Philadelphia Region Youth String Music Musicians to Perform in 11th Annual Concert

At the 11th Annual Festival Concert, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra's PRYSM (Philadelphia Region Youth String Music) and PRYSM-YA (PRYSM Young Artists) ensembles will perform, demonstrating their outstanding musical talent. The concert will take place on Saturday, May 12, 2018, at 2 p.m. and will be held in Centennial Hall at the Haverford School, located at 750 Lancaster Avenue in Haverford, PA.

PRYSM will perform Elgar's Serenade for Strings and Holst's St. Paul's Suite. PRYSM Young Artists will perform Alegria by Cunalata, Jupiter from The Planets by Holst / Monday, and Russian Sailors Dance by Glière / Allen. Both ensembles will also join together and perform an arrangement of Dvorak's Slavonic Dance, Op. 46, No. 8 by McCashin.

PRYSM 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 PRYSM Young Artists is Andrea Weber. PRYSM was created in 2007 to offer a unique introduction and preparation for string students to acquire and build skills. PRYSM and PRYSM Young Artists provide string ensemble and sectional master class instruction for intermediate and beginning students in and around the Main Line, with rehearsals hosted at Bryn Mawr College. Graduates of PRYSM have matriculated successfully into other PYO organization ensembles. It was co-founded by the late William dePasquale, Co-Concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra and current Director, Gloria dePasquale.

Gloria dePasquale is very proud of the students' accomplishments. She said, "It is very rewarding to observe the growth of our students since the beginning of the school year, and we look forward to showcasing their talent for our guests at the concert in May."

General admission to this event is $15, and free for students under 18 years of age. For more information, please call (215) 545-0502.

Now in its 78th year of training tomorrow's leaders, the renowned Philadelphia Youth Orchestra organization 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. For more information, please visit www.pyos.org.

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 PRYSM Young Artists is Andrea Weber. Tune Up Philly (TUP) is PYO's engagement program, directed by Paul Smith, that focuses on creating and inspiring true community by providing children in under-resourced communities with invaluable opportunities to learn and perform a differentiated orchestral music curriculum.