For the City Times

Young musicians in grades six through 12 are encouraged to apply for the 2017-2018 season of the Central Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra Program.

A collaboration of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Music Department, Aber Suzuki Center, Continuing Education and local music educators, the program has openings in both its Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonia (string orchestra) groups.

Both groups rehearse and perform at the Noel Fine Arts Center on the UW-Stevens Point campus. Fall rehearsals begin Sunday, Sept. 10, and a concert concludes the semester on Sunday, Nov. 19. The spring semester begins Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018, and ends with a concert on Sunday, April 15, 2018.

“Young musicians would have to travel to Madison or the Fox Valley to be involved in this level of study and performance,” said program founder Kurt Van Tiem. “Now they only have to travel to the top-notch facilities at the UW-Stevens Point Noel Fine Arts Center.”

Van Tiem directs the Symphony Orchestra, which performs standard orchestral literature at the advanced high school level. Van Tiem chairs the Music Department at P.J. Jacobs Junior High School in Stevens Point and has conducted the Wausau Symphony and at the University of Massachusetts.

The Philharmonia is directed by Stephan Wucherer and performs various levels of full orchestra literature from standard middle school to high school level. Wucherer is an orchestra director in the Howard-Suamico school district and conducted the Waupaca Area Orchestra for three seasons.

For more information or registration, go to www.uwsp.edu/conted/artculture/pages/cwyso, call 715-346-3838 or email Jodi Engum Kryshak at [email protected].