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NEWS
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Reviews 2007-08 Music beat WHAT: Concert by the Musical Arts Youth Orchestra conducted by Jose Valencia and featuring music by Turina, de Falla, Moncayo, and Rodrigo, the last named represented by his “Concierto de Aranjuez” with Petar Jankovic as guitar soloist. WHEN: 7 p.m. Sunday Dec. 2 WHERE: Bloomington High School North auditorium. ADMISSION: Free. MAYO: that’s the Musical Arts Youth Orchestra, a Bloomington based institution peopled by young instrumentalists from 10 counties that has made tremendous strides since it was initiated in 2003. Some 60 kids are involved in MAYO activities, those having to do with the orchestra itself, the very orchestra that will play a concert at Bloomington High School North next Sunday evening at 7, a chamber music coaching program and a jazz program. The mother hen of this operation is Julia Copeland, president of MAYO’s board of directors and the endeavor’s conscience. She’ll tell you that she’s been “taking the pulse” on how the operation is going and that “things are really good, going fantastically well.” She’ll admit that when the previous music director, the excellent Thomas Loewenheim, resigned last spring to take a post at California State University Fresno, she was a bit concerned about MAYO’s future. “Tom was outstanding, a fine musician, and he worked so successfully with the youngsters.” But Julia Copeland says she holds no concerns now. “We did a conductor search in summer with input from the students during auditions. That’s the first time we did this. Of several very professional candidates brought in, everyone’s pick was Jose.” Jose is Jose Valencia. “The musicians really appreciate him,” she says. “He has a high level of musical understanding. He has fine stick technique. His interaction with the kids is terrific.” Valencia — a Duke- and Butler-trained violinist who keeps his violin busy as concertmaster of the Marion Philharmonic and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and as teacher in his Indianapolis studio — maintains an active schedule. In addition to all that violin work and his recently acquired responsibilities as music director of MAYO, he concurrently serves as assistant conductor of that orchestra in Marion, as music director of the Kokomo Symphony and the Athenaeum Orchestra of Indianapolis, and as founding music director of the newly organized Orkestra Projekt, another Indy ensemble. “Yes, it takes reserves to do all this and careful planning. But I love all that I do, which comes down to helping musicians realize magic moments. That’s what makes everything worthwhile.” Conducting was a late starter for Valencia. “After I got my master’s in violin performance at Butler, I got the bug to wave the stick and worked toward a master’s in conducting,” he explains. “It’s so exhilarating. And those kids in Bloomington, they’re wonderful. Tom drew them in. We want to build on that. Our rehearsals have been going very, very well. The kids are an inspiration.” Valencia already has expansions in mind, the eventual “formation of an elite chamber-sized orchestra for the advanced youngsters, where they can work toward more precision and expression, and then a beginners’ orchestra for training purposes. I think it’s possible.” Copeland calls these “interesting ideas,” adding: “We’re not jumping in. We need to have the people and the funding, which is something we, like most arts organizations, need more of. And we always need to keep in mind what’s been at the heart of our project, to give everyone who plays and studies with us a feeling of inclusiveness. Jose won’t do anything rash. He’s a pulse taker, too. But I’m so pleased he’s excited enough about MAYO to dream.” The dream of MAYO continues next Sunday with a Latin-themed program highlighted by the performance of Joaquin Rodrigo’s colorful “Concierto de Aranjuez” by the eminent guitarist Petar Jankovic, who splits his time between a wide-ranging concert career and teaching at IU’s Jacobs School. “His agreeing to solo with MAYO is another example of collaboration we’ve built with students and faculty at IU, who come in and coach our musicians, sit with them, teach them, play with them,” says Copeland. “There’s instant response from such a mix. You can hear it in their performance. Again, I call this a form of inclusiveness. The kids feel as if they’re making music together with people who really know what they’re doing.” Sunday’s program also holds Joaquin Turina’s “Danzas Fantasticas,” selections from Manuel de Falla’s “Three-Cornered Hat,” and Jose Moncayo’s “Huapango.” Valencia says his musicians, though starting out “not wanting to do this music, are now joyous. It’s tricky material, with all those shifting beats, but they’re accomplishing beyond my expectations.” Beyond expectations: words descriptive more broadly of this still budding entity called MAYO. “Who can know how far we can go,” says Julia Copeland. “I’m always grateful to get through this week and next, but we’re becoming an institution, and I’m sure hopeful it will grow. This is all about our youth. That’s so important.”
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Reviews 2006-07 November 11, 2007 BLOOMINGTON — Target has given a $2,000 grant to the Musical Arts Youth Orchestra in recognition of the musical training the orchestra supplies young musicians in southern Indiana. “As a teacher, I know the effort that Target has made to support schools and other organizations that provide important learning opportunities for students,” MAYO board member Catherine Marchese said in a press release announcing the grant. “I also know that my daughter and many of my students have profited greatly from the musical education that they have received from the MAYO organization.” Since opening its doors, Target has given 5 percent of its income to organizations that support education, the arts and safe families and communities. Today, that translates to $3 million every week. The Musical Arts Youth Orchestra, a regional youth music organization drawing young players from 11 counties, offers programs in orchestra, jazz and chamber music. "Such a gem this Musical Arts Youth Orchestra is, giving budding musicians in the region a great opportunity to practice and perform outside the school environment ..." Peter Jacobi, April 2007 International students gather for iMAYO concert Review of the December MAYO Concert by Peter Jacobi ...at Bloomington North, the Musical Arts Youth Orchestra, under its music director Thomas Loewenheim, admirably performed music inspired by Shakespeare. The first half of the program belonged totally to the kids, of high school age and younger, as they tackled two substantial assignments ... by Peter Jacobi ...Then, at the IU Auditorium, MAYO wound up an international youth orchestra festival with a gala concert that featured a stage-filling combine of more than 120 musicians: those in MAYO itself, along with talents from the IU String Academy, Israel, Hong Kong and France. |
Reviews Archive Hold the MAYO November 23, 2005 In Harmony
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