Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Presents PRYSM CONCERT

Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO), is proud to present the talented string musicians of PRYSM (Philadelphia Region Youth String Music) and PRYSM-YA (PRYSM Young Artists) on Saturday, February 9, 2019 at 3 p.m. in Centennial Hall of the Haverford School in Haverford, PA. General admission tickets are $15, free for children under age 18. For information, call (215) 545-0502.

Under the direction of Philadelphia Orchestra' Cellist, Gloria dePasquale, PRYSM will perform Mendelssohn's String Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Albinoni's Adagio for Strings, and Foote's Air & Gavotte. PRYSM Young Artists, under the direction of Andrea Weber will perform Spata's Pioneer, Stargazer by Buckley, and Spraks by Bernotas. Both ensembles will join together and perform Vivaldi's Concerto for Strings in C Major.

Gloria dePasquale greatly anticipates the upcoming program, and said, "Every fall, the PRYSM Orchestras begin with many new students at varying points of development. It is always very exciting to listen to their collective progress and the energy and excitement that they bring to the music."

PRYSM (Philadelphia Region Youth String Music) is a string music education program 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 mainline, with rehearsals hosted at Bryn Mawr College. Graduates of PRYSM have matriculated successfully into other PYO organization ensembles. It was co-founded by Gloria dePasquale and the late William dePasquale, Co-Concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Now in its 79th 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.