The talented area youth who make up the Mansfield Symphony Youth Orchestra will perform their spring concert at the Renaissance Theatre under the direction of Stephen Domka on Sunday, May 7, 2023 at 3:30 PM.
The MSYO will be performing Declaration Overture by Claude T. Smith, Dvorak’s New World Symphony (Mvt. I and IV), Millennium by Richard Meyer, James Bond Medley Arr. by Victor Lopez, and Bacchanale by Saint-Saens. Two MSYO Seniors will be featured as soloists with the orchestra. Elizabeth Corn (Senior at Ontario High School) will perform Clarinet Concerto No. 1 by Carl Maria von Weber and Joseph Litao (Senior at Ontario High School) will be performing Zigeunerweisen by Pablo de Sarasate.
According to director and conductor Stephen Domka, “The Mansfield Symphony Youth Orchestra Spring Concert is full of trumpet fanfares and rhythmic idioms that mirror the color and texture of John Williams. I felt inspired as a teacher/conductor to pick a theme that represents this MSYO season as a new beginning after the pandemic. Our MSYO students had the opportunity to perform two concerts this year which doubled the amount of repertoire they worked on from September until May. Dvorak’s New World Symphony was composed when the composer visited the United States to tour the ‘New World’ and hear the influence of many cultures coming together. The symbolism of a ‘New World’ reminded me of how all of us have tried our best to adapt to the changes the pandemic brought. Our students also have had the opportunity to rehearse weekly in the “new” Lexington Local Schools JH/HS facility on a weekly basis. The acoustics and the layout of the music wing is state of the art and represents the support we have not only from our Lexington community, but also our board and administration at Lex.”
The MSYO is made up of some of North Central Ohio’s finest musicians, primarily in high school, from a 12-county region. It is the only youth orchestra within a 65 mile radius of Mansfield and represents approximately 90 members each season who perform concerts both onstage at the Renaissance and in the community.
A vital part of the Mansfield Symphony’s Education initiative, the MYSO gives high school students an additional opportunity for musical growth by rehearsing and performing with other student musicians from the area, particularly if their high school is unable to offer a full orchestra experience. By participating in the MSYO program, students get the chance to perform a wide variety of fine orchestral music within a full symphony orchestra.
Tickets are available at the Renaissance Box Office, by calling 419-522-2726, and online at rentickets.org. Adult tickets are $10 while student tickets are $5. Mansfield Symphony Youth Orchestra performances are presented as part of the Mechanics Bank Education Series with additional support from the Russell and Mary Gimbel Foundation.
This season’s youth orchestra is primarily made of students from a 12-county region representing the following schools: Ashland, Clearfork, Colonel Crawford, Galion, Home School, Lexington, Mansfield St. Peter’s, Mapleton, Mt. Vernon, Ontario, River Valley, Willard Intermediate, Wooster, and Wynford.
The Mansfield Symphony Youth Orchestra includes:
Flute: Emma Fowler, Mason Diaz
Oboe: Caitlyn Cutlp, Eliana Fittante
Clarinet: Elizabeth Corn, Jennifer Covel, Matthew Ward
Bass Clarinet: Abby Hostettler
Bassoon: Lilly Heydinger
Horn: Maja Seibel
Trumpet: Maria Welch, John Tackett, Caroline Smith, Jacob Moore
Trombone: Clarissa Cousart, Logan Bartlett, Parker Brown
Percussion: Ava Ghazarian, Scarlett Pryor, McCray Martin, Aydan Wade, Randy Domka, Emily Montgomery
Violin I: Joseph Litao, Naomi Schag, Ava Newdome, Sydney Sullivan, Wyatt Miller, Jesse Domka, Callie Kaschube, Grace Yeichner
Violin II: Iris Prifti, Emma Tingley, Amelia Hughes, Drew Hooper, Adam Kern, Landon Nicholson, Owen Garver, Willow Roberts, Olivia Hubert, Gage Devaney, Lilian FoxMSYO
Viola: Scott Bartlett, Elisa McFadden, Sylvia Secrist, Ben Wiltanger, Avery Miley, Alexis Foster
Cello: Gabe Hill, Seth Dahlhausen, James Prinz, Brayden Vance, Sonja Gottschling, Elyssa Van Langevelde, Adrik Dudgeon, Finn Devaney, Natalie Holmes, Tyler Jones
Bass: David Newdome, Lydia Schroeder, Wesley Holtz, Kolton Clever
Source, Photo: Renaissance Performing Arts Association