The Willamette Valley Junior Honors Symphony (JHS) was founded in 1985 by two public school strings teachers, Carol Huntington and Liane Ingalls, who wanted to provide middle school students with the opportunity to perform in a full symphonic ensemble. The program served a very real need in a community which enthusiastically supported music for children, and the program grew.

JHS is now under the aegis of the Corvallis Youth Symphony Association and has broadened its membership to include a wider age span. Typically, the orchestra has over 60 musicians from grades six to ten. Students audition in January and rehearsals run February through April.

Auditions

Tuesday Jan. 17, 2012, in Albany at NAMS 3:30-7pm
Wednesday Jan. 18, 2012, in Corvallis at CVHS 5-8:30pm
Thursday Jan. 19, 2012, in Corvallis at CVHS 6:30-8:15pm

Phone 541-766-4903 to set an audition time.

Students should prepare a 2 octave scale and a 2-3 minute excerpt from the solo literature.

Dedicated student musicians (strings, wind, and percussion players) in grades 6-10 who want to be part of a fine ensemble and who will enjoy classical symphonic music may audition for the 2012 Junior Honors Symphony. Students must be members of their school band or orchestra program to participate.

Great Kids. Great Music… and we eat pizza!?

Performances

JHS will perform in concert at the Corvallis High School Performing Arts Center on April 29, 2012, at 3pm.

Rehearsals

Rehearsals are held on Tuesdays from 7:00pm to 8:30pm at Crescent Valley High School. Rehearsals begin February 14th.

Fees

The tuition for the JHS is $180 for the spring 2012 10-week season.

Conductor

Andy Nelson has been teaching in Albany since 1996. During eight of those years, he was the band director at both North Albany Middle School and West Albany High School. He now teaches full time at NAMS. Prior to teaching in Albany, Mr. Nelson taught band for grades 5-12 in Weiser, Idaho. His professional experience also includes: past chair of Oregon Music Educators Association District XI, clinician/judge for several area band and solo festivals, and Symphonic Band Director at Northwest Band Camp at Twin Rocks.

Music educators agree on the importance of cultivating young string musicians at an early age. Playing an instrument increases reasoning skills and builds teamwork, discipline, cooperation and a sense of belonging. Learning to make music encourages creativity. More importantly, it’s just plain fun.

The Corvallis Youth Symphony Association provides direction and support for the Elementary Strings (ES), Levels 1, 2, and 2 Advanced. All public, private, and home school students in third, fourth, and fifth grades are invited to enroll in Elementary Strings classes. Parents are encouraged to register for classes with their children.

Strings instruction for Levels 1, 2, and 2 Advanced consists of two 45-minute classes per week. Classes begin the first week of October. Instruments can be rented locally. The cost of instrument rental is not included.

Payment Plans

Payments may be made in full ($320) or monthly ($45). A $15 materials fee is required. The ES program includes twice weekly group instruction sessions and many wonderful performance opportunities.

We want all students to participate in Elementary Strings regardless of financial considerations. Questions should be emailed to elementarystrings@gmail.com or you may call (541) 766-4903 for more information. To insure that all students can participate in this enrichment activity, we welcome tax-deductible donations from our Elementary Strings parents.

The Corvallis Youth Symphony Association is a tax-exempt 501c(3) organization.

Registration

The Elementary Strings Kick-Off Night will be held at the Corvallis High School Auditorium on Tuesday September 27, 2011, from 7-8:30pm. Online registration forms will be available by September 9, 2011.

Contact us

For more information please email us at elementarystrings@gmail.com or call us at 541-766-4903.

2011-2012 Staff

Naomi Hartman, instructor
Anne Ridlington, instructor
Ashley Nation, instructor
Julie Davis, instructor assistant

The Corvallis Youth Symphony (CYS) was founded in 1982 by Charles Creighton to provide talented students with musical experiences to enhance and extend music education in the schools.

Beginning that year with forty-four students from two local high schools, CYS has since grown to over seventy students from schools throughout the mid-Willamette Valley and the central coast.

Training

CYS students receive exceptional orchestra training. The conductor, Charles Creighton, selects standard classical repertoire which will challenge and inspire students. Several times a year, sectional rehearsals are held (i.e., each section of the orchestra rehearses by itself) and for these rehearsals, professional musicians from Oregon orchestras and faculty from area music schools are brought in to coach the students.

Performances

The CYS season includes two formal concerts and hosts a Classical Cabaret in March. Guest artists from past seasons include The Amelia Piano Trio, Pink Martini, the composer Alan Hovhaness, conductor Hans-Dieter Resch, and pianists Daniel Epstein, and Tian Ying. Among the priorities of the CYSA Board of Directors and staff is a commitment to performing and commissioning new contemporary classical music, thus ensuring that future generations will have ample repertoire to choose that is fresh and inspiring. Recent commissioning and premieres include Of Stellar Waters by CYS alumnus Greg Simon, a new “Triple” Concerto by composer Daron Hagen and selections by Kenji Bunch. The 2011/2012 concerts will be 3:00 pm Sunday, December 11, 2011 and 7:30 pm Sunday, May 6, 2012, at LaSells Stewart Center. Classical Cabaret is Saturday, March 10, 2012.

Membership

Membership in CYS is by audition only. Students admitted into CYS are required to participate in their school band or orchestra, if their school has one.

Fees

Fees for participation in CYS are $385/year. Limited financial aid is available.

Some scholarships are awarded each year for additional training, such as summer music camp or private lessons with a special teacher.

Rehearsals

Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings from 6:30 to 9:00 at Crescent Valley High School.

Conductor

Charles Creighton