Frequently Asked Questions
This page should help to answer any questions you may have about the Greater Baltimore Youth Orchestra Association or it's website.
Questions:
- How many orchestras are there?
- What is the general age range of the members of each orchestra?
- What do they play?
- When do they rehearse?
- How often do they perform?
- What is expected of the members? (private instruction, school program participation, etc.)
- What else goes on? (coachings, chamber music, guest performances, concerto comp.)
- What is their touring history?
- How can I access the Members Only Area?
Answers:
- There are three orchestras. The oldest is the Greater Baltimore Youth Orchestra (GBYO), which is composed of strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. The younger orchestra is the Greater Baltimore Youth Orchestra Concert Strings (GBYCS) composed only of strings. The Sinfonia is made up of the youngest group of string players.
- The general age range of the Youth Orchestra is 12 - 18 (grades 8 - 12), however college-aged students (up to the age of 23) are also accepted. The general age range of the Concert Strings is 8 - 16 years (grades 5 - 10). All members are accepted by audition only.
- Both orchestras play some of the greatest music ever composed. Repertoire is chosen to challenge the students ability, and to expose them to new pieces and styles of work.
Major selections and excerpts played by the GBYO in the last few years include: Shostakovich's 5th Symphony, Philip Glass' Second Symphony, Respighi's Pines of Rome, Bernstien's Slava! Overture, Moussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, Holst's The Planets, Prokofiev's Lt. Kijé Suite, Brahms' Tragic Overture, Revueltas' Sensemayá, Rimsky-Korsakov's Cappriccio Espagnol, Copland's Lincoln Portrait, Shostakovich's Festival Overture, Honegger's 3d "Liturgical" Symphony, Dvorák's 9th Symphony, and Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony.
Major selections and excerpts played by the GBYCS in the last few years include: Handel's Water Music, Mahler's First Symphony, Holst's St. Paul Suite, Respighi's Ancient Airs and Dances, Telemann's Suite for Flute and String Orchestra, Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals, and Wagner's "Entrance of the Guests" from Tannhauser.
Recent chamber music repertoire includes: Dvorak's Quartet No. 6 ("American"), Smetana's "From My Life" Quartet (no. 1), Haydn's "Lark" Quartet, Mendelsshon's Quartet No. 2 (op. 13), Beethoven's Op.59 (no.3) Quartet, and Beethoven's Op.18 Quartet No. 1
- The GBYO rehearses from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m (usually 6:30) on Sunday evenings. The GBYCS rehearse from 5:00 p.m. - 6:45 p.m also on Sunday. Chamber groups arrange their own rehearsal time, however facilities are usually available a few hours before orchestral rehearsal times.
- The orchestras perform about four major concerts each season in addition to other outreach concerts in various non-traditional venues such as retirement communities, hospitals, churches, and even shopping malls.
- It is strongly suggested that members take private lessons, so that they can match the level of performance expected of them by fellow orchestra members.
- What else goes on? The GBYOA actively supports events which supplement the musical experience of members.
- Coachings given to sections from local professionals (including many from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Opera Orchestra) help not only to prepare parts, but to give valuable insight into the techniques, routines, and lives of professional musicians.
- Chamber music is also an integral part of the GBYOA. Chamber groups individually prepare pieces, and receive feedback from local area coaches and the conductors, gaining experience not available in a large ensemble.
- Guest performances allow students to interact in a professional manner with an experienced musician. They also help to expose members to new and different repertoire.
- Finally, the Concerto Competition is a unique and unparalleled experience for a member. It allows any student by audition to perform a solo concerto accompanied by the entire orchestra.
- Part of the GBYO Association's mission involves musical study through cultural exchanges. The orchestra has toured extensively in Canada, Taiwan, Rotterdam, Austria, Japan, Russia, and throughout the United States, winning numerous awards in major national and international festivals. In June, 2001, the GBYO won acclaim in Japan serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S. as part of the twentieth anniversary celebrations of the Sister State relationship between the Kanagawa Prefecture and the State of Maryland. The exchange continued when the Star Ensemble Fujisawa traveled to Maryland in June 2002 for activities culminating in a spectacular joint concert!
- Obviously, you must first become a member. However, exceptions have been known to have been made. So if you are either a member who can not remember his/her username and password, or you are not a member but feel you should have access to the Members Area, write an email to webmaster@gbyo.com and we'll see what we can do.
In addition to the orchestras, many chamber music groups including string quartets and various sized groups of woodwinds, and brass are formed. These groups give various performances throughout the year.
Participation in the GBYOA is designed to supplement school music participation. If available, members should be actively involved with their school music programs.
The orchestra has traveled to Orlando, Florida and performed with distinction. In addition to its concert hall performances with the GBYO, the orchestra performs at local malls, concert series, and retirement communities to share their talents with audiences for whom live performances of classical music is rare. The students also enjoy opportunities for coachings with local professionals, work with guest artists, and participate in chamber ensembles.
The orchestra is currently planning a tour of Austria for the Summer of 2007!
