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Halton Youth Chamber Orchestra is going to Disneyland By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Nearly 40 local musicians aged nine to 14 will be getting an opportunity of a lifetime this summer when they head to the West Coast Youth Orchestra Festival. The Halton Youth Chamber Orchestra will be heading to the festival, hosted by Music Celebrations International, taking place this June. The event will be held in Disneyland in Los Angeles, California, where the youths will perform in the Walt Disney Concert Hall and a select few will also record inside a Disney studio. "This is a huge deal. In my own orchestra career, I've never had an opportunity like this," said parent JD Hassan, who is also a board member of the group, and is organizing and fundraising the trip. "Some of these kids are going to look at this and say I want this as my career. We're certainly hoping this will strengthen the group." The chamber ensemble is one of two musical groups of the Halton Youth Symphony (HYS). It is an entirely string orchestra, including violin, cello, viola and bass players. The Halton-wide, Oakville-based youth program also has its 55-member symphony orchestra for musicians who are high school aged. It consists of an entire symphony of instruments. The program has been around since 1975, founded by Oakville musician, performer and music teacher Jean Grieve. She is a founding member and current player in the Oakville Symphony Orchestra who also founded the Oakville Suzuki Association. The group started in an Oakville school basement with a handful of musicians and has since grown to be the home of nearly 100 young performers. HYS performs three concerts per year throughout Halton Region. However, outside of its musical circles, HYS has had trouble getting noticed. Most of its publicity has been through word-of-mouth. "That was one of the turning points in my mind. I said, `How do we become a premiere group if we're not that well-known?'" said Artscene 23 · Wednesday, May 16, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com graham paine / oakville beaver / @halton_photog celebrating music: Members of the Halton Youth Chamber Orchestra is pictured rehearsing for the Musical Celebrations' West Coast Youth Orchestra Festival in Los Angeles, which is happening in June. Here, in the front row, are concert master Kiara Hassan, left, and Brenna Stevens. board chair Daniel Emery, who also has children in the program. The group has partnered with area high schools for concerts, has targeted music teachers for support and this year is getting an even greater opportunity to make its presence known. The younger group auditioned for the Music Celebrations festival, where its members will be the youngest participants and the only Canadians. "It's time for us to raise the bar and that's part of the trip. Where can we go that's new, that's different, that's interesting?" Hassan said. At the festival, firstly, the entire chamber orchestra will get to perform on the same stage as the Los Angeles Philharmonic. More impressively, 10 of its members will also be part of a select master orchestra, directed by a world-level conductor, who will lead them through the recording of a five-to 10-minute movie segment inside the Disney sound studio. "They're going to have the ability to work with other conductors and clinicians and mentors. They'll see a different individual, hear different techniques and will get to work with a group outside of their own," said Emery. never seen with this group. It's right through the roof." The group also hopes to become the youth symphony of choice in the area, having to compete with ones located in Hamilton, Mississauga and Toronto. There are no other similar programs in Halton. Schools generally have jazz or concert bands or wind ensembles. HYS has a full symphony program, which includes a string section. Hassan said for a young player who's serious about music as a career choice, having these options is necessary for his or her development and for those trying to get into a post-secondary program. "If you are a part of an orchestra, it's a completely different dynamic. Jazz bands and concert bands are a completely different dynamic and an orchestra is another dynamic after that," Hassan said. The group is currently fundraising to help pay for its programming and travel costs to the festival. Those interested in making a financial contribution are asked to visit www.canadahelps.org and to search `Halton Youth Symphony', or contact HYS manager Alan Montgomery at manager@haltonyouthsymphony.com. HYS will also perform its season finale concert at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre on Sunday, May 27. A group of Ontario fibre artists has donated 20 original pieces to the HYS, which will be visible at the Arts Centre until the May 27 concert. People can bid on the artworks until the concert at www. fibrations.org. For more information on the group, visit www. haltonyouthsymphony.com. Dominik Kurek can be reached at dkurek@oakvillebeaver.com or followed on Twitter at @ DominikKurek. "They're going to have the ability to work with other conductors and clinicians, and mentors. They'll see a different individual, hear different techniques and will get to work with a group outside of their own." Daniel Emery, board chair Halton Youth Symphony "We have to equip ourselves. And they're really working hard. The enthusiasm level is like we've