NY Philharmonic's Very Young Composers Program Comes to Vail, Now thru 7/25

The New York Philharmonic will bring its Credit Suisse Very Young Composers program to Vail for the sixth season, from July 16-25, during the Orchestra's residency with Bravo! Vail. The Very Young Composers of Vail - a project of the New York Philharmonic in collaboration with Bravo! Vail - will include a series of workshops for children ages 9-13, including demonstrations with Philharmonic musicians, culminating in two concerts of original works created and orchestrated by the young composers and performed by musicians from the Philharmonic. The performances, free and open to the public, will take place at the Vail Public Library on Thursday, July 24 and the Avon Public Library on Friday, July 25, both at 2:00 p.m.

Very Young Composers of Vail is an extension of the Philharmonic's Credit Suisse Very Young Composers program - created by Young Composers' Advocate Jon Deak, former Associate Principal Bass and noted composer - in which students in the New York Metro area with or without musical backgrounds compose music for performance by Philharmonic musicians. The Credit Suisse Very Young Composers program has been implemented around the world as part of the Philharmonic's Learning Overtures, with past projects having taken place in China, Japan, Korea, Venezuela, Finland, and the United Kingdom.

This summer's Very Young Composers of Vail participants comprise a diverse group of students from Vail and the surrounding communities. The students - many of whom are returning, having participated in past years - will attend workshops; a fundamentals camp where they study music theory, composition, and counterpoint; instrument demonstrations with Philharmonic musicians; and one-on-one meetings to hone their works.

"I'm delighted that we can once again offer the Very Young Composers of Vail program," said Jon Deak. "These young composers' works contain a detectable local accent, distinct from their counterparts in New York and around the world, and it is a pleasure to help them develop their compositional voices. When children are free to imagine, when their creativity is taken seriously, you find that they have the potential to create real works of art."

Very Young Composers of Vail was created by Jon Deak in collaboration with Liz Campbell, former Director of Education and Community Outreach for Bravo! Vail, and Bill Gordh, Co- Director and Mentor of the Very Young Composers of Vail. This summer initiative is made possible by a lead gift from the West family of Vail and New York.

The New York Philharmonic is returning to Bravo! Vail in Colorado for the Orchestra's 11th- annual summer residency there, performing six concerts, July 19-26, 2013. Click here to read a press release about the residency.

Pictured: Very Young Composers' Advocate Jon Deak speaking with two participants of the Very Young Composers program in Vail. Photo Credit: Chris Lee.