Youth Symphony Concert Features Competition Winner
For the City Times
Area young musicians will perform in concert this spring as part of the Central Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra Program.
The concert will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 2, at the Stevens Point Area Senior High School auditorium. The program by the Philharmonia, comprised of middle and junior high school musicians, will include “Peer Gynt Suite #1” by Edvard Grieg, “Adagio for Strings” by Samuel Barber and “Overture 1812” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The Philharmonia is directed by Stephen Surcherer, a cellist, composer and conductor in the Fox Valley.
The Youth Symphony, made up of high school musicians, will perform “Gershwin by George!” by Jerry Brubaker, “Concerto No. 1” for marimba and orchestras by Ney Rosauro and “Enigma Variations, Op. 36” by Edward Elgar. The concerto will feature David Pickar, one of two first-place winners of the orchestra program’s inaugural Concerto Competition held last fall. Pickar is a sophomore at D.C. Everest High School and the principal first chair percussionist for the Youth Symphony.
He is the son of Tony and Kay Pickar of Weston. The symphony is directed by Kurt Van Tiem, chair of the music department at P.J. Jacobs Junior High School in Stevens Point.
Concert tickets will be sold at the door beginning at 3 p.m. The cost is $3 per person or $10 for families of four or more. Cash or checks made out to UW-Stevens Point Continuing Education/CWYSOP will be accepted.
The orchestra program was founded in partnership with the UW-Stevens Point Music Department, Aber Suzuki Center, UW-Stevens Point Continuing Education, Heid Music and music educators throughout central Wisconsin. Members rehearse symphonic literature and participate in master classes for 10 weeks each semester. They also work with UW-Stevens Point student mentors.
For more information on the program, call 715-346- 3838 or go to www.uwsp.edu/conted/artculture/pages/cwyso.