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Contemporary Youth Orchestra to premiere Dana Hall’s When Still

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by Mike Telin

Although the Contemporary Youth Orchestra has seemingly commissioned a countless number of works during its 29 year history, perhaps none have centered around a more poignant topic than Dr. Dana Hall’s (left) When Still. The four-movement work challenges the young musicians and the audience to address issues surrounding gun violence in communities across the United States.

On Friday, May 17 at 7:00 pm at Tri-C Metro Auditorium the Contemporary Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Kristopher Morron will present the premiere of Hall’s new work. Inspired by saxophonist and composer Chris Coles’ Nine Lives Project, which recounts the story of the nine souls who lost their lives in the 2015 shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Hall’s new work also reflects on the ten individuals lost in a Buffalo, NY grocery store shooting. Tickets  are available online.

[Read more…]

Contemporary Youth Orchestra to give world and U.S. premieres

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by Mike Telin

The Contemporary Youth Orchestra has a long history of performing works that have been written especially for the ensemble, as well as providing its young musicians with opportunities to collaborate with professional musicians representing diverse musical genres.

That tradition will continue on Saturday, December 17 at 7:00 pm at Tri-C’s Metro Auditorium when music director Kristopher Morron will lead CYO in the world premiere of Pascal LeBoeuf’s Triple Concerto and the U.S. premiere of Vincent Mendoza’s Concerto for Orchestra. Soloists include Barbora Kolarova (violin), Garrett Arney and Ben Kipp (percussion), Dan Bruce (guitar), Joe Tomino (drum set), Chris Coles (tenor sax), Etienne Massicotte (trumpet), and Josiah Quarles (vocals). Tickets are available online.

During a recent conference call with Morron and Ben Kipp, CYO’s director of educational programming, Kipp explained that LeBoeuf’s Triple Concerto is a pre-COVID project that, until now, “has not had the opportunity to see the light of day.” [Read more…]

Contemporary Youth Orchestra Enters a New Era in 27th Year

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by Mike Telin

Since 1995 the Contemporary Youth Orchestra has been engaging young musicians — and the public — through the study and performance of contemporary classical music.

Throughout its history CYO has adopted an expansive definition of contemporary music through collaborations with turntable artists, video game composers, and singer-songwriters, and through the annual Rock The Orchestra concert, each of which provides the membership with a lens into different aspects of the music industry.

Originally calling Cleveland State University home, in March of 2018 the organization relocated to the Tri-C Metro Campus. With the departure in 2020 of its founder Liza Grossman and the hiring this past fall of Kristopher Morron as the Orchestra’s new music director and conductor, the Contemporary Youth Orchestra, now in its 27th year, is entering a new era.

On January 29, CYO will hold an Open House from 8:30 am until 12:30 pm at the Tri-C Metro Campus Auditorium. For more information, email Ben Kipp.

Kipp, who is in his eighth year as CYO’s director of educational programming, said that the organization is proud of all the things that have been accomplished — especially their partnership with Cuyahoga Community College. “Tri-C is a big part of how we see the Orchestra merging into the greater music education community,” he said. “Along with Kim Deichler, our executive director, we’ve been strategizing and studying other successful groups in music and the arts. But I can’t stress enough how important the partnership with Tri-C is.” [Read more…]

Contemporary Youth Orchestra with Pompa-Baldi & a Steinway Spirio (Nov. 16)

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by Peter Feher

It’s tempting to think that learning only goes one way in a youth orchestra concert. Young musicians see months of rehearsal realized, often on a classic piece, maybe one they’ve never performed before. The Contemporary Youth Orchestra concert on November 16 at Tri-C East’s Mandel Theater satisfied that equation, and then offered something new. Gustav Holst’s titan-sized The Planets occupied the second half of the program, but the real energy and inventiveness came in the first, with the world premiere of a piano concerto that took a far-from-standard approach to the genre. [Read more…]

Contemporary Youth Orchestra: a new piano concerto, without the pianist

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by Jarrett Hoffman

When the Contemporary Youth Orchestra opens its 25th season this weekend, those in the audience will see players playing, conductor conducting, and a piano whose pedals and keys depress and release, letting out the most artful of sounds, but without anyone laying a finger on it.

