Grabbing the baton
Soon Hee Newbold
The next generation of orchestral talent will showcase their skills when the Oregon Coast Youth Symphony Festival returns to Newport’s Yaquina View School this Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18.
Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, the four-day festival brings together six Oregon high school string orchestras for a series of workshops, clinics and collaborative public performances. The students will perform along with musicians from the Newport Youth Symphony of the Oregon Coast and special guest performers from the University of Portland Chamber Orchestra.
Friday’s opening concert features the Pendleton, Brookings-Harbor and Bend orchestras, followed by a performance from the University of Portland Chamber Orchestra.
Saturday’s concert highlights North Medford, Astoria and McKay, culminating in a combined performance by all six high school orchestras — more than 150 students — performing “Iliad” and “Gravitas” by composer Soon Hee Newbold, who will also conduct the ensemble as a guest clinician. She is joined by Dr. Mark Laycock, professor of music and orchestras at Wichita State University.
The festival is designed to bring young musicians together in a collaborative, supportive environment without financial barriers, allowing participating schools to attend at no cost while gaining valuable performance and educational experience.
Beyond the annual festival, the organization also presents a Chamber Concert Series and a Composers’ Symposium Series. The chamber series pairs high school quartets with professional musicians for side-by-side performances, while the symposium offers students the chance to submit original compositions, receive guidance from professional composers and hear their work performed live. This season’s final chamber concert is scheduled for Sunday, April 25, at Newport’s Atonement Lutheran Church.
Friday and Saturday’s concerts begin at 7 pm at Yaquina View School, located at 351 SE Harney Street. Admission is free, with donations appreciated. For more information, go to youthsymphonyfestival.org.