(November 2018) Youth Orchestra of the Month: Youth Orchestra of Bucks County
Almost every young musician belongs to a regional youth orchestra program. A lucky few may have the opportunity to perform in smaller specialized ensembles or standard format chamber groups. Students living just north of Philadelphia, PA have it made when it comes to youth orchestra program offerings: there is no shortage of opportunity with the Youth Orchestra of Bucks County organization nearby!
The Youth Orchestra of Bucks County, based in Newtown, PA, is a jewel of a program in its depth of student offerings and quality of student performance. Since its humble inception in 1991, YOBC has blossomed into a wide-reaching organization with a significant variety of music performance and education opportunities for its students. Made up of over 15 performing ensembles, ranging in size from Flute Choir to Symphony Orchestra, the YOBC program offers its members a full progressive range of ensembles intended to foster ensemble playing skills in a variety of formats.
Under the Musical Direction of Robert Loughran, YOBC students have the opportunity to attend masterclasses, take music courses at the Bucks County Community College, participate in a Concerto Competition, and even tour internationally, with past tours taking place in Spain, France, Scandinavia, and Italy. YOBC students have participated in side-by-side rehearsals with The Philadelphia Orchestra and have performed in concert with an awesome range of musical guest artists, from Mark O’Connor to Flutronix.
YOBC’s 2018-19 concert season kicks off on November 18th with works by Sibelius and Holst, in addition to others, as well as performances by two student soloists who were winners of the YOBC Student Concerto Competition. The YOBC currently has seven planned performances on its annual calendar, and students will be preparing for another international tour in 2019. The YOBC administration also seeks to generate extra-curricular performance opportunities for its students, and the office helps put motivated and prepared students in a position to perform publicly as soloists or chamber musicians.
To date, YOBC has served over 2,000 students with a fundamental education in ensemble musicianship, and YOBC is dedicated to providing its students with an array of opportunity for growth. More information about the program can be found here. Be sure to check back in on the PIMF Blog for further highlight listings on colleges, musical organizations, and topics of interest for young musicians!
