The Springfield Youth Symphony has been selected to perform in the Harmony Honors Invitational, a three-day festival and residency program for high school instrumental and choral ensembles. The group earned its spot through an audition process.
“We had to send in an audition, and we were selected,” said conductor Carla Wootton. “Once we get there, the second day we perform for everyone. We’re evaluated by some fantastic composers and conductors, and then they actually do a session with us to help us improve.”
The experience goes beyond a single concert. After their individual performance, the students will combine with two other orchestras and perform three prepared works together.
“Back in 2007, SYS performed at Carnegie Hall,” Wootton said. “We did about a 30-minute concert and that was it. This is a full festival, a three-day thing, and the kids are going to get to experience a lot more.”
In addition to rehearsals and performances, the students will attend a Broadway show and spend time exploring New York City.
Among the student leaders traveling to New York are assistant concertmaster Jocelyn Ybarra, second violin principal Hannah Rico, principal violist Moses Pavone, and principal cellist Torsten Taylor.
Ybarra, a senior who plans to pursue violin performance in college, began playing in fifth grade. She said her role is both musical and logistical, helping coordinate music distribution and bowings for her section.
Rico also started violin in fifth grade, even while already studying piano. “At first, I thought it was going to be really stressful,” she said. “But when I picked it up, it was just really fun.”
Pavone switched from violin to viola in middle school when his school needed players in the section. “I just fell in love with it,” he said. “It was a deep, rich sound.”
Taylor said discipline played a larger role in his musical development than early passion.
“My mother’s a piano teacher, so I was around music all the time,” he said. “I wasn’t really into it until around seventh grade. But showing up and practicing, that’s what makes the difference.”
Before heading to New York, the Springfield Youth Symphony will host a fundraising event at Glendale High School on February 16, featuring a spaghetti supper at 5:30 p.m. followed by a pops concert.
More information about the trip and ways to support the students is available at springfieldyouthsymphony.org.
The trip carries significant cost, estimated at about $2,100 per student, covering travel, lodging, and meals. The organization relies on its booster group, the Friends of SYS, along with sponsors and donors to help fund the experience. Information about supporting the trip can be found at springfieldyouthsymphonymo.org.
