The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York Choral and Orchestral Programs

Exceptional opportunities for exceptional musicians!

MYO Combined Treble Choirs at a recent performance at Carnegie Hall. Photo Credit: Howie Rockwin 2017-2018 Season Choral Auditions Saturday, May 20, 2017 - Nassau & Suffolk Saturday, June 10, 2017 - Nassau & Suffolk *Midweek Auditions May Be Available Upon Request

Good Day Colleagues, I'm writing to share a choral ensemble opportunity that your elementary, middle school and high school chorus students may be interested in. MYO choral auditions will take place on Saturday, May 20 (Nassau and Suffolk ensembles), Saturday, June 10 (Nassau and Suffolk ensembles). We realize that these dates may pose conflicts for interested singers, so weeknight auditions may be available upon request by calling the MYO Office (516-365-6961). MYO now has seven choral ensembles for students entering grades 4-12 where we strive to accentuate the joy of singing and the development of the complete child through diverse musical experiences of the utmost quality. We aim to provide a stimulating and nurturing environment in which every singer can grow musically, intellectually and personally. It is our aspiration that the MYO experience will open doors to a life-long enjoyment of music for every child. It is my honor to officially welcome my esteemed colleague Dr. Doreen Fryling to the MYO family as director for the Nassau Concert Choir. Doreen Fryling, Ed.D. is in her twentieth year as a public school music educator. She currently teaches IB Music and chorus classes at South Side High School in Rockville Centre, NY, and has previously taught K-5 general music and middle school chorus. Doreen has presented on topics including differentiation, the boy’s changing voice, vocal health, curriculum, and politics in education. I’m so excited that Dr. Fryling will bring her vast expertise to the MYO choral program. MYO rehearsals take place in various schools on Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk County) and performances are held in premiere venues throughout Long Island and New York City. Please feel free to share the attached flyers below with your students and their families. Click Here for MYO Choral Audition Flyer Click Here for MYO Choral Audition Requirements Info

MYO Chamber Chorale performing at Madison Square Garden under the direction of Edward Norris. In 2017-2018, MYO will celebrate their 25th anniversary and this season will provide many exciting opportunities. The season will include performances at Carnegie Hall, Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden and many more! Additionally, commissions are being planned, including a piece for the MYO Treble Choir composed by Melissa Keylock and Jill Friedersdorf that will premiere at Carnegie Hall in May 2018. A tour to Europe is planned for July 2018, which includes Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Vienna, and Budapest for high school age MYO members with Shoshana Hershkowitz leading the 2018 Tour Choir! We are looking forward to putting together another stellar year in 2017-2018, filled with wonderful opportunities for our musicians! Many teachers have approached me and asked, "My student  wasn't selected to All-County, can they still participate in MYO?" Or, "My students didn't participate at NYSSMA this year, are they eligible to audition for MYO?" The MYO Children's Choir program is  not  exclusive for All-County and NYSSMA performers. While students of this caliber would certainly make an excellent fit for the MYO program, it is by no means a "pre-requisite." We have a robust blend of singers with All-County and NYSSMA experience as well as students with a less extensive background. If you have students who enjoy singing and exhibit mature behavior in a rehearsal setting, MYO is the perfect place for them! The MYO Children's Choirs are also the ideal setting for students who love to sing, but are unable to perform in their school choirs because they are currently in band/orchestra and their schedules do not permit chorus. Thanks to your efforts, the MYO Children's Choirs have grown rapidly in the past five years. I want to thank you all for your help in spreading the word to students and colleagues. I wish you all the best of luck for a successful completion of your school year! Click Here for MYO Choral Audition Flyer Click Here for MYO Choral Audition Requirements Info

Mission & Vision - MYO Children's Choirs

MISSION It is the mission of the MYO Children's Choirs to offer all children the opportunity to experience musical excellence in a creative environment.  The MYO Children's Choirs cultivate success and inspire student achievement through quality music education and the pursuit of artistic distinction in choral music. Participants exhibit musical knowledge, artistry, achievement and confidence through passionate performances and collaborations with composers throughout the United States.  The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York (MYO) develops stronger communities by creating a comprehensive foundation that supports music educators and develops tomorrow's leaders.  VISION The MYO Children's Choirs envision a flourishing global society strengthened and transformed by musical artistry.  MYO envisions a future where excellence in choral singing is valued and supported for all children in the community - bridging cultures, ethnicities and economic backgrounds. G OALS MYO recognizes the importance of school music programs as the essential foundation for music education to our students.  MYO highly values the hard work that music teachers provide for the children in their respective schools.  It is our objective that MYO provides a complementary environment, not a replacement, for students to grow and experience music learning and performance.  It is the goal of the MYO Children's Choir program: To present every child an opportunity to experience musical quality and artistic ability in a developmentally suitable and sequential setting. To expose singers and their audiences to superb choral repertoire including sacred, secular and world music. To encourage, promote and perform new compositions for children's choir. To demonstrate and express through performances the knowledge, skill and level of proficiency attained. To educate children of any background. To increase and build self-confidence in all who participate. To offer a venue for young musicians to create, socialize, learn and perform with others from the New York Metropolitan area and the world. To provide opportunities to perform with musicians from other cultures to gain understanding and respect for global diversity. To support music educators through clinics, seminars and networking opportunities.

Audition Locations Nassau Choirs Herricks High School 100 Shelter Rock Road New Hyde Park, NY 11040 Suffolk Choirs   Connetquot High School 190 7th Street Bohemia, NY 11716 Register for your audition by visiting MYO: www.myo.org/auditions   For additional information, please call the MYO Office: (516) 365-MYO1 (6961)

MYO Children's Choir premiering Nick Page's "Comic Book Opera" at Lincoln Center, June 2011. photo credit: Howie Rockwin

www.myo.org

The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York (MYO) is committed to fostering a community of talented young musicians from Long Island and providing them with an opportunity to rehearse and perform choral and orchestral masterworks at the highest possible level with recognized leaders in music education and performance. In addition to the seven children's choirs, the MYO organization also includes seven orchestras and a flute choir. For more information on these ensembles, please visit www.myo.org The 2016-17 season flourished with a total membership of cover 1000 young people between the ages of eight and eighteen spanning Long Island's Nassau and Suffolk counties. All ensembles perform three or four times a year at prestigious concert venues scheduled throughout Long Island and New York City. For the past several years, many of our high school-aged members have participated on the MYO summer tour, taking them to countries throughout Europe and the Far East. Please feel free to distribute this information to your students, colleagues and music department staff members. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via E-mail. Also, please feel free to forward to your band and orchestra colleagues, as auditions for our orchestral groups take place on the same day. Thank you for your time and consideration. Respectfully, Craig Knapp MYO Treble Choir Director MrKnapp1@aol.com http://www.facebook.com/craigknappmusic https://twitter.com/craigknappmusic

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