Melbourne Youth Orchestras Celebrates 50 Years with 'Moments of Beauty' Series

Celebrating Melbourne Youth Orchestras (MYO) fifty-year milestone, Moments of Beauty is a series of surprise free concerts throughout some of State Library Victoria's most glorious and intriguing spaces over a five-week program from 27 September - 29 October 2017.

Showcasing some of Victoria's best young musicians, Moments of Beauty will utilise four of the nine MYO ensembles, including the John Antill Youth Band, Melbourne Youth Junior Strings, Melbourne Youth Chamber Strings and the esteemed Melbourne Youth Orchestra.

Playing with two different ensembles, Louise Turnbull is 12-year-old multi-instrumentalist from Mount Martha who will play viola for Melbourne Youth Chamber Strings and flute for John Antill Youth Band during the Moments of Beauty series.
Creating moments of beauty throughout the State Library Victoria (SLV), this site-specific series of works will delight audiences of all ages with family performances in the SLV Courtyard; chamber music in the SLV Cowan Gallery; and an in-the-round brass presentation in the iconic domed SLV La Trobe Reading Room.

Moments of Beauty will culminate with two outdoor presentations of symphonic works played by MYO's flagship ensemble - Melbourne Youth Orchestra - who will take to the steps of the library's grand Swanston Street Forecourt during the city's morning hustle and bustle.

MYO Chief Executive Officer, DorIan Jones, explains that MYO seeks to increase youth involvement in music that builds strong communities and connections.

"At MYO, we bring together talented young musicians from across Victoria and with diverse backgrounds who are united by a dedication to excellence and a love of music. We ensure that high-quality music education programs are available for all Victorian students. We want to share this passion with everyone," said Jones.

"Moments of Beauty takes orchestral music out of the concert hall and onto the streets and into site-specific locations to create fleeting musical experiences in the midst of everyday life," said Jones.

Ensuring the preservation of MYO's rich heritage is maintained, recently MYO donated their archive of photographs, recordings, concert programs and other documents covering the past 50 years to the State Library Victoria collection.

For more information visit myo.org.au.

Dates

Wed 27 Sep 12.30pm John Antill Youth Band (SLV Courtyard)
Wed 4 Oct 12.30pm Melbourne Youth Junior Strings (SLV Courtyard)
Sun 15 Oct 1pm Wind Serenades - MYO Wind section (SLV Foyer)Sun 15 Oct 2pm Chamber Strings - Melbourne Youth Chamber Strings (SLV Cowan Gallery)Sun 22 Oct 10.15am and 12pm MYO Brass - MYO Brass section (SLV La Trobe Reading Room)Sun 29 Oct 10am and 11am Street Symphony - Melbourne Youth Orchestra (SLV Forecourt)

Moments of Beauty at State Library Victoria is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.

Photo credit: Sarah Walker