Portland Youth Ensembles Perform at Merrill Auditorium

The Portland Youth Ensembles, Portland’s outstanding regional youth music performance program, will perform its annual Spring instrumental concert at Merrill Auditorium on Monday, April 24 at 7 p.m. Admission is by donation. Donations can be made in person or online. Suggested donation is $10 general, $5 students, seniors, USM employees and alumni, and $25 for a family.

Presented by the Osher School of Music, the concert will include: the Portland Youth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Robert Lehmann, OSOM director of string studies and orchestral activities; the Portland Youth Wind Ensemble, conducted by Will Kinne, OSOM director of bands; the Portland Young People’s String Consort, conducted by Hanna Flewelling, and the Portland Youth Junior Orchestra, conducted by Ferdinand Liva, violin artist faculty member.

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“The Portland Youth Ensembles concerts are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate a vibrant musical community made up of talented young musicians, an engaged university and thriving music programs in area schools,” says Alan Kaschub, director of the USM School of Music.

“The energy of these performances comes from a dedicated group of students and fantastic conductors who love working with young musicians,” Kaschub continues. “Add into that an audience of parents, teachers and other supporters of youth music and something magical really happens!

“Thanks to excellent grade-school, junior-high and high-school music teachers, private instructors and parental support, these students arrive at the USM School of Music well prepared to perform the challenging music that our conductors program,” Kaschub said.

Each week the high and middle school students in the youth ensembles program travel from as far away as central Maine and eastern New Hampshire to rehearse at the Osher School of Music in Gorham in preparation for their concerts. It’s a commitment that these students and their parents make because of the high quality of musicianship that is expected of them — and they achieve.

For information about USM Youth Ensembles and auditions, go to:

http://www.usm.maine.edu/osher-school-music/youth.

If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact the USM Music Box Office, (207) 780-5555, loria@maine.edu, TTY 711 (Maine Relay).  Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.