Portland Youth Philharmonic Presents Online Music Education Program Through December | Applications Due August 24

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Portland Youth Philharmonic Online Music Program
Applications due Monday, August 24, 2020 by 5 PM
More info: portlandyouthphil.org/audition

Portland Youth Philharmonic, the nation’s first and oldest youth orchestra, is accepting online applications and video auditions from local, young creatives interested in participating in the organization’s 97th season. PYP has extended the deadline to submit an audition video to Monday, August 24, 2020. Need-based financial aid is available to every musician who passes the audition.

“After lots of brainstorming with the PYP staff, board, and some of our fellow youth orchestras, we have a plan for the fall,” says PYP Musical Director David Hattner. “We are currently in the process of commissioning new music for our musicians to play. We are asking incredible composers to create new works specifically designed for remote performance. In other words, they will be rehearsed from our musicians’ homes and recorded in parts for assembly.”

These new works, commissioned especially for PYP’s new season, will be composed primarily by women and musicians of color. Composers include Efrain Amaya, Laura Brackney, Giancarlo Castro D’Addona, Darrell Grant, Jessica Meyer, Polina Nazaykinskaya, Jim Stephenson, and more. Find a list of composers at portlandyouthphil.org/season97.

PYP will invite other independent youth orchestras, both locally and across the country, to add more composers to the project throughout the year and share the commissioned pieces with all participating organizations.

The orchestra’s upcoming 97th season (2020-2021) will be split into two semesters. The first semester will run September 14 to December 18, 2020 and will be an online program. The orchestra plans to hold weekly online rehearsals via Zoom Video Communications. Online rehearsals will occur Monday through Thursday, with online theory classes happening Friday evenings. Find more detailed rehearsal plans at portlandyouthphil.org/season97.

All fall semester concerts will also take place virtually. PYP hopes to resume regular, weekly in-person rehearsals and concerts in January 2021. Plans for PYP’s second semester will be determined and announced as the organization assesses what is possible closer to 2021.