The Youth Symphony of the Okanagan

Youth Symphony of the Okanagan

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Mission Statement:

To provide the youth of the Okanagan with opportunities to engage in advanced orchestral playing, to engage in music-making together with their peers who share a love for classical music, to compose and conduct their own pieces under professional guidance, and to contribute to the cultural life and artistic expression of the Okanagan community.

Imant Raminsh & Dennis Colpitts, Co-Music Directors and Conductors

Click here for bios

The YSO founder and music director is Imant Raminsh of Coldstream, a distinguished composer who has been honored with many awards both here and abroad. Raminsh has been providing dedicated leadership to the YSO since 1989. This fall (2010), the YSO welcomes Dennis Colpitts as co-music director. Dennis brings a wealth of experience as teacher, conductor, and professional musician within the school and local community here in the Okanagan and previously in the Lower Mainland. The musicians have also had the privilege to be led on occasion by Rosemary Thomson, conductor of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra.

The Youth Symphony of the Okanagan gives young musicians the opportunity to experience the joy of learning to play and perform classical music with other young musicians. In addition, they may have the chance to submit and conduct their own compositions.

Approximate age range is from 12 to 25 years with additional adult players invited to fill in gaps for the concert weekend.

Many of these young musicians have been studying music from a young age and are performing at advanced levels on their respective instruments.

They meet for approximately 10 full-day rehearsals on Saturdays, beginning in early October and culminating in their spring weekend of concerts in Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton. Rehearsals take place in Vernon and Kelowna.

The YSO has been an important stepping stone for many musicians raised in the Okanagan Valley who have gone on to play with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, and other professional orchestras in Canada and beyond. Many students have completed or are currently pursuing post-secondary degrees or full-time careers in music education or performance.

2012 Concerts

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Please click on the image of the poster below for a full size view and information about our 2012 Concerts.

Music Directors

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Imant Raminsh

Born in Latvia, Imant came to Canada in 1948. After completing his ARCT diploma in violin at the Royal Conservatory of Toronto and a Bachelor of Music at the University of Toronto, he spent two years at the "Akademie Mozarteum" in Salzburg, Austria, studying composition, fugue, violin and conducting, while also playing in the professional Camerata Academica Orchestra.

Imant is the founding conductor of the Prince George Symphony, the Youth Symphony of the Okanagan, NOVA Children's Choir and AURA Chamber Choir. His compositions have been performed on six continents by such ensembles as the Vancouver, Edmonton, Hamilton, Toronto, Okanagan, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick Symphonies, the Vancouver Chamber Choir, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, the Stockholm Chamber Choir and many others. His music has been heard in Carnegie Hall in New York, Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, the Orpheum in Vancouver, Canterbury Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Notre Dame in Paris and Santa Marie del Flore in Florence. Imant had his conducting debut at Carnegie Hall, New York, on March 13, 2006, in performance of his Magnificat and Missa Brevis with a massed choir (including singers from the Okanagan), soloists and orchestra.

In October, 2006 Imant was presented with the "Distinguished Visiting Alumnus Medal" by Dean Averil Gage of the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto. In April, 2007, he was made an officer of the Three Stars of the Republic of Latvia (highest civilian honour, equivalent to the Order of Canada). In the summer of 2008, he was invited to conduct the mass choir of the 24th Latvian Song Festival - consisting of 12,000 voices! - in a performance of his 'Put, Vejini". This year marks his 32nd year as Principal Second Violin with the OSO and his 21st year as conductor of the YSO.

Dennis Colpitts

Dennis Colpitts, a graduate from the Department of Music (UBC, 1976), has taught music in the Lower Mainland and Okanagan at all levels of the school system. His blended majors of trumpet, voice, and conducting under James Fankhauser have enabled him to participate in a wide variety of musical opportunities including the Vancouver Cantata Singers, Phoenix, a Chamber Choir and the Okanagan Festival Singers. He is also the past director of the Kelowna City Band and the orchestra of Trinity Baptist Church.

Mr. Colpitts is a member of Take Five, an a cappela men’s quintet, is second chair in the horn section of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, performs with the Coils of Gold horn quartet and plays trumpet in the Michael Garding Big Band. He conducts the OSO Wind Ensemble for the UBC Okanagan’s graduation ceremonies each year, and has been a guest conductor of the Okanagan Symphony for concerts including Michael Burgess, Natalie McMaster and most recently, the grand opening of the Sparkling Hill Resort .

Photos

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Please move your mouse over the photos and hit the arrow keys to navigate or pause the slide show.

Testimonials

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My five years with the YSO were phenomenal. Musically, I learned so much under Imant's passionate and caring leadership. Being concertmaster in my last few years with the orchestra developed important leadership skills I now use regularly. The experience of playing a concerto, backed by the orchestra, was sublime. All facets of YSO prepared me for my summers with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. It was a gift to be around others my age who loved music.

Violinist Angela Ruthven

"You would be hard pressed to find a youth orchestra quite like the YSO. Where else is there a conductor who’s also an internationally acclaimed composer? Where else can you be instructed by world class musicians, and hear your compositions performed by an entire orchestra?

You instantly feel welcome at the YSO. From the first note you play, it is evident that it is a team effort, where everybody plays a significant, and important role, in a friendly environment!"

