Cascade Youth Symphony Orchestras In Concert on February 7

The Cascade Youth Symphony Orchestras will present their 2010 winter concerts on Sunday, February 7, at the Shorecrest Performing Arts Center in Shoreline.

“The Cascade Youth Symphony will be playing several traditional crowd favorites,” says Music Director and Principal Conductor Gerry Jon Marsh. Included will be “Marche Militaire Francaise” by Camille Saint Saens, Tschaikowsky’s “Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy” and “Symphony No. 9” (the New World symphony) by Dvorak. “All of these are not only fan favorites, but they’re also fun and interesting for our young people to play,” Marsh says.

Performing earlier in the afternoon will be the Cascade Junior, Cascade Premiere and Cascade Sinfonette orchestras. Tickets will be available at the door and are $12 for adults; $10 for seniors; $8 for groups of ten or more; $5 for students; and $25 for a family package.

Marsh, who is celebrating his 26th anniversary as CYSO Music Director, says the organization is working this year to develop intergenerational ties between young people and senior citizens throughout the area who love great music. Part of this initiative involves working with public, private and home-school organizations, as well as with community service organizations and senior-living communities. Marsh is also a music professor at Seattle Pacific University.

For those who especially enjoy younger musicians, the Cascade Sinfonette Orchestra will present the three-movement “Carmen Suite No. 1” by Georges Bizet and the “Finale from Symphony No. 9” by Beethoven, beginning at 3:00 on Feb. 7th. The Cascade Sinfonette is conducted by Karen Helseth and Daniel Wing.

Following them will be the Cascade Premiere Orchestra, conducted by Tam Osborne, which will perform Haydn’s “Symphony No. 104” (the “London” symphony) and a piece called “Broadway Tonight” by Bruce Chase.

Completing the afternoon concerts will be the Cascade Junior Symphony, under the baton of Todd Mahaffey, playing the “Horn Concerto No. 3 in E-flat Major” by Mozart, featuring horn soloist Elizabeth Janzen, followed by “Three Dances from ‘Henry VIII’” by Edward German.

The Cascade Youth Symphony Orchestras, presented by Kennelly Keys Music and Classic KING-FM Radio 98.1, are comprised of five merit-based youth symphony ensembles. With student players from eight to 21 years old from throughout King and Snohomish Counties, CYSO has been working cooperatively with regional schools for more than 30 years to provide after-school hours instrumental music instruction and performance opportunities to talented young musicians.