Oskaloosa Symphony

Dear Oskaloosa Symphony Orchestra Patrons and Friends,

I am pleased to announce that The Oskaloosa Symphony Orchestra will soon begin its twelfth season of performances at The George Daily Community Auditorium. The generous financial support of many corporations, businesses, and individuals, have helped us to pursue our goal of providing high quality orchestral performances to members of our community and music fans from all over southeast Iowa. We feel that our symphony orchestra adds greatly to the quality of life in our community. It is unique for a city of this size and is a great source of community pride.

This season’s first concert will be our traditional “Music of Christmas” performance on Sunday, December 20, 2009 at 4:00 P.M. The Symphony Orchestra and Chorus will be joined by The Oskaloosa High School Orchestra and Choir for this performance. This concert will also feature our “Celebrity Conductors” event which is very popular each year and a very important financial benefit to the orchestra. This year’s “Celebrity Conductor” candidates include:

Dr. Tim Breon, Surgeon-Mahaska Health Partnership	Andy Davis, Pepsi General Manager	Eric Dursky, Community Beautification Officer
Barb Finney, MidWestOne Bank President	Dave Krutzfeldt, Mayor of Oskaloosa and Vice President of Interpower Corp.	Steve Noah, Vice President of William Penn University.

More information will be provided in the Oskaloosa Herald and will include each candidate’s “qualifications”. All of these candidates would appreciate your votes (dollars) and all of the proceeds will go to benefit the orchestra.

The second concert of the season will be “The Young Performers Concert”, Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 4:00 P.M. This performance will include exceptional young musicians performing as soloists with the orchestra. Our Symphony Board feels strongly about the positive cultural impact that these performances provide to young people in our audiences and we welcome your help in encouraging them to attend. Special ticket prices are available for students and families.

If you agree that the Oskaloosa Symphony Orchestra is an important feature of our community, we really need your help. Please attend the performances and encourage others to as well. Volunteer your help as a board member or guild member and support the orchestra financially if you are able.

Thank you for your interest and support! Board Members: Jan and Dave Batman,
Jeanie Bieri, Angie Binns, Tony Chang,
Barb Finney, Rob Hammann, Sally Posovich
Debbie Stevens, Jon Sullivan, Randy Wright.
Robert L. Auld, Executive Director

The Oskaloosa Symphony Chorus will soon begin rehearsals in preparation for the upcoming concert, THE MUSIC OF CHRISTMAS, to be held at the George Daily Community Auditorium, Sunday, December 20, 2009, at 4:00 P.M. The Oskaloosa Symphony Orchestra and Chorus will be joined by the Oskaloosa High School Orchestra and Choir, and also the Oskaloosa Elementary Choir for this performance.

Bob Auld, director of the symphony chorus, announced that rehearsals will begin at 7:00 P.M. on Monday, November 9th in the High School Vocal Room and continue each Monday evening through December 14th. Each rehearsal will run from 7:00 – 8:30 P.M.

Capable singers of all ages are encouraged to join the chorus, and Mr. Auld described the music as “of medium difficulty”. Past members of the choir will recognize some of the selections as favorites from past years, with several new pieces included. Mr. Auld hopes that all experienced singers in the community will consider joining this year’s chorus. “This concert has become a favorite part of the Christmas Season in our community”, said Auld, “I don’t want anyone to miss out on the experience, so if you know singers who might be interested, please encourage them to attend”.

Music and rehearsal CDs will be available at the first rehearsal. Music and CDs may also be picked up at Mr. Auld’s office at 124 A Avenue East on or after November 2nd. For more information, call 641-673-9448 or email robertauld@mahaska.org.

PLEASE NOTE THE CORRECT DATE FOR THIS CONCERT IS APRIL 19, 2009
This is a correction from the date previously listed in the auditorium season brochure.

The Oskaloosa Symphony Orchestra and Conductor, Tony Chang, have announced the details of the orchestra’s 2009 Young Performers Concert to be held at the George Daily Auditorium, Sunday, April 19, 2009, at 4:00 P.M. The concert will feature three very talented young performers from Oskaloosa as soloists with the orchestra. These soloists were selected by auditions held earlier in March.

The 2009 soloist selected in the Junior Division is violinist, Amanda Jiang. Amanda will be performing the first movement of Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in G minor, Op 12, No.1.

Amanda is in the sixth grade at Oskaloosa Middle School and is the daughter of Kenny Jiang and Betty Cheng. Amanda began studying the violin in the fourth grade with Denise MeLellan with some private study with Tom Shadonix. Presently, her middle school violin instructor is Bruce McLellan. Amanda also has studied the piano beginning in grade four with her mother as her private teacher. Amanda’s other interests include “reading her favorite books, making crafts, and listening to music”.

One of the soloists selected in the Senior Division is pianist, Molly Nobiling. Molly will be performing the second movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor. Molly is a senior at Oskaloosa High School and is the daughter of Mary and Denny Parks of Oskaloosa and Glen Nobiling of Lake City, Iowa. Molly started studying piano at age eight. She moved to Oskaloosa in 2004 and began studying with her current piano instructor, Sally Hart. Molly has consistently earned number I ratings while competing at the Southeast Iowa Piano Teachers Association’s annual contests and in 2006 she was the winner of her division. Molly is an accompanist for the high school choir and also for St Mary’s Catholic Church Christmas programs. Molly loves to swim, works part time at Hy-Vee, and is a life guard at the Edmundson Pool. She plans to attend Simpson College in the fall as she pursues a major in Music Education and Music Performance. She hopes to continue as an accompanist at Simpson and would also like to be involved in their swim programs.

The other soloist selected in the Senior Division is violinist, Avery Whitis. Avery will be performing the first movement of Mozart’s Violin Concerto number IV in D Major. Avery is a senior at Oskaloosa High School. She is the daughter of Dr. Matt and Dr. Ann Whitis. Avery has been studying violin for a total of ten years with instructors, Cindy Riggs, then Charlee Eckhoff, and currently Bruce McLellan. Avery was honored to be selected as second alternate for the Iowa All-State Orchestra and has also won multiple division one ratings at state solo contests. Avery enjoys playing in string quartets for weddings, as well as playing for her church and family members. Avery has also studied piano for twelve years with teachers, Sally Hart and Cynthia Zimmerman. She is section leader for the drum line in the Oskaloosa High School Band. This fall, Avery plans to attend the University of Iowa as a pre-medicine student and she is also is preparing to audition for the University Orchestra.

In addition to the three soloists listed above, The Oskaloosa Symphony Orchestra will also be performing musical selections that should be of special interest to young listeners. One of the pieces is the very popular “Egmont Overture” by Beethoven. Then, two unusual multi-media presentations will also be performed. “And God Created Great Whales” by Alan Hovhaness will feature the orchestra playing along with specially recorded “whale songs” and video projections of the great whales. Next, an orchestral suite entitled, “Video Games Live” will be performed. In this selection, orchestral music from popular video games has been arranged into a suite by arranger Ralph Ford. As the suite is performed, some of the video games represented in the music will be projected on the screen, thus showing another dimension of orchestral music in our lives.

Sponsors for this concert include: Bank Iowa

Clow Valve Company
Robert Auld Investments
Diane and Andrew Davis
(Other sponsors to follow)

The Oskaloosa Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors has announced the names of student soloists selected to perform with the Oskaloosa Symphony’s “Young Performers Concert”, Sunday, April 6th, 2008. The concert will be presented at 4:00 P.M. at the George Daily Community Auditorium.

Sara Yoder, Soprano Vocal Soloist

Sara Yoder is a junior at Oskaloosa High School. She has been involved in music all of her life but has just recently started focusing on her voice. Sara studies with Jorie O’Leary and Chris Weinreich. in her future, she plans to major in vocal performance. She is actively involved in the Chamber and Jazzrigal choirs at the high school. Also, she is an active leader in the drama program at the high school. You last was her in the Oskaloosa High School Drama Department’s production of Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey. This past fall, she was involved in the Iowa All-State Choir. Sara enjoys playing piano, dancing in the street, eating lots of food, hanging out with friends, and being an adventurous teenager.

Ginny Lane, Cello Soloist

Ginny Lane is thirteen years old. She has been playing the piano from the age of five and the cello from age nine. Practicing is therefore a part of her daily routine. The swim team and doing crafts of various kinds are also some of the activities that she enjoys. Ginny began the cello from the Oskaloosa Schools System. She has participated in the elementary and middle school orchestras and received a number of awards including the Master Musician Award. She likewise has participated in numerous orchestral workshops and master classes around southeast Iowa. her dad, Stephen Lane, also a cellist, is Ginny’s teacher.

Ben Davis, Viola

Ben Davis is a senior at Oskaloosa High School. He lives on a Christmas tree farm south of town with his parents, Andy and Diane and older brother Nick. Along with being involved in music, Ben also runs on the Oskaloosa Cross Country team and the boy’s Track team. Distance running is something he enjoys both on a competitive level as well as recreational. Ben started playing the viola in 4th grade. He has played since that time and has chosen to study viola performance in college. He loves music and along with his viola he also plays trumpet and guitar. Ben has enjoyed making music on his viola for years now. During middle school, he was selected for the Iowa Junior Honors Orchestra in both 8th & 9th grade.

Timothy Foster, Baritone Vocal Soloist

Timothy Foster is the son of Mike and Ginny Foster. Tim is currently a senior at Oskaloosa High School. He attends the Central United Methodist Church where he sings in the Chancel Choir and accompanies the children’s choir. Timothy has been active in music throughout his life, singing and taking piano lessons since kindergarten. He was a part of the Greater Ottumwa Vocal Arts Project for two years in elementary school, and was selected to the Iowa Choral Director’s Association’s Opus Honor Choir for five years, 1999-2004. Also, Time was selected to the 2007 Iowa All-State Chorus and was first alternate in 2006. In addition to music, Tim has been involved in many things at OSHS, including football, track & field, drama, Storybook, basketball, student council, and National Honor Society. Tim would like to thank all of his music directors throughout the years including Cynthia Zimmerman, Judy Bishop, Kyle Braundmeier, Dennis Wilhoit, Tylor Schulte, Carolyn and Quinton Tschetter, and Chris Weinreich. In addition, Time would like th thank his fantastically supportive family.

The Oskaloosa Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors has announced the names of student soloists selected to perform with the Oskaloosa Symphony’s “Young Performers Concert”, Sunday, April 22nd. The concert will be presented at 3:00 P.M. at the George Daily Community Auditorium. Derek Hessing, trumpet player and senior at Oskaloosa High School will perform the first movement of the Haydn Trumpet Concert in E flat Major. Sophomore cellist, Matt McLellan will perform Allegro Appassionato by Saint-Saens, a single movement work for cello and orchestra. These students were selected by auditioning for Tony Chang, Musical Director and Conductor of the Oskaloosa Symphony. Maestro, Tony Chang is very excited to have both of these excellent music students showcase their exceptional talents by performing at this concert. Although many talented students frequently perform as members of the Oskaloosa Symphony, this concert will also be the first time that local high school students have performed as guest soloists with the orchestra. “This is a wonderful opportunity for these students and it is also an opportunity for the community to experience the very exceptional talents of their local music students”, stated Bob Auld, executive director of The Oskaloosa Symphony Orchestra. Auld said that the orchestra board and conductor Tony Chang hope to make this special concert presentation into an annual event. ” We hope that performing a solo with the symphony orchestra will give our local students a musical goal to strive for”, Auld explained.

In addition to the selections to be performed by the student guest soloists, the orchestra will be performing several other important masterworks for young audiences. One of these selections will be Benjamin Britten’s “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”. This very popular work is designed to introduce all of the standard instruments of the symphony orchestra from top to bottom. Britten has written the piece based on a musical theme written by another famous English composer, Henry Purcell. Adult audiences of today still enjoy hearing this composition and it often remains a favorite of their childhood musical memories. The orchestra will also perform selections from Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite, including “In The Hall Of The Mountain King”. Students and adults will also be treated to some of their favorite movie themes as they listen to musical scores of John Williams, famous for his “Star Wars” “Jurasic Park”, and “ET” music.

Family tickets are available for this concert, which allow students and children family members to attend free of charge if they accompany parents or adult family members who purchase tickets. Blocks of tickets are also available to groups and organizations by contacting George Daily Auditorium Ticket Sales at 672-0799

The Oskaloosa Symphony Orchestra is conducting a search for talented young musicians from the Oskaloosa and Mahaska County area who would be interested in performing as a soloist with the symphony orchestra on this year’s “Young Performers Concert” on Sunday April 22, 2007 at 3:00 pm. In past years, conductor, Tony Chang has selected exceptional young performers from all over the state of Iowa. This year the focus will be on exceptionally talented young performers from Oskaloosa and Mahaska County. This will include local students and recent graduates from high schools in Mahaska County as well.

These young performers can be singers or instrumentalists, including pianists, string players, and those who play woodwind and brass instruments. Selections to be performed will be traditional pieces for solo voice and orchestra or solo instrument and orchestra such as a movement of a concerto.

Students should be recommended by their music instructors, but local students who are studying with private instructors from other communities will be eligible to audition also.

Auditions will be arranged for individuals by contacting orchestra conductor, Tony Chang, executive director, Bob Auld or assistant concert master, Bruce Mclellan.

Individuals may call 673-9448 for information or email robertauld@mahaska.org.

Information is also available on the orchestra website oskaloosasymphony.com

Join the Oskaloosa Symphony Chorus to celebrate the music of Christmas. Sunday, December 10, 2006 – George Daily Auditorium. A New selection for this year Fantasia on Christmas Carols by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The chorus and orchestra will also be performing some beautiful Christmas Carol Arrangements by John Rutter. Interested and capable singers of all ages are invited to join the chorus.

Download this pdf practice schedule and details.

What a great way to spend an evening! We are fortunate to have such a high quality form of entertainment right here in Oskaloosa. A great facility and extraordinarily talented people equals great entertainment. Be sure to visit our site to find information about Oskaloosa Symphony.