In the world of symphonic music, however, the next generation is in good hands. In more ways than one. At this very moment, (June 11-16, 1998) a National Youth Orchestra Festival is underway at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. This wonderful wooded campus is located nearly at the top of Michigan's lower peninsula, near Traverse City, not far from the blue waters and shifting sand dunes of Lake Michigan.
From some 177 audition tapes, and subsequent visits by the panel to hear each of the finalists in performance, five youth orchestras were selected to take part in this first such festival in thirty years. James DePreist, music director of the Oregon Symphony, is the festival's artistic director, and the person who made the festival happen. It took three years.
The participants are the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra (Rossen Milanov, music director designate), Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (Harry Davidson, conductor), New England Conservatory (Boston) Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (Benjamin Zander, music director), Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra (Edward Cumming, music director) and the Saint Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra (David Loebel, music director). All told, there will be some 500-plus young musicians, ranging in age from 11 to 20, and the music directors and managers for each organization. Not at all a simple undertaking.
Although not all these young musicians will go on to a career in music performance, the discipline that has led them this far will assist them in whatever field they choose. Nearly all of them will go on to college, and continue on the high achievement path that has led them this far. All of the orchestras are open to anyone, though placement is by audition - rigorous audition. Nearly all have a small fee for membership, but scholarships are available, making it possible for any student to qualify based on musical ability. Some of the orchestras commission special works from equally young composers who exhibit an astonishing array of talent.
Several years ago, five of the American-based youth orchestras - Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Saint Louis and San Francisco - through their Commission Consortium jointly commissioned a work by the young American composer, Tobias Picker. And Suddenly It's Evening takes inspiration from poetry, as does much of Picker's music. In this case, it is a three-line couplet by the 20th century Italian poet Salvatore Quasimodo. An earlier work, a string quartet called New Memories was inspired by paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe.
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