​The Ozark Philharmonic Youth Orchestra kicked off its 2016 Spring Season on Monday, January 12th at the Arkansas Arts Academy.  Orchestras were at capacity with new and returning music students.  The group had auditioned 18 students the day before and was happy to fill open positions with talented musicians from all over Northwest Arkansas and Missouri.  Andante was buzzing with excitement as Mrs. Castillo handed out new music and told her class they would be allowed to choose one of the pieces for the spring concert.  Presto warmly welcomed new students (a few who had moved up from Andante and some new to OPYO), and then got to work with Mr. Collett demonstrating on his viola.  Under the artistic leadership of Mr. Barg, YSO tackled Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2, “Little Russian” and then friends caught up with each other after being off for the break.  I enjoyed meeting all of our new parents and students, and welcoming so many familiar faces who have become friends back to the orchestra.  It looks to be a season filled with the promise of spring! 

​I want to take the opportunity to welcome you to the OPYO 2016 Spring Season, and pass on some important dates and information!  There was much enthusiasm generated from our Holiday Wonder Concert, and we are excited to begin the next season!  It makes me so proud to see that 20 musicians have already signed up to return and/or audition for this next season on our website, and we haven’t even officially announced it, the Program Director from The National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center saw our concert video and has asked if we have musicians interested in their summer program, and YSO was invited to play with SoNA! These are just a few of the exciting opportunities we are working on for our musicians this season in addition to the important business of growing both interpersonally and musically as artists. I hope that you will find the following information helpful in starting this new season and look forward to being a part of the magic again this spring. Thanks in advance for your continued support and interest in the program.

ONLINE SIGNUPS JANUARY 3RD-JANUARY 8TH  
For returning musicians wishing to hold their spot in their respective orchestras or returning musicians that would like to audition for a more advanced ensemble for the 2016 Spring Season, go to OPYO.org and fill out the form under the Auditions Tab, and we will reserve a place for you. If you are returning but not auditioning, all you need to do then, is bring your tuition with you to the first practice on January 11th at the Arkansas Arts Academy, same practice time and place. This online signup is very important, because if you do not reserve your place in the orchestra, we will give your seat to a musician on either our audition or waiting list. 

AUDITIONS JANUARY 10TH, 2016 CASA CASTILLO 11:00-6:00 PM
Auditions for returning musicians who would like to move to a more advanced ensemble or for musicians looking to be accepted into the OPYO Program for the first time go to http://www.opyo.org/auditions.html to request an audition time.  

CONCERTO COMPETITION 
The date for the Concerto Competition has been set for February 29th.  We are still working out the details, and will have more information soon!

SoNA AND OPYO TO PERFORM TOGETHER ON MARCH 19TH AT THE WALTON ARTS CENTER
SoNA has invited YSO to play Dvorak's Slavonic Dance #8 with them onstage at their Masterworks II Performance.  SoNA will also be playing Elgar, Serenade for Strings, Ibert, Concerto for Flute, Haydn, Symphony No. 104.  All OPYO musicians are invited to attend the dress rehearsal at the Walton Arts Center on March 19th from 11:00 am - 1:30 pm, and a question and answer with SoNA Music Director Paul Haas.  

SPRING CONCERT MAY 1ST AT THE AREND ARTS CENTER
We have reserved the Arend Arts Center for our spring concert on Sunday, May 1st, and will have the dress rehearsal right before the concert on the same day.  

CALLING ALL OPYO ALUMNI
We are creating a webpage on our OPYO.org website to honor all of our Alums from 1984 on.  If you know of an OPYO alumni who would like to be included in this very special group just direct them to http://www.opyo.org/alumni.html.  

YSO MUSIC FOR SPRING SEASON FROM MR. BARG
I hope you had a great holiday vacation and I congratulate you again on your wonderful playing at our Holiday Concert at Horton Farms - What a hoot That was!!! Looking forward to our first rehearsal on the 11th: one of the two or three works we'll play at the spring concert will the the last movement of Tchaikovsky's 2nd Symphony (Little Russian). It's a gas!  Even though the tempi are faster that ours will be, here's a good recording to listen to and get excited about - I do whenever I hear it.

PARTS: Please print out your parts and practice them before the 11th. Nobody should be sight-reading their part.
1. Go to the imslp site for this work.
2. Click on 2.2.1 Version B under the Parts Tab (2.2)
3. Click on and print our your part: double sided, then taped together in booklet form. DO NOT COME WITH LOOSE SHEETS

STRINGS: Click on your instrument and copy the bowings and fingerings you're taken to (actual NY Philharmonic parts!)
Violin 1
Violin 2
Viola
Cello & Bass (4th movement starts on right-hand page)

I look forward so much to making music with you again. Mr. Barg. 

PHOTOS FROM THE DRESS REHEARSAL
Thank you for your patience, I am a little over half way done with processing the portraits that I took at the dress rehearsal and expect to have them all up on smugmug.com by the end of the week.  I like to make any processing adjustments individually and these extra steps can be very time consuming, but well worth the wait.  I hope that you will be as thrilled as I have been with the results!  

I look forward to seeing everyone on either January 10th or the 11th!