CLASSIC CLASSIC CLASSIC
MARCH 3 MARCH 3 MARCH 3 , 2025 , 2025 , 2025
Prelude
IRISH LEGEND
Kerr, arr. Newbold
Classic Masterpieces
March 3, 2025
Dr. Ernest Pereira
Music Director & Conductor
Cole Freeman, Courtney Guthrie
Sinfonia Strings Conductors
Coach: Christina Beekman-Chin
Musicians: Clayton Shevy, Evangeline Love Scott, Calvin Leland, Matthew Chubachuck, Evangeline Chin, Alethea Leland, Chloe
Teague, DJ Rybak, Tessa Jackson, Anastasia Rybak
Sinfonia Strings
CONTREDANSE
Bologne, arr. Ford
HIDDEN PASSAGES
Griesinger
ALLEGRO MOLTO
Mozart, arr. Granata
Ó ABRE ALAS
Gonzaga, arr. Monday
JUPITER
Holst, arr. Monday
Intermission
Classic Masterpieces
March 3, 2025
Dr. Ernest Pereira
Music Director & Conductor
Cole Freeman, Courtney Guthrie
Sinfonia Strings Conductors
Preparatory Orchestra
GAVOTTE
Corelli, arr. Phillips
EINE KLEINE NACHTMUSIK - ALLEGRO
Mozart, arr. Isaac
SYMPHONY NO. 8 (UNFINISHED) - ALLEGRO MODERATO
Schubert, arr. Meyer
TWO ARIAS
O MIO BABBINO CARO NESSUN DORMA
Puccini, arr. Bernotas
FANDANGO AND ALBORADA
Rimsky-Korsakov, arr. Isaac
MARCH TO THE SCAFFOLD FROM SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE
Berlioz, arr. Meyer
WANT TO JOIN YOC?
Auditions for next season are now open! We have opportunities for young musicians across a range of ages and instruments. To find more information, including audition dates and requirements, visit: youthorchestrasofcharlotte.org/auditions Email info@youthorchestrasofcharlotte.org with any questions.
ABOUT THE YOC
The Youth Orchestras of Charlotte is dedicated to nurturing and inspiring the musical talents of youth in the greater Charlotte area. We provide exceptional instruction and performance experiences in symphonic orchestra and chamber ensemble settings. We are committed to creating an environment of success for all musicians.
Youth Orchestra - A full symphony orchestra made up of experienced musicians, performing masterpieces from the orchestral repertoire in a professional symphony setting.
Preparatory Orchestra - A full symphony orchestra that performs both actual symphonic literature and arrangements of the repertoire geared to advanced players with some experience. It is a training orchestra for the YOC.
Sinfonia Strings -A string orchestra that prepares less experienced musicians in the art of orchestral performance.
Flute Choir - An ensemble that performs flute choir repertoire and explores a wide variety of musical genres.
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
Being part of a community of musicians that shares a passion for music making and challenging repertoire
Masterclasses with nationally recognized guest artists, such as David Kim (Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra), Amadi Azikiwi and university professors
Perform with guest soloists
Guest performances by nationally recognized ensembles, such as Heifetz on Tour
Sectional rehearsals with musicians of the Charlotte Symphony and area music educators
Audition experiences
Chamber music and community performance opportunities
Travel opportunities in select years (i.e. Kennedy Center
Performance in 2020)
Opportunities to be a featured student soloist
Advancement and leadership opportunities within the ensembles
Camps, retreats and social events throughout the season
DR. ERNEST PEREIRA MUSIC DIRECTOR, CONDUCTOR
Music Director and conductor of the Youth Orchestras of Charlotte, Dr. Ernest Pereira previously conducted the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestras, leading them in performances at Charlotte’s Festival in the Park,
Summer Pops at Symphony Park, as well as at national concert venues in Washington, D.C. and Charleston, SC, for Piccolo Spoleto. Under Pereira’s baton, the CSYO performed twice at the prestigious venue of Carnegie Hall in New York City, in 2002 and 2017. In 2020, he led the YOC in a performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He has guest conducted the Charlotte Civic Orchestras and appeared on several local chamber music series as either a violinist or conductor. Dr. Pereira was featured at the Charlotte Symphony’s annual Youth Festival, conducting the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, the JYO and CSYO, as well as the combined professional and youth orchestras.
Dr. Pereira co-directed, with Dr. Paul Nitsch, the Fun with Chamber Music program for youth at Queens University of Charlotte and has taught violin at Queens. Students from his orchestra and private teaching studio have gone on to major in music at noted conservatories and universities. Graduates of his studio and orchestras also hold performing and teaching positions in many of the nation’s orchestras and universities, as well as having musical careers in film, television, and non-classical genres.
A native of South Africa, Dr. Pereira received his early training in violin in Pretoria from Walter Mony and Alan Solomon, and holds Teacher and Performer Licentiates from the University of South Africa. He studied in this country with David Cerone, graduating as valedictorian from the Cleveland Institute of Music with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1981 and a Master of Music degree in 1982. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987, studying with Vincent Frittelli. Dr. Pereira served as Concertmaster of both the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra as well as the University of Texas Orchestra, and conducted the University of Texas String Project Orchestra. Dr. Pereira served as a member of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra from 1985 to 2023. He has appeared frequently as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, South Africa, and Namibia, and has soloed with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and the Charlotte Civic Orchestra. He believes strongly in educating young musicians and maintains an active and successful violin studio. With the YOC, Dr. Pereira continues to foster musical excellence in orchestral performance, drawing on over 30 years of professional experience.
COLE FREEMAN, SINFONIA STRINGS CONDUCTOR
Cole Freeman is the Orchestra Director at Myers Park and David W. Butler High Schools in Charlotte, NC where he teaches intermediate and advanced orchestra classes, chamber music, and AP music
theory. Previously, he was the Orchestra Director at South Mecklenburg High and Quail Hollow Middle Schools. Mr. Freeman has also maintained a significant private lesson studio during his years as an educator.
As a musician, Mr. Freeman has played in multiple professional orchestras across North Carolina since the age of 16, performing alongside artists such as Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Andrea Bocelli, and Molly Ringwald. An avid chamber musician, Mr. Freeman has his own string quartet, the Linden Quartet, which he performs with regularly, along with many other chamber ensembles in the Charlotte region.
Mr. Freeman graduated with a Bachelors of Music Education (Summa Cum Laude) from UNC Greensboro in 2018. He studied violin under Dr. Fabian Lopez, Calin Lupanu, and Steve Kamradt and studied string pedagogy under Dr. Rebecca MacLeod.
COURTNEY GUTHRIE, SINFONIA STRINGS CONDUCTOR
Courtney Guthrie is a violist and strings teacher at Community House Middle School in Charlotte, NC. As a North Carolina native, Ms. Guthrie began her orchestral career in her public school orchestra and
performed with the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestras under the direction of Dr. Pereira. She received a Bachelor’s of Music degree from UNC-Greensboro in 2012.
Ms. Guthrie’s groups consistently earn Superior ratings at North Carolina Western Region Music Performance Adjudication, Guilford County Schools Festival, and Music in the Parks Festival at Carowinds. Many of her students are often selected to represent Community House Middle School in CMS Honors Orchestra, Jr. Western Region Orchestra, Youth Orchestras of Charlotte, Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestras, and the Union Symphony Youth Orchestras.
Currently, Ms. Guthrie is the viola sectional coach for the Union Symphony Youth Orchestra, and an active freelance violist having performed with the Union Symphony Orchestra, Spartanburg Philharmonic, and at other various ceremonies and events.
PREPARATORY ORCHESTRA MUSICIANS
Violin 1
Clayton Shevy, Concertmaster
Annabelle Nestor
Daniel Min
Adalie Fisher
Davis Williams
Annelle Okhotin
Leilani Greene
Becky Benson
Celina Ahn
Anna Shalamova
Matthew Bethala
Ira Khed
Nikash Kulkarni
Bass
Edwin Dimov
Flute
Joel Jung
Aathmika Thanigai
Avanthika Thanigai
Violin 2
Evangeline Love Scott, Principal
Anastasia Rybak
Gabriel Bueno
Calvin Leland
Mia Mullinax
Evangeline Chin
Matthew Chubachuk
Catherine Maguire
Nancy Naman
Charlotte Fernandez
Harshitha Rengadurai
Layla L'Huillier
Viola
Alethea Leland, Principal
Danielle Pak, Assistant Principal
Calhoun Metcalf
Clarinet
Jasmine Jiang
Vishal Rao
Bass Clarinet
Christian Cato, YOC Mentor
Horn
Jack Contreras
Annalise Hively
Noah Pak
Peter Chen
Trombone
Risha Jangala
Trumpet
Jaron Shevy
Andy Odulio
Otto Burger
Zac Bao-Dai
Tuba
Cyrus Baltimore
Cello
Kate van Heerden, Principal
DJ Rybak
Ezra Okhotin
Emma Chen
Ari Metcalf
Sarah Hubbard
Lydia Graham
Anna Bethala
Zahida
Allen-Coqk Walker
Anja Magi
Hank Aymer
Alexander Liu
Trevor Tsai
Chloe Teague
Bassoon
Cayla Autrey
Damon Contreras
Oboe
Luke Stone
Percussion
Sameer Belur
Alex House
Christian Cato, YOC Mentor
Louis Krivitsky, YOC Mentor
YOC COACHES
Sinfonia Strings
Angela Watson, Violin
Amanda Gentile, Violin/Viola
Oksana McCarthy, Cello
Jason McNeel, Bass
Preparatory Orchestra
Kari Giles, Violin
Susan Blumberg, Violin
Ning Zhao, Viola
Liz Burns, Cello
Jason McNeel, Bass
Amy Orsinger
Whitehead, Woodwinds
Tom Burge, Brass
Josh Walker, Percussion
YOC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President: Christina Beekman-Chin
Treasurer: Yelena Moshkovsky
Past President: Kenneth Jackson
Member at Large: Mike Negus
Member at Large: Beth Garges
Member at Large: Donna Kiser
Member at Large: Whitney Peters
Member at Large: Lori Tiberio
Member at Large: Lori Maldonado
Member at Large: Jenny Chen
Member at Large: Abdullah Birdsong
Member at Large: Bee Sim Bethala
Member at Large: Heidi Magi
Executive Director: Liz Burns
Music Director: Ernest Periera
Executive Assistant: Emily Hunsbusher
To learn about promoting your business in future YOC concert programs, contact info@youthorchestrasofcharlotte.org
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