Midwest Young Artists
Encyclopedia
Midwest Young Artists the largest youth ensemble music program in the Midwest, was founded in 1993 in Evanston, Illinois
by Dr. Allan Dennis
and consisted of a single orchestra
. Since then, MYA has grown exponentially and now includes six youth symphony
orchestras, a comprehensive jazz and big band program, a wind symphony, four choral groups and an entry level early childhood music program for children as young as 12 months. MYA is also renowned for its award-winning Chamber Music
Program consisting of over 60 performing groups, and its jazz
combos. Other enrichment activities, such as music theory classes and a Summer Music Festival, are also offered by MYA at their building on the grounds of historic Fort Sheridan in Highwood, Illinois
, Bennett Gordon Hall at Ravinia Park
, and Carthage College
. Over 900 student musicians from 74 cities throughout the Chicago metropolitan area are enrolled in Midwest Young Artists programs. MYA ensembles are coached by a staff of professional musician-educators, which includes members of Northwestern University
, Roosevelt University
music faculties and members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
and the Chicago Chamber Players.
MYA orchestras, jazz ensembles, and choral groups have performed at a variety of venues each year, including the Harris Theater
and Jay Pritzker Pavilion
in Millennium Park
, Symphony Center
in Chicago, Pick-Staiger Auditorium at Northwestern University
, the Ravinia Festival and Chicago's Hot House. In 2007, Midwest Young Artists became the first youth orchestra ever to perform at the Civic Opera House in Chicago. Every two or three years, MYA students also have the opportunity to go on international concert trips, such as to Germany
(2010), China and Korea
(2007), Spain
and Portugal
(2005), Switzerland
(2004), Vienna
(2001), and Scotland (1998).
Each year Midwest Young Artists hosts the Walgreens Concerto Competition, for young soloists, and the Chicago National Chamber Music Competition, for young string, brass, percussion and wind ensembles. Midwest Young Artists students have won top prizes at the prestigious Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition
and Rembrandt Chamber Players High School Chamber Music Competition and have appeared on the radio and television program "From the Top
" and on broadcasts on WFMT
. Recordings of Midwest Young Artists performances and interviews with conductors, soloist and performers can be heard on MYA's podcast.
The band is known as Honors Wind Symphony. Its conductor is Dr. James Ripley of Carthage College. The ensemble has performed recently at Orchestra Hall
in Chicago.
MYA has three main jazz ensembles, as well as a number of smaller jazz combos.
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
by Dr. Allan Dennis
Allan Dennis
Allan Dennis is the founder and director of the Midwest Young Artists youth orchestra program based in Highwood, Illinois. He received his doctorate from Indiana University, his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the State University of New York at Fredonia and has also studied at the Eastman...
and consisted of a single orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
. Since then, MYA has grown exponentially and now includes six youth symphony
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
orchestras, a comprehensive jazz and big band program, a wind symphony, four choral groups and an entry level early childhood music program for children as young as 12 months. MYA is also renowned for its award-winning Chamber Music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
Program consisting of over 60 performing groups, and its jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
combos. Other enrichment activities, such as music theory classes and a Summer Music Festival, are also offered by MYA at their building on the grounds of historic Fort Sheridan in Highwood, Illinois
Highwood, Illinois
Highwood is a city in the Moraine Township of Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,143 at the 2000 census. Highwood is a neighbor to Highland Park and the two share a weekly newspaper and school district. An attempt was made in 2005 to convert Highwood to a home rule city, but...
, Bennett Gordon Hall at Ravinia Park
Ravinia Park
Ravinia Festival is the oldest outdoor music festival in the United States, with a series of outdoor concerts and performances held every summer from June to September. It has been the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1936...
, and Carthage College
Carthage College
Carthage College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin midway between Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the campus is on the shore of Lake Michigan and is home to 2,500 full-time and 900 part-time...
. Over 900 student musicians from 74 cities throughout the Chicago metropolitan area are enrolled in Midwest Young Artists programs. MYA ensembles are coached by a staff of professional musician-educators, which includes members of Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University is a coeducational, private university with campuses in Chicago, Illinois and Schaumburg, Illinois. Founded in 1945, the university is named in honor of both former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The university's curriculum is based on...
music faculties and members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
and the Chicago Chamber Players.
MYA orchestras, jazz ensembles, and choral groups have performed at a variety of venues each year, including the Harris Theater
Harris Theater
The Harris Theater is a landmark building at 809 Liberty Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Cultural District.Built as Art Cinema, it was the first Pittsburgh venue to show only "art movies". In the 1960s, however, it featured pornographic films at a time when Liberty Avenue was a...
and Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Jay Pritzker Pavilion, also known as Pritzker Pavilion or Pritzker Music Pavilion, is a bandshell in Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located on the south side of Randolph Street and east of the Chicago Landmark Historic Michigan...
in Millennium Park
Millennium Park
Millennium Park is a public park located in the Loop community area of Chicago in Illinois, USA and originally intended to celebrate the millennium. It is a prominent civic center near the city's Lake Michigan shoreline that covers a section of northwestern Grant Park. The area was previously...
, Symphony Center
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
in Chicago, Pick-Staiger Auditorium at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, the Ravinia Festival and Chicago's Hot House. In 2007, Midwest Young Artists became the first youth orchestra ever to perform at the Civic Opera House in Chicago. Every two or three years, MYA students also have the opportunity to go on international concert trips, such as to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(2010), China and Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
(2007), Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
(2005), Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(2004), Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
(2001), and Scotland (1