Youth Symphony Orchestra Tours Ireland

Sixty-five members of the Hochstein Youth Symphony Orchestra (HYSO) will tour Ireland from April 13-22 with concerts intended to broaden the humanitarian sensibilities of each of the musicians. The unique four concert series begins in Galway at the largest medieval parish church in Ireland, and continues with a fundraiser to support a local hospice, a performance for children in a special needs community, and a benefit for Cystic Fibrosis. HYSO Director, Nancy Strelau says, “This kind of tour opens the hearts and minds of our musicians, offering an interface with a different culture that allows us to see how much we are indeed alike. It will give us the opportunity to connect with our audiences musically and emotionally while raising awareness and needed funds for the designated charities.”

From the Galway performance at the Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, the students will travel to Killarney and perform at the Malton Hotel as a fundraiser for the local hospice. The third concert of the tour is in Kilkenny at the Ballytobin Camphill Community that is a part of an international charitable trust working with people with intellectual and other special needs where residents share their lives with each other supported by volunteers. The last stop is in Dublin where they will share the stage with Irish dancers and local musicians in a benefit concert for Cystic Fibrosis.

The public is invited to follow the HYSO travels on a blog at HYSO Ireland Tour Blog.

For more information on Hochstein and its orchestras, music lessons, and other ensemble opportunities contact 585-454-4596. Hochstein is located at 50 N. Plymouth Avenue in downtown Rochester.

Application for the 2011-2012 HYSO Deadline: April 15, 2011

 The Hochstein Youth Symphony Orchestra offers orchestral training to the advanced string, wind, and percussion student through rehearsal and performance of standard orchestral repertoire. Enrollment is by audition only and is open to students in junior and senior high school. Auditions for Strings: Monday, May 2; 3:00-9:00 pm and Tuesday, May 3; 3:00-9:00 pm. Auditions for Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion: Wednesday, May 4; 5:00-9:00 pm.

A Touring Orchestra: The HYSO made its first performance tour in 2001, traveling and performing in Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck and Salzburg, Austria. The orchestra made its Carnegie Hall debut in New York City in April 2002 and was a featured performer at the New York State Music Educators Convention in November 2003. HYSO continued to travel in 2004, performing in Normandy and Paris, France. In 2006 the orchestra traveled to Germany and the Czech Republic, performing in Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, and Novy Bor. In 2008, the orchestra traveled to Switzerland and Italy.