A Message to Current Members of AYPO & Applicants for the 56
th
Season
On Monday, 18th May, we had the final sessions of the 55th Season. We may safely say that it is a season that none of us will ever forget! All was normal until mid-March. There were fine concerts by all the orchestras, including a most memorable AYP concert at the Ellington School in January, featuring alumnus, Brian Hong, as soloist in the Sibelius Violin Concerto (this is on the website ; click on Recent News). The national exposure brought to AYPO by the success of AYSE in winning Grand Champion Prize at the American String Teachers Association festival at Orlando, Fl. and the recognition of the outstanding quality of the Chamber Program with the performance at two concerts at the US State Department, are all indications of the special qualities for which AYPO is renowned. Other special events which were on the calendar was a second side-by-side for AYP with the NSO on the Kennedy Center stage, and a season finale at GMU when Maestro Noseda was to work with AYP, and then have a Q & A session with the players, followed by an end of season party at which Congressman Connolly was to be guest and to speak. We are assured that these events will be rescheduled when things return to normal.
With no notice and no hiatus, our extraordinarily gifted and committed staff picked up the challenge of maintaining continuity for the students by adapting to weekly online activities. The ensembles and AYDO and AYSE have run a remarkably successful program of online performance activity, and the three symphonic orchestras have worked together with a series of Zoom meetings directed by their conductors. The office staff has created an online platform for video auditions in June. Applications for audition have remained high, despite understandable uncertainty over the shape of the coming season.
We are in process of designing in detail two parallel season programs for the 2020/21 season. The normal in-person season will be available if circumstances allow us to do that. At the moment it looks unlikely that we will be able to start out that way, but we will hope that we may be able to switch to that later in the season, or for periods within the season. Alongside that we are designing an online program which will enable us to maintain the high standards for which we are known. That is likely to require additional resources, as well as reallocation of existing resources. It is imperative that we continue to offer an outstanding learning and performance experience to our gifted students. We also anticipate an increased need to offer financial aid for families economically impacted by the financial downturn. Organizations all over the world are seeking ways to preserve the precious cultural heritage of the Arts. We are determined to continue our long tradition of offering outstanding training to our gifted students.
To that end we will offer a plan which will be aimed at our priority to make great music in person as soon as possible. Even if the season has to start off as a ‘virtual’ one, our musicians will be trained through weekly activity for the moment when we come together in live performances. Our priority is to offer the highest quality training. Our outstanding artistic staff and coaches - among the country’s leading musicians – will continue to work together to this end. In order to create high-level ‘virtual’ performances AYPO will engage the best available technical support to achieve this, and at the same time offer the students training in how they can improve their own online presentations. That is a skill which future generations of musicians will find of enormous value.
In terms of what we might be able to do in person, we are guided by the public school system. At this moment it is still not clear what ability there will be for groups to assemble. In the likely event that there will be restrictions on numbers allowed to assemble, we will look at the option for smaller groups to have coaching sessions on a rotating basis.
By the time auditions are completed and when offers of places go out, we will present three potential scenarios which will depend on the state of things at the time :(a) The normal in-person program, starting in September; (b) A ‘virtual’ program, with projects for each orchestra culminating in online performances on the dates set for concerts; (c) A hybrid mix of the two plans, switching between them according to the prevailing circumstances and guidance. This, at the moment, looks like the most likely scenario.
Always be assured that the safety of the students and staff is top priority, alongside our mission to offer the best musical experience to our students.
I want to end with links to some examples of the continued activity during these last months.
The instrumental ensembles have produced noteworthy online performances and more information can be found on the website :
https://www.aypo.org/
Do take a look at the performances created by the Chamber Ensemble program and other groups on the website. Click on Recent News.
I want to draw special attention to our ‘Grand Finale’ event that concluded the season on Monday, 18th May. Following the final online sessions of the orchestras, we had an opportunity to take part in the Percussion Ensemble’s
An Exploration of Jazz Through Percussion Ensemble.
Director Doug Wallace created a fascinating performance which demonstrates to us all that online activity can be totally effective, and give us a flavor of what we will be exploring as part of our ‘virtual’ activities next season. Mr Wallace worked with the percussion students and was joined by guest performers, Pete Wallace and James McCoy. Don’t miss it!! Here is the link
:
https://youtu.be/i93hJwdM2QQ
With warmest regards and best wishes for all to remain safe at this trying time,
Dr Graham Elliott; Executive Director
