To appreciate how marvelous are the young musicians who play in the Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestra, you have to close your eyes and listen. The harsh lighting and acoustics of the Stone Bridge High School auditorium hosting the LSYO’s Spring Concert weren’t ideal, but there was ample room for an enthusiastic audience comprised largely of parents and local arts supporters, and the music itself was transporting.
Among the musicians themselves, you can pick out one performer as young as 12, and the 10 graduating seniors in the String, Symphonic and Philharmonic Orchestra groupings. But while they all play precisely in tune, it would be a mistake to assume they’re all alike.
Ian Farber, an 8th grader on double bass, caught our eye, probably because of his blue hair. He only started playing in school right before the pandemic, then his class met on Zoom, and later with a private teacher and finally the LSYO. “He’s a STEM kid,” says his mom; “He loves robotics, computers and math as well as orchestra, pops groups and jazz.” An enthusiastic booster, she adds, “Pick a school in Loudoun County and the orchestra has someone who comes from there. They come from all over and work hard to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Her words ring true when scanning the names and next year’s destinations of the group’s grads. Ethan Amoh heads to Cornell University for Chemistry and Chemical Biology; Sophia Kuzminski and Daria Slowinska to UVA for Biology and Computer Science respectively. But Evan Romito heads to Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in horn performance, and Elliot Boyko is off to Christopher Newport and Benjamin Dickson to Ohio State University for Music Education. Lauryn and Lily Parks will attend Virginia Tech, Lauryn in Hospitality and Tourism Management and Events and Lily in Music and Event Management. Anson Chen will attend William and Mary. And Kailash Patel wants it all, attending UVA for both Computer Science and Music.
It’s not hard to see why all these students have excelled to such a degree at such an early age. Dr. Hayden Denesha, Music Director and Conductor for the LSYO has an intense dedication to his young performers and to expanding their appreciation of contemporary programming, and has premiered numerous commissions, including at the Kennedy Center. His multiple conducting degrees come from the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins, the University of South Carolina – where he later helped grow the South Carolina Philharmonic Youth Orchestra program into one of the largest in the state -- and the State University of New York at Fredonia.
Robby Carroll, String Orchestra Conductor, brings his wiry enthusiasm to the stage. He currently directs the orchestra at Lightridge High School in Aldie, which boasts a highly rated performance hall. A violin player, he received his Master’s Degree in Music Education with an emphasis in strings from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. Ashley Driscoll, LSYO’s Symphonic Orchestra Conductor, is the Orchestra Director at Independence High School. She plays cello professionally locally, having earned Bachelor of Music degrees in Cello Performance and Music Education and Master of Music degrees in Orchestral Conducting and Cello Performance from West Virginia University.
But as you might imagine, Loudoun also can call on local professional musicians for master classes (see loudounsymphony.org/lsyo-masterclass-series), from performers like bassoonist David Young, and musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra including violist Mahoko Eguchi, Assistant Concertmaster Ricardo Cyncynates, cellist Rachel Young, and horn player Robert Rearden.
Dr. Denesha says that, in a normal year, the well over 100 musicians in the program have about eight to 10 rehearsals per concert cycle and do three concerts a year with the three-part ensemble. There’s an audition process every May, with a supplemental round in August. Each performer needs to meet requirements to participate in any of the three orchestras. “They have to prepare a solo for performance to basically show us what they can do on their instruments. A lot of times we require scales as well to show facility on the instrument. But then we ask them to prepare orchestral excerpts – little snippets of classical music – to help us sort the solo spots and to help us as conductors program the season better to meet their needs.”
Bottom line, “The audition process serves two purposes. It allows the kids to audition for us and show us what they’ve got. But at the same time, we get to listen to them and say, if so many kids of this level are joining, then I'm going to pick a certain set of pieces.”
Typically, the String Orchestra draws together the middle-school students to help build foundational skills as orchestral players. Symphonic performers range from 8th to 10th grade, serving as the first tier for winds, brass and percussion to join with the strings. Dr. Denesha’s group consists primarily of juniors and seniors who play professional level literature like Aura by Alan Hankers and Variations on an Original Theme “Enigma” op. 36 by Edward Elgar, performed for the Spring concert.
Dr. Denesha acknowledges that “If the Loudoun Symphony and the Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestra, as well as our sister organizations across the county, had our own performing arts space, we could build a larger audience and community outreach and have a more flexible rehearsal and performance schedule that better suits the community's needs. The possibilities are endless.”
Matt Banner, Loudoun Symphony Association, Inc., president says, “Without a performing arts center in Loudoun, we have to rent space to rehearse and perform. Both the LSO and LSYO rehearse in Loudoun County Public School buildings – usually Stone Bridge High School and Trailside Middle School. LSO performs at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Ashburn; LSYO performs in high school auditoriums.” He and other arts enthusiasts say that despite talks for many years about building such a center in Loudoun nothing has emerged and a recent Rivana development, which originally advertised that it would include a world-class performing arts center now references “community space.”
“Having a dedicated space to rehearse and perform would be transformational,” he adds. Relying on schools as much as they do means the musicians have had cancel concerts and rehearsals due to weather-related school closures. Reservations on a rehearsal space often fall prey to other priorities.
But, Matt, like so many in LSYO’s appreciative audience, is himself a parent and smiles good-naturedly at the many obstacles that have often made it difficult for the music to go on. Last season’s Loudoun Symphony Orchestra performances were virtual through a program they called the LSO Musician Showcase and the LSYO offered short virtual concerts every 6-8 weeks. Students who could perform in person were recorded and the video shared with at-home students who would record their own tracks from home. They then stitched the videos together (see an example here: youtube.com/watch?v=led25m0p1Qs&t=1173s – and trust me that this holds no candle to their performing in person.) LSYO’s 2021 t-shirts were emblazoned with the words “WHATEVER IT TAKES,” and the theme carried over this year to “Music, No Matter What.”
He says his own daughters discovered the Loudoun Symphony in April 2012 when they hosted an instrument “petting zoo” at Rust Library. Musicians were there with their instruments and kids could talk to them and try each instrument. Some two years later Felicity said she’d like to play the violin, a seed planted at that event. Her sister Emily had the chance to hear a bassoon quartet practice during Felicity’s music lessons and took that instrument up a few years later.
His point is clear: from even fleeting exposure, true passion takes root. Getting music out into the community is a prevailing theme. While planning is in the early stages, he says “We are excited to start a chamber concert series this year,” adding that they’d love to partner with wineries as regular venues.
One way to catch a performance is to join the mailing list at loudounsymphony.org/connect and to follow them on social media. Donations (loudounsymphony.org/donate) support all the orchestra’s programs, including renting rehearsal and performance space, master classes, compensating Loudoun Symphony Orchestra musicians who provide sectional coaching and the Summer Orchestral Institute which took place in July.
The best seats in the house are no doubt those of the parents whose children are motivated enough to make the leap on stage. The final round of auditions for next year’s LSYO will be Saturday, August 27th from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn. See loudounsymphony.org/lsyo-auditions.