Osher Youth Ensembles Concert

The Osher Youth Ensembles, Portland’s outstanding regional youth music program performs twice a year at Merrill Auditorium.

Portland Youth Wind Ensemble directed by Dr. Will Kinne
Portland Young People’s String Consort directed by Linda Vaillancourt
Portland Youth Junior Orchestra directed by Nathan Plourde
Portland Youth Symphony Orchestra directed by Dr. Robert Lehmann

On March 22, 1942, the first rehearsal of the 65-member Student Philharmonic Orchestra, was held at the Chestnut Street Church. That orchestra was created, and conducted for 32 years, by Clinton W. Graffam Jr., a Portland Symphony Orchestra oboist, and whose father was one of the Portland Symphony Orchestra’s founders. The first concert by the Student Philharmonic was given on the following May 19 at Portland City Hall Auditorium before an audience of 1,200. The concert was sponsored as a benefit for the War Service Department by the Maine Federation of Music Clubs. In place of an admission fee, concert-goers donated sheet music and phonograph records, which were to be distributed to members of the Armed Forces throughout Maine.

The orchestra eventually became known as the Junior Symphony, then the Portland Symphony Youth Orchestra—a part of the PSO’s educational and community outreach. In 1979-80 two more youth groups were added to the program, The Portland Youth Wind Ensemble and Portland Young People’s String Consort. In 1996-97 all three youth ensembles came under the administration of the School of Music of the University of Southern Maine (then called the Music Department).

The Osher School of Music is proud to carry on the tradition of offering high-quality performance opportunities for middle and high school students from around the region and is grateful to the parents, schools, and educators who help to make these opportunities possible.