Cellist Nick Denton

2012 Featured Performers

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Rebecca Ruthven

Photo by Judi Folk

Rebecca began studying violin at the age of five with Heilwig von Konigslow in Langley, BC and has been studying with Ken Stromberg since her family's move to Kelowna eight years ago. She represented Kelowna at the BC Provincial Music Festival in 2010 and 2011 and was runner-up in Junior Strings on both occasions. Highlights in 2011 included performing with David Greenberg and the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra in a Vivaldi quartet, as soloist with the Kelowna Canada Day Pops Orchestra at Prospera Place, and as featured artist at a benefit concert for the Vernon Hospice House. Last July, she had the opportunity to study with Michael van der Sloot at the Summer Strings Academy in Victoria. She is extremely thankful for all of the kind encouragement and support from audience members around the valley, and for the opportunities she has been given, such as becoming a community player with the OSO in September 2011. Rebecca completed her grade 9 piano with Lorna Paterson at KCMS, her grade 10 violin, and is currently working on her Performers ARCT. She is a grade 10 student at Kelowna Secondary School where she plays piano in jazz band and sings in several school ensembles. This is her seventh year with the Youth Symphony of the Okanagan.

Vincent Li

Information for Vincent Li will be added soon.

Contact

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For more information please contact:

Tim Watson

Administrative Coordinator & Stage Manager

youthsymphonyokanagan@gmail.com

250.317.6245

Okanagan Symphony Orchestra

www.okanagansymphony.com

2010 Soloists

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Nick Denton

When Nick joined the YSO, at age eleven, he asked Imant Raminsh if it would be possible for the orchestra to play Elgar’s Cello Concerto. Little did he know, four years later, not only would it be performed, but that he would be the soloist.

Nick studies advanced cello with Morna Howie at the Vernon Community Music School. He is also an accomplished pianist, studying with Canadian composer Lorna Paterson. He has been coached by nationally and internationally acclaimed instructors, soloists and ensembles such as John Katz, Arnold Choi, and The St. Lawrence String Quartet. In piano, he has participated in workshops with pianists Ian Parker and Joseph Friedman, among others.

Nick has won many music-related awards and scholarships, as a cellist, pianist and ensemble musician. Recently he was named best overall performer in the Kelowna Kiwanis Music Festival, the Shuswap Music Festival, and the Penticton Kiwanis Music Festival.

Last year, Nick was chosen to represent Penticton as a solo cellist in the BC Performing Arts Festival. The string trio he performs with was also recommended to the Provincials competition and took runner up. Nick has competed at the Provincial level in an ensemble for the past three years.

It is Nick's goal to continue his studies at university and pursue a musical career.

Chanthavouth Hy

When this slim-built Cambodian tenor… starts to sing, he turns into a giant, his voice filling the room with strength, warmth and beauty.” So wrote the Cambodia Daily newspaper. Chanthavouth Hy (Chantavoot Hee) is sponsored by the CAMBODIA SUPPORT GROUP (CSG) to study in Canada . He has lived in BC’s East Kootenay region since September 2007.

In Cambodia Chanthavouth studied with many teachers of varied backgrounds and skills. His voice teacher in Canada is the superb tenor Chuck Bisset. His many performances earn standing ovations and raves: “Where did that big voice come from?” “I’d listen to him anytime, anywhere!” Now applying to the Victoria Conservatory of Music-Camosun College Diploma program, he plans on future studies in Toronto and New York .

Chanthavouth also has a splendid record of human service. He has raised great support for Cambodia with his singing and as a CSG Director. He also volunteers for Africa relief as well as youth, senior citizens, women in need, and others at risk in Canada . Intensely proud of both countries, he is a living bridge of culture, care, and fascination. He returned to Cambodia last May as Goodwill Ambassador for a Cambodia-Canada Friendship tour by the University of Victoria Prima-Chamber Singers Choir.

Andre Vandenberg

Andre Vandenberg - a 15-year-old Coldstream pianist - will have his first composition premiered by the YSO this weekend. Passacaglia in A minor is described as a meditative strings piece. The 15-year-old is a Grade 10 student at Kalamalka Secondary, and is studying music with Carol Stromberg and Imant Raminsh.

Support the YSO

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The YSO would like to thank our individual and corporate donors for their generous patronage. As a non-profit organization, we rely on the financial support of our community to help defray the costs associated with orchestral training of our youth (full ensemble coaching and group sectionals) and with hosting our annual concerts. We have intentionally kept registration fees for our players to a minimum, or waived entirely, so that no one is prevented from participating due to financial constraints.

We would appreciate your support! Major corporate donors will be recognized in our advertising and website, and all donors will be acknowledged in our concert programs (unless anonymity has been requested). More importantly, your contribution would represent a significant investment in the lives of our young, dedicated, and talented musicians and in the future of the arts in the Okanagan community. Our goal as board members is to ensure that the YSO continues to exist for the benefit of many future music students and for the communities in which they will eventually live and perform.

Cheques may be made payable to the YOUTH SYMPHONY OF THE OKANAGAN and directed to either of the executive listed below. Please feel free to contact us if you have further questions. Thank you for your consideration.

Lucy Ruthven (president)
1615 Willow Cres.
Kelowna, BC V1Y 4K4
(250) 860-9048

Cynthia Araujo (treasurer)
1465 Crawford Rd
Kelowna, BC V1W 3B2
(250) 764-7577