A talented ghost? Not exactly. Steinway & Sons has developed a high-resolution player piano known as the Spirio. By measuring hammer velocity and pedaling, it can reproduce a performance that, according to the company, is “utterly indistinguishable” from the original.

Using a Spirio, Antonio Pompa-Baldi has already recorded the solo part to Roberto Piana’s new Concerto Fantastique. That instrument will be onstage in front of the Contemporary Youth Orchestra and music director Liza Grossman, playing back Pompa-Baldi’s performance during the work’s premiere on Saturday, November 16 at 7:00 pm at Mandel Theatre on the Eastern Campus of Cuyahoga Community College. The program also includes Gustav Holst’s The Planets. [Read more…]

Contemporary Youth Orchestra heads into its twenty-fifth year

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by Mike Telin and Rory O’Donoghue

“There was no question that I was going to form this orchestra. My goal was simply to provide something new,” Contemporary Youth Orchestra founder Liza Grossman said during a recent interview. Grossman recalled that as a high school student at the Interlochen Arts Academy she was told she had two options for a career in music: play in an orchestra or teach in the schools. “I have a high respect for both of those professions, but I knew that I didn’t want to do either of them.”

Once she realized that her calling was to be a youth orchestra conductor, she knew she needed to figure out a way to let students know that there are far more options in music. It’s worked out well for Grossman, who said, “Leading CYO has grown into a life that has been so rewarding, and all of the work is a pleasure. I think it was Mark Twain who said ‘The secret of success is making your vocation your vacation.’” [Read more…]

Contemporary Youth Orchestra says happy 80th birthday to Joan Tower

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by Mike Telin

On September 6 of 2018, Joan Tower celebrated her 80th birthday. On Saturday, March 9 at 7:00 pm, in Cuyahoga Community College’s Metro Auditorium, the Contemporary Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Liza Grossman, will honor that occasion with a concert dedicated to the eminent composer’s music. The program will include the Ohio premieres of Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 6, Stroke, and In Memory (For String Orchestra), as well as Tambor. Tickets are available online.

Among her numerous accolades — Tower has just been named the recipient of the League of American Orchestra’s 2019 Gold Baton Award — she was the first woman to win the Grawemeyer Award for Music in 1990. The New Yorker called her “one of the most successful woman composers of all time,” and she has served as a source of inspiration to Grossman dating back to CYO’s fourth season in 1998. “I was researching women composers and Joan was one of the first to come up,” Grossman said during a telephone conversation.

The conductor said that she quickly became “fascinated” with Tower’s music and history. “The way she was carving a path for women composers and inspiring them to write really was inspirational to me.” Still, it was not until August of 2000 that Grossman decided that the orchestra was ready to play one of Tower’s works. [Read more…]

Contemporary Youth Orchestra to premiere MESH: concerto for drumline and orchestra

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by Mike Telin

For the past 23 years, the Contemporary Youth Orchestra has treated audiences to many firsts. These include premieres of new works as well as first-time collaborations between rock musicians and an orchestra. When CYO kicks off their 24th season on Saturday, November 17 at 7:00 pm at Tri-C’s Metro Auditorium, the program will include the premiere of Michael McIntosh’s MESH: concerto for drumline and orchestra, the first work of its kind.

Under the direction of CYO founder and artistic director Liza Grossman, the concert will also include works by Christopher Rouse, Michael Daugherty, and Charles Griffes. Tickets are available online.

“I’m so excited about this premiere,” Liza Grossman said by telephone. “This is something that has never been done before. In the drumline world both Mike McIntosh and the Cavaliers are top-tier. I’ve told the orchestra that bringing in the Cavaliers is similar to bringing in Yo-Yo Ma.” [Read more…]

Kenny Loggins with Contemporary Youth Orchestra at Severance (May 21)

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by Alice Koeninger

CYO1Kenny Loggins and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra brought rock and roll to Severance Hall on Monday, May 21. Conducted by Liza Grossman, the CYO’s forces included two drum sets and a large chorus with backup vocalists for this retrospective of Loggins’ music. The sound was remarkable. [Read more…]

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