Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra to Perform Finale Concert, 5/11

The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra (ASYO), led by Staff Conductor and Youth Orchestra Music Director Jere Flint, will perform its Finale Concert on Sunday, May 11, 2014, at 3:00 p.m. in Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center.

This concert, which is the final performance in the Youth Orchestra's 2013-14 season, will feature one of the annual Concerto Competition winners, violist Erin Pitts, performing the first movement of Walton's Concerto for Viola and Orchestra. Ms. Pitts, a sophomore in the Magnet Program for High Achievers at Chamblee Carter High School, is in her third year with the ASYO. Also on the program is Rolan Duvvury's Exhilaration for Orchestra and Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade.

This performance will mark Mr. Flint's final concert as the Youth Orchestra's Music Director. Mr. Flint will retire at the end of the 2013-14 season after serving as ASYO Music Director for 35 years, ASO staff conductor for 39 years, and as an ASO cellist for 47 years. He has touched thousands of lives during his tenure with the ASO, and his impact will be celebrated at the May 11 performance.

Current and former Youth Orchestra students, colleagues, friends, and other acquaintances are encouraged to share their favorite photo, memory, video shout-out, or well wishes with Mr. Flint by using the hashtag #jereflint on the ASO's social media channels - Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Submissions may also be sent to Niki Baker, the ASO's Manager of Ensembles and Instruction, at niki.baker@woodruffcenter.org.

Established in 1974, the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra provides Atlanta's most talented and dedicated students an outlet to perform masterworks. Each year, more than 300 instrumentalists ages 13-18 audition for one of 120 seats in the orchestra. The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra presents three concerts each year, in addition to the Atlanta Symphony Kid's Christmas concerts. Members receive exclusive invitations to participate in readings and master classes with the top artists in the instrumental music industry.

Additional details are available at aso.org.

About the Repertoire

WALTON First Movement from Concerto for Viola and Orchestra - William Walton's Viola Concerto is the first of three Concertos the British composer wrote for solo string instruments and orchestra.

ROLAN DUVVURY Exhilaration for Orchestra Exhilaration is a composition that is constantly moving forward. A brief full orchestra fanfare introduces the horns who play the main melody in unison.

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scheherazade - The fantastic collection of tales known as The Arabian Nights, or A Thousand and One Nights, has captivated readers for centuries.

About the Artists

Cellist Jere Flint is currently in his fourth decade with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO). Since 1979 he has served as Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra (holder of the Zeist Foundation Chair), which continues to be considered as one of the finest youth orchestra programs in the country.

Violist Erin Pitts, 16, is a sophomore in the Magnet Program for High Achievers at Chamblee Charter High School. Ms. Pitts began her music training in Kindermusik at age 3.

Established in 1974, the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra provides Atlanta's most talented and dedicated students an outlet to perform masterworks. Each year, more than 300 instrumentalists, ages 13-18, audition for one of 120 seats in the orchestra. The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra presents a three concert series each year, and members have exclusive invitations to participate in readings and master classes with the top artists in the instrumental music industry.

Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra Concerts are $10 general admission for each concert in the series. All single tickets for the 2013-2014 season are on sale now and available online at atlantasymphony.org, or by calling (404) 733-5000. Tickets may also be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com, all ticketmaster outlets, and the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office, located in the Woodruff Arts Center at 15th and Peachtree Streets. Box office hours are Monday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

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