Oakland Youth Orchestras Spring Concert

Oakland Youth Orchestras, (OYO), presents its Spring Concert on April 27th, at 6:30pm at the Oxford Performing Arts Center. The concert will feature Clarkston high school student Ethan McMurray’s orchestra piece “Dream Theme and Variations” as well as a farewell to OYO Executive Director Joanne Walle.

McMurray’s “Dream Theme and Variations”, has a whimsical, exciting sound. His composition was influenced by Stephen Sondheim, Alan Menken, and James Newton Howard, who are some of his favorite modern composers.

“It was fun to write this piece because I felt like I was telling a story. Each section has a different feel, or color, that represents the different stage of the adventure. I hope that when people hear it, their imagination takes them on a journey.”--Ethan McMurray

McMurray, a Clarkston high school senior, participates in choir, orchestra and musical theatre. He performed in The Music Man, Guys and Dolls, Newsies, and most recently Oklahoma as Will Parker. He has been playing violin since he was four and hopes to pursue a career in music composition/education. 

A farewell afterglow honoring Joanne Walle, OYO Executive Director, will follow the concert. Walle is retiring after 20 years with the organization.

Walle has been instrumental in the long-term success of OYO. She has secured grants, funding for need-based scholarships to the underprivileged, added a fourth orchestra-Studio Strings and created an outreach program to senior living centers in addition to running the day to day operations, auditions and competitions.

The four orchestras that comprise OYO will also be performing works from Joseph Haydn, Carl Orff, John Williams, and William Grant Still.

 

The mission of OYO is to inspire student musicians by providing an exceptional orchestral experience to public, private and home schooled students in a premier orchestra program.

OYO facilitates student musicians to progress in their music abilities under the tutelage of highly qualified conductors with extensive performance and music education backgrounds.

OYO also fosters musical enrichment through 3 concerts with over 300 members. Additional opportunities include a chamber ensembles program, outreach recitals, solo performances and competitions.

Oakland Youth Orchestras has been educating and enriching youth through music since 1975.        OYO is a four-tiered orchestra program (Studio String, String, Philharmonia and Symphony Orchestras) serving over 300 students in grades two through twelve from Oakland, Macomb, St. Clair, Genesee, Lapeer, Macomb, Oakland, Sanilac, St. Clair, and Wayne counties.

OYO is supported in part by grants from the Michigan Council of the Arts and Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts, Corporate and Foundational Support from Oakland University School of Music, Theatre and Dance, Community Foundation of Greater Rochester as well as generous support from private donors.