Youth Symphony/Suzuki at Lutheran Ensemble Entertains
Students with the Chautauqua Regional Youth Symphony (CRYS) and Suzuki at Lutheran gave a local performance recently.
CRYS has three orchestras: Prelude Strings for beginning string players, Young Artists Orchestra (YAO) for intermediate musicians, and Chamber Orchestra for advanced students. Conductor and Music Director Bryan Eckenrode leads their weekly rehearsals at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Lakewood.
Suzuki at Lutheran is an intergenerational Suzuki Strings program located on the Lutheran campus in Jamestown. Under the direction of Nina Karbacka, it is open to interested students of all ages – 2 to 92 – and welcomes beginners and students of all levels.
Karbacka is also the vice president of the Youth Symphony board. CRYS Chamber Orchestra members who study with her at Suzuki at Lutheran entertained at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Senior Luncheon in late March. The students, Soren and Sofya Kyser and Deidre and Suzanna McCurdy, played Mozart, Vivaldi, and other selections.
Three CRYS students also participated in the recent master class presented by Russian String Orchestra through the Jamestown Concert Association. During a master class, a highly proficient teacher works with one student and/or a small ensemble in front of an audience. Samuel Mincarelli played, and Boaz and Aaron Mecham were part of the audience.
All CRYS students are preparing for their Spring Gala Concert, Sunday, May 19, 7 p.m., at Chautauqua Institution’s Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall. With a varied selection of works, the concert is free and followed by a reception.
