Omaha Area Youth Orchestras Instilling a Lifelong Love of the Arts
M
usic plays a unique melody in many lives. For some, it is a relaxing hobby to be enjoyed during downtime. For others, it is a meticulous field of study that must be mastered. But for the student musicians of the Omaha Area Youth Orchestras, music is both of these things and much, much more. The Omaha Area Youth Orchestras (OAYO) was created in 1958 through a joint effort between the metro public schools and the Omaha Symphony Guild to inspire and educate young musicians by providing a rigorous and challenging orchestral experience. Musicians with OAYO become part of an active musical community that fosters discipline, cooperation, and leadership, and they achieve goals through the encouragement of parents, teachers, and schools throughout the Omaha area. OAYO consists of six ensembles—Youth Symphony, Youth Philharmonic, Youth Conservatory Orchestra, Youth Chamber
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Front from left: Isabella Amador (violin), Avery Thomas (viola), Richard Cho (violin), Elizabeth Agner (harp). Back from left: OAYO Music Director and Principal Conductor Aviva Segall, Kiara Rodriguez (horn), Amelia Ashley (clarinet), and Matthew Herald (trombone).
Strings, Honors Orchestra, and Elementary Strings—that provide instruction and performance opportunities for over 550 students each season from over 100 schools in the Omaha area. Overall, the orchestras are made up of grades 4-12 and offer different levels of difficulty from introductory ensembles, which refine techniques necessary in a full orchestra, to highly proficient ensembles, which perform masterpieces from an advanced orchestral repertoire. Students audition annually for positions within the four more challenging ensembles or may be recommended by their school or private instructor for positions within the two non-audition orchestras. Although only some of these students will continue on to a professional music career, all of the students are provided with the skills to enjoy the arts as volunteers, teachers, and concert attendees. Aviva Segall has been with OAYO for 13 years as the music director. She conducts the top two orchestras and is responsible for overall music direction. Segall received a master’s in orchestral conducting from Northwestern University under Victor Yampolsky, • • • • May 2012
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