enrichment opportunities
OPPORTUNITIES TO PERFORM, GROW, GIVE, AND LEAD
Performance
Beyond our three annual concerts at Norwalk Concert Hall, NYS offers additional opportunities to perform.
Students develop their musicianship in classes and coaching sessions. Tours and competitions encourage grit, resilience, and other growth.
Giving
Volunteering, benefit concert performances, food drives, and mentoring are some ways that NYS gives. Some of these earn volunteer hours for students.
Leadership
In addition to section leaders, NYS offers leadership opportunities through mentoring and Youth Committee positions.
Growth
International Tours
Tours offer an incredible opportunity to perform before an appreciative audience in another country, but also, a chance to make lifelong memories, develop friendships, and learn new things. NYS embarked on its first performance trip overseas, in 2008, to Prague, Budapest, Vienna and Salzburg. Since then, NYS has traveled bi-annually. Past tours include the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Portugal. In 2024, a trip to Prague, Vienna and Salzburg will be offered. Performance Tours are open to students in the Concert and Principal Orchestras.
More info and a detailed itinerary of our 2024 tour can be found here.
Concerto Competition
NYS sponsors a Concerto Competition every year for members of Principal Orchestra. The winner will play a movement of a concerto with the orchestra at the Winter Concert. All Principal Orchestra members who wish to audition may do so in January. Find out more about the competition, and listen to past winners here.
Master Classes
From time to time we hold master classes, where participants in our program may perform in public for a guest instructor, who then coaches the students. Both audience members and performers can learn a great deal from these “open lessons”. More info here.
Sectional Rehearsals
Professional musicians and teachers are brought to rehearsals a minimum of two times during each concert period to work specifically with different sections of all five orchestras. Such sessions are invaluable in helping to prepare each member of the NYS for performance at concerts and in producing a unified sound within sections.
Additional Performance Opportunities
In order to enhance the performing experience for its musicians, the Norwalk Youth Symphony arranges for performances in such places as Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, Music in the Parks, The Norwalk Maritime Aquarium and the Norwalk Public Library. These are considered to be an integral part of the musical education NYS offers and participation is mandatory.
TANGLEWOOD
Carnegie Hall
Youth Committee
The Youth Committee is the representative voice of all orchestras of the Norwalk Youth Symphony. Its purpose is to listen to the concerns and suggestions of orchestra members and to help make participation in NYS a more rewarding experience. The committee meets once a month with a parent advisor who reports back to the Board of Directors as the Committee's messenger, thus an opportunity for open communication between the orchestras and the Board is provided, and the Board receives information that helps it to run the organization in a way that will ensure a positive musical experience for all members. Visit the Youth Committee page here.
Community Service
Community Service concerts by NYS orchestras and/or chamber music participants enhance the performance experience for our musicians, while thanking the community for its support.
Parent Ensemble
The most valuable contribution parents can make is to support their student's obligation to attend all rehearsals and to encourage them to prepare the music thoroughly. However, we also need parent assistance for many other things. Please volunteer your time and talent by joining our PARENT ENSEMBLE. In addition, each family is expected to assist once with the afternoon snack that is served to the musicians at every major rehearsal. Parents must sign up for snack duty at the first rehearsal of the season. Parents are also expected to volunteer at one concert each year.
BRASS
ENSEMBLE
