, The Cascade Youth Symphony Orchestras are comprised of five merit-based youth symphony ensembles. With student players from 8 to 21-years old, hailing from throughout north and east King and south Snohomish counties, CYSO has been working cooperatively with regional schools for more than 33 years to provide after-school instrumental music instruction and performance opportunities to talented young musicians. Marsh is celebrating his 26th anniversary with the CYSO this season. He also serves as a music professor at Seattle Pacific University.

Seattle Symphony, presenting its 107th season in 2009–2010, has been under the artistic leadership of Music Director Gerard Schwarz since 1985. In 1998, the Orchestra began performing in the acoustically superb Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle. The Symphony is internationally recognized for its adventurous programming of contemporary works, its devotion to the classics, and its extensive recording history. Seattle Symphony has made more than 125 recordings, garnered 12 Grammy nominations and won two Emmy Awards. From September through July, the Symphony is heard live by more than 315,000 people. For more information on Seattle Symphony, visit their website.

Tickets

Tickets for the May 8 Discover Music concert are available for $20 per adult and $15 per child/senior. Tickets for the May 11 MySymphony concert are available for $8. Subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased by calling the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office at (206) 215-4747 or toll-free at (866) 833-4747, faxing the Symphony at (206) 215-4748, ordering online  with the Select Your Own Seat option, or visiting the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office in Benaroya Hall at Third Avenue and Union Street, Monday through Friday, 10 am to 6 pm, and Saturday, 1 to 6 pm.