Review Louisville Youth Orchestra

PhotobucketMy daughter and I recently attended the first concert of the season with the Louisville Youth Orchestra. It was held at the Brown Theater in awesome downtown Louisville. It was an outstanding afternoon full of orchestral music and a percussion ensemble. We hardly ever go to the theater or a play in our house, so attending this concert was like the big leagues for us! My daughter is learning to play Suzuki violin through a program offered by her school, so I thought it was very beneficial for her to see other students playing for an audience and getting the experience of a bigger show.

The musical performance put forth by these young musicians was outstanding. I was so very impressed with their talent and composure on stage. They played some very difficult pieces written long, long ago. The music director spoke to the audience before the concert began and gave us some background on the history of some of the pieces. One piece was a love story about the composer who wrote it for the woman he loved; upon weeping after having him play it for her, they very quickly married! The percussion ensemble played some familiar pieces like Peter and the Wolf and they were very entertaining to watch and listen to.

My daughter is 9, so for a performance like this she was very capable of sitting still and being attentive through the whole performance. It lasted about 1 ½ hours. But I would say that if your children like music, they will enjoy this performance at any age. The children I did see at the concert were mostly school-age, but I did see some preschoolers as well. It’s a nice way to expose them to the arts without spending a whole lot by taking them to a performance at the Louisville Orchestra or the Opera. The Brown Theater is very conveniently located on West Broadway right across the street from a parking lot so it is very accessible for families. You can all get dressed up like the family in the “Fancy Nancy” books and make a fun family night on the town out of it!
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The Louisville Youth Orchestra is made up of about 300 students from 15 counties in the Kentuckiana area. These young musicians put a tremendous amount of effort into their practices and it shows. You can audition for membership to the orchestra. Your child or student must be a musician under the age of 21. They also must participate in their school’s instrumental music program and be taking private music lessons. There is financial assistance available for private music lessons through scholarships to those who qualify based on need.

The next concert is on Sunday, December 16 at 4:00pm. It is a holiday concert entitled “Belles and Beaux with Bells and Bows.” It is expected to be a very festive performance, featuring timeless classics, and parents are encouraged to bring their children of all ages. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $5 for school-aged children. Children under school-age (I would say 5 and under) are free. You can call 502-896-1851 or email info@lyo.org for more information about purchasing tickets. I saw many people purchasing tickets on site before the show. At the Brown Theater, you sat wherever you desired. The holiday concert will be held at the Youth Performing Arts School.

Attend the concert, where ticket sales go straight back to the orchestra to support and fund their endeavors. Hit up some of the fun holiday attractions going on downtown that day, perhaps starting the day at the Galt House, and then attend the concert. Or after the concert head over to 4th Street Live for all the festivities there. Enjoy a late afternoon or early evening full of cheer in downtown fabuLOUs Louisville!

By guest contributor: Erin

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