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2020-21 Season Highlights

An extraordinary season during a difficult time

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the LYO to cancel the final months of our 2019-20 season and to follow thoughtful, effective, and compliant plans for the 2020-21 season. The following are excerpts from concerts in the 2020-2021 season. Specialized masks were developed for various instruments, wind and brass instruments were fitted with bell covers. There was increased distancing for some instrumental sections, and a rented performance venue provided ample ventilation.

 

And They're Off!
Floyd Central High School, Sunday, April 25 at 4:00

The Louisville Youth Orchestra culminated its 62nd consecutive season with a live, in-person performance at Floyd Central High School located at 6575 Old Vincennes Road, Georgtown, IN on Sunday, April 25.  This event showcased all of our ensembles - Renaissance Orchestra, Camerata Strings, Esprit Strings, Wind Ensemble, Brass Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble - presenting an array of popular, fun-filled works.  The concert - aptly named And They're Off! - honored our graduating seniors as they begin the next chapter of their lives and Melody Welsh-Buchholz's retirement after 35 years of service as our Executive Director.

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Special presentations were made to our graduating seniors and to Melody Welsh Buchholz who retired after 35 years as Executive Director of the LYO.

All LYO ensembles performed to a capacity audience.  This was the first (and only) live audience of the season due to the covid pandemic.


American Masters
Marriott East, March 7, 2021

The LYO's second Classical Concert this season was packed with extraordinary music and talent.  It's unfortunate that such a magnificent concert could not have a live audience audience due to COVID-19 restrictions.  Fortunately, however, a DVD video recording was available.

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The Camerata String Orchestra, Chris Lerner, conductor, presented Vivaldi's Concerto No. 2 and featured Meg Martin, violin soloist who was a winner in this season's LYO Concerto Competition.

The Espirit String Orchestra, Robert Dixon, conductor, presented the First Movement of Dvorák's Symphony No. 9 and Gm2 (Greensleeves Millennium 2), a composition by Shirl Jae Atwell, Louisville Composer and an LYO conductor very early in her remarkable career.

Camerata String Orchestra

Concerto No. 2 / Vivaldi

Meg Martin, violin

Meg Martin, violin

Click for biography

Espirit String Orchestra

Symphony No. 9 / Dvorak

First movement

The Renaissance Orchestra, Doug Elmore, conductor, presented John Williams' "Krypton Fanfare" from Superman, arranged by Ian Elmore, performed by The Renaissance Brass and conducted by David F. Borman III, LYO's University of Louisville Graduate Conducting Assistant. 

The Renaissance Orchestra also presented Thelonious Monk's 'Round Midnight featuring The Renaissance Strings, Christian Howes, violin, Michael Hyman, drumset, and Joshua Lowery, piano.  We are extremely pleased to welcome Christian Howes who is well known for his stunning talent as a jazz violinist and his commitment to music education.

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Christian Howes also performed as soloist in Scott Routenberg's Blue Reel movement from the Concerto for Jazz Violin and Orchestra.

Renaissance Orchestra

Concerto for Jazz Violin and Orchestra

Scott Routenberg

Blue Reel - Christian Howes, violin

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The Renaissance Orchestra also performed the first movement of the Brahms Concerto for Violin and Orchestra featuring Olivia Hodge, violin, who was a winner in this season's LYO Concerto Competition.

 

The concert concluded with Morton Gould's American Salute, the irresistible melody to When Johnny Comes Marching Home, conducted by Ian Elmore, staff conductor.

 

Olivia Hodge, violin

Click for biography

Renaissance Orchestra

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra / Brahms

First Movement - Olivia Hodge, violin

Renaissance Orchestra

Ian Elmore, Staff Conductor

American Salute / Morton Gould

Old and New Friends
Marriott East, March 14, 2021

On the following Sunday a second Classical Concert was presented featuring LYO's extraordinary instrumental ensembles, listed alphabetically below.  These performances are included on the same DVD with those from the American Masters concert on March 7.

 

The Brass Ensemble conducted by John Little played three cherished pieces:  the Brahms Hungarian Dance No.5, Handel's "Air" from Water Music, and Prince of Denmark's March by Jeremiah Clark.

The Percussion Ensemble, conducted by Mark Tate, played six selections beginning with Shostakovich's Festive Overture and Two Movements from Hary Janos by Zoltan Kodaly.  They also performed two Spanish dances:  Villanesca by Enrique Granados and Miller's Dance by Manuel DeFalla.  The ensemble also performed engaging selections from Carmina Burana.by Carl Orff.  (All of the aforementioned pieces were arranged by Mark Tate.)  They concluded with the stirring Dance of the Tumblers from The snow Maiden by Rimsky-Korsakov.

The Wind Ensemble, conducted by Brandon Bell, performed three challenging works:  Bach's Two Part Invention #4, Ravel's Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte, and Scherzo for Three Saxophones by Arthur Frachenpohl (arranged by Brandon Bell).

Click here for a printable copy of the entire concert program.

Brass Ensemble

Water Music - Air / Handel

Percussion Ensemble

Festival Overture / Shostakovich

Wind Ensemble

Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte / Ravel

Holiday Concert
Marriott East, December 13, 2020

Espirit String Orchestra / 12/13/2020

Frosty's Caribbean Holiday

Steve Nelson & Jack Rollins / .arr. Ralph Ford

Camerata String Orchestra / 12/13/2020

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

Johnny Marks / arr. Erick Morales

Percussion Ensemble / 12/13/2020

YO! Christmas Tree

arr. Chris Crockarell

Brass Ensemble / 12/13/2020

Angels We Have Heard on High

arr. Victor Lopez

Wind Ensemble / 12/13/2020

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Traditional English Carol / arr. Jeremy Corcoran

Classical Concert
Marriott East, November 12, 2020

Renaissance Orchestra / November 12, 2020
Fra Diavolo - Overture / David Auber

Camerata Orchestra / November 12, 2020
Playful Pizzacato / Benjamin Britton

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