It’s a busy time for the Mayo Youth Orchestra, directed by Dr Anne Moriarty, as they prepare for what promises to be two great evening concerts in Mayo this June. On Tuesday evening June 11, the orchestra will perform in the Great National Hotel, Ballina, together with the Waubonsie Valley High School Orchestra, from Illinois. Also taking part are members of the Bofield Ceilí Band. Then on Wednesday June 19, the Mayo Youth Orchestra will perform with the Grand Haven High School Orchestra from Michigan, in Holy Trinity Church, Westport.
The Waubonsie Valley High School Orchestra, located in Aurora, Illinois, opened its doors in 1975 and has grown into a multi-faculty facility with a strong emphasis on music. According to Newsweek Magazine, the school is placed in the top six percent of schools in the country. The orchestra is directed by John William Burck and Daryl Silbermann, and their programme will include pieces from Bach and Vivaldi.
The Grand Haven High School Orchestras, under the direction of Melissa Meyers, have 140 members divided into three ensembles: Concert Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra. They have consistently earned first division ratings at the district and state level in their home state of Michigan. In 2013, the Symphony Orchestra made its debut in Carnegie Hall where they then went on to perform in Salzburg and Vienna. The orchestra program also has an after-school Celtic group, which performs regularly throughout the school year and hosts its own Irish Fest in March. Grand Haven High School is located in Grand Haven, Michigan, on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan. The orchestra will perform a combined piece with the Mayo Youth Orchestra at the concert. In association with KI Concerts.
Admission to each concert is €10 / €8. Tickets on the door or online at www.eventbrite.ie The two concerts are facilitated by the Mayo International Choral Festival and both concerts start at 8pm. All proceeds go to the Mayo Youth Orchestra and the Mayo International Choral Festival.
