Chattanooga Times Free Press - ChattanoogaNow
Side-By-Side Concert pairs CSO musicians with their young counterparts
The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera and the CSO Youth Orchestras will come together Sunday, Feb. 26, for their annual Side-By-Side Concert at the Tivoli Theatre.
The CSOYO will present the two most advanced of its four youth orchestras, the Symphony and Philharmonic, in separate selections, as well as in combination with the professional musicians of the CSO.
In a news release, organizers explain that the event gives the CSOYO’s aspiring students “a chance to learn more about their craft by working alongside the CSO musicians and gives the audience a chance to hear the huge sound of 150 musicians together on the Tivoli stage.”
The program features the top two winners of the 2016 CSOYO Concerto Competition in performances of their winning pieces with the CSO Orchestra. Violin soloist Hayden Daniel appears in Concerto No. 1 for Violin by Kabalevsky. Cello soloist Juliette Blais appears in Concerto No. 1 for Cello by Saint-Saëns.
The afternoon also includes works by Bizet, Gershwin, Dvorák and Von Suppé.
The CSO orchestra will be under the baton of Music Director Kayoko Dan.
Gary Wilkes leads the CSOYO Symphony, the premiere orchestra of the CSOYO, representing some of the best middle and high school talent in the Chattanooga area.
Sandy Morris is conductor of the CSOYO Philharmonic, the second orchestra of the CSOYO, representing up-and-coming middle and high school talent.
Their younger counterparts in the CSOYO are the Etude and Prelude, for intermediate- and beginner-level string players, respectively, from area elementary and middle schools. Both of the younger ensembles are conducted by Floy Wang.