Middle School Orchestra Festival 2009

Greenville County Youth Orchestra's Middle School Orchestra Festival (MSOF) was staged at the Fine Arts Center and at Wade Hampton High School on Friday and Saturday, November 6th and 7th.

(Images courtesy of Young Artist Orchestra Public Relations Director Bill Kendig.)

Started in the late 1980s by FAC music faculty member and Young Artist Orchestra Director Dr. Gary A. Robinson, MSOF brings together middle school strings and band students from across Greenville county for what is, for most participants, their first taste of rehearsal and performance with a full symphony orchestra. The Greenville County Youth Orchestra Association (John Abdalla, President) has largely taken over operation of the festival. Association Past President Susan Askew chaired this year's event with Mauldin High School string teacher Brian Gencarelli serving as Music Coordinator and Resident Conductor. Dr. Robinson served as site manager and GCYO Executive Director Holly Caprell provided coordination and oversight.

This year's 100+ registrants received instruction from a wide spectrum of musicians and educators. Greenville County Schools teachers Ginger Greer (Riverside HS), Katy Martin (League Academy), Angela Rex (Hillcrest HS), Bobby Powell (Northwest Middle School) and Brian Gencarelli served as master teachers in section rehearsals and were assisted by a large number of musicians from the Young Artist Orchestra. The festival's Guest Conductor, Dr. Neil Casey, is on the conducting and violin faculty at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

Saturday's concluding concert gave Casey and his Middle School Festival Orchestra a chance to showcase three selections they had worked up for performance. Added to this, however, was a performance of The Philharmonic, Greenville County Youth Orchestra's "penultimate ensemble," directed by violinist and string teacher Kathleen Robinson (Beck Middle School, JL Mann HS). "The Phil" performed Vernon Leidig's arrangement of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Antar Symphony" (final movement), Matesky's rendition of Symphony No. 5 by Beethoven (final movement) and, most notably, the first movement of Richard Strauss' Horn Concerto No, 1, Opus 11, with YAO Principal Horn Megan Sackett (Riverside HS, 11) as soloist.