Symphony Invites Youth & Parents to Hear Young North State Musicians

At the North State Symphony, February is the Month of the Young Musician, and the symphony is offering North State Parent readers a very special invitation to be part of it all!

First, hear talented young people from all over the North State area compete on Sunday, February 17, at California State University, Chico during the Young Artist Auditions (YAA). Watch as violinists, pianists, vocalists and players of other orchestral instruments perform well-known selections from a classical repertoire. Judges, led by North State Symphony (NSS) Music Director Kyle Wiley Pickett, will award first and second prizes in two divisions: High School (and occasionally an exceptional middle schooler), and College-University. Cash prizes are provided by Chico Guild and Redding League, two volunteer groups that support NSS. The Guild also manages the competition, which takes place at noon at CSU, Chico’s PAC Recital Hall; the auditions are free to watch.

Perhaps the best prize for the Young Artist Auditions first place winner in each division is the opportunity to later perform as a soloist with the North State Symphony. February not only marks the 2013 YAA competition, but also the orchestral solo appearance of the 2012 High School YAA winner, violinist Nellie Ponarul.

Nellie Ponarul, 2012 High School Young Artist Auditions winner will be performing with North State Symphony Feb. 23 and 24.

At two upcoming February performances, Nellie Ponarul will appear in front of the entire orchestra playing the first movement of Barber’s Violin Concerto. The symphony will also play Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella Suite” and will close with “Jupiter,” Mozart’s final symphony. For more insight into the music and the symphony, conductor Kyle Wiley Pickett will give a free pre-concert talk one hour before each performance.

The concerts, called “Experience Charm!,”  take place February 23, 7:30 p.m. at Redding’s Cascade Theatre, and in Chico on February 24, 2 p.m. at CSU, Chico’s Laxson Auditorium. Details can be found online at http://www.northstatesymphony.org.

The North State Symphony invites North State Parent readers to explore a symphony experience with their families:

The February 17 Young Artist Auditions event at CSU, Chico is free to watch. For more information call (530) 898-5984. Donations to support the work of the Chico Guild and NSS are always welcome.

A limited number of FREE Tickets to the February 23 and 24 “Experience Charm!” concerts are being made available to North State Parent readers. A maximum of three free tickets per family may be claimed by emailing symphony@csuchico.edu; additional tickets may be purchased. Put the words “North State Parent” in the email subject line. In your email request, specify which concert your family wishes to attend (Feb. 23 in Redding or Feb. 24 in Chico), and include a family-member name and age for each ticket, a mailing address, and an email contact address. For more information call (530) 898-5984.

The North State Symphony and North State Parent look forward to seeing you at these events!