2017 Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Gala Dinner Celebrating Maestro Louis Scaglione

The 77th Annual Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO) Gala and Concert returns to the Union League and, this year, recognizes the 20th Anniversary of Maestro Louis Scaglione, President and Music Director. It will take place on Friday, March 10, 2017 from 6 to 10 p.m. Three of PYO's ensemble orchestras will perform -- Tune Up Philly, Bravo Bass and the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, the most advanced ensemble of the organization. The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra is one of the most highly respected music education programs in the nation.

The evening's festivities will commence with a cocktail reception and art show and sale by longtime partner Studio Incamminati that will benefit the PYO Financial Aid and Tuition Remission Fund. It is followed by a dinner and then the student performances.

The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra will be conducted by Maestro Louis Scaglione and accompanied by the very accomplished PYO alumna and former Concertmaster, violinist Rachel Segal. Bravo Brass, conducted by Paul Bryan, and Tune Up Philly, conducted by Paul Smith, will also contribute their musical talents to the evening.

"It is always an evening that brings great respect to our students," said Scaglione. "Our guests are in awe of their talent and how well they perform as an orchestra. There is always a standing ovation and the students beam with pride at the response they receive during this elegant evening, which raises much needed funding for our financial aid and tuition remission program."

Advanced reservations for this event are required. Tickets are $175-$275, and sponsorships $1,500 - $10,000 are also available. For more information, please visit http://pyos.org/support/annual-gala/.

About the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra:

Now in its 77th year, training tomorrow's leaders, the renowned Philadelphia Youth Orchestra organization, led by President and Music Director, Maestro Louis Scaglione, is one of the nation's oldest and most respected community music education and youth orchestra performance programs, providing talented young musicians from across the tri-state area with exceptional musical training. Students go on to excel in many diverse fields, and it is with pride that Philadelphia Youth Orchestra notes that many members of the prestigious Philadelphia Orchestra are alumni. The organization is comprised of six program ensembles designed to meet specific needs and experience levels of students selected through a competitive audition process. The anchor group is the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO), conducted by President and Music Director Louis Scaglione, featuring 120 gifted instrumentalists who range in age from 14-21. Young musicians 12-18 years old are featured in PYO's companion ensemble, the Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra, which is led by Director and Conductor Maestra Rosalind Erwin, who is Music Director and Conductor of Drexel University Orchestra. Philadelphia Young Musicians Orchestra (PYMO), directed by Maestro Kenneth Bean, is a beginning to intermediate-level full symphonic orchestra that provides most students with their first introduction to large orchestral playing featuring students age 10-17 years old. Bravo Brass, directed by Curtis Institute Dean of Faculty and Students, Paul Bryan, is an all brass ensemble for promising middle and high-school instrumentalists. PRYSM (Philadelphia Region Youth String Music) and PRYSM Young Artists ensembles provide string large ensemble and sectional master class instruction for beginning and intermediate musicians ages 6-14. The director and conductor of PRYSM is Gloria DePasquale, cellist with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and conductor of PRSYM Young Artists is Andrea Weber. Tune Up Philly (TUP) is PYO's engagement program, directed by Paul Smith, that focuses on the creating and inspiring true community by providing children in underserved communities with invaluable opportunities to learn and perform a differentiated orchestral music curriculum. www.pyos.org.