Dear students and parents,

  I would like to take a moment and welcome previous members and new members to the new season of the Musical Arts Youth Orchestra.

  As music director, I have spent countless hours choosing the best and most appropriate repertoire for this group, which will be interesting and challenging, and will showcase the orchestra at its best.  The repertoire was chosen after careful consideration and discussion with professionals in the field including professors Mimi Zweig and Susan Moses from the Indiana University String Academy, as well as with Prof. David Effron, Chairman of the Conducting Department of the Indiana University School of Music.

  This year is turning out to be our most extravagant year so far.  The programs are now final with such fantastic soloists as Timothy Noble (Baritone), the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music professor who sang all over the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, who will be singing arias from Verdi Operas for our fall Shakespeare themed concert, and Vadim Gluzman, one of the top violinists in the world today, who will be playing the Khachaturian Violin Concerto with the iMAYO Festival Orchestra in the spring.  In addition we will be playing Gade’s Hamlet Overture and Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet in the Shakespeare concert and Schumann’s Third Symphony at the second iMAYO Festival, an international gathering of groups from around the world to join the orchestra for the spring concert.  All these activities are meant to keep the young musicians inspired to continue to practice their instruments and work hard so they can reach their best.

  The Musical Arts Youth Orchestra (MAYO) offers an assortment of options for interested young musicians of varying ages and experience levels.  MAYO offers four core programs: the Musical Arts Youth Symphony Orchestra, a full symphonic orchestra for advanced students; the MAYO Chamber Orchestra*, a preparatory ensemble for the younger player; the MAYO Chamber Music Program, providing weekly coaching and rehearsals for groups formed according to ability and interest; and the MAYO Jazz Program, offered in collaboration with Jazz from Bloomington, also offering weekly coaching sessions for groups of all levels.  Placement in all MAYO programs is based on audition results.

  I look forward to an inspiring and productive season,

  With best wishes to you all,

  Thomas Loewenheim
  Music Director and Conductor of the Musical Arts Youth orchestra.

* the chamber orchestra program will be offered only if there is sufficient demand.

MAYO Symphony Orchestra in Concert, November 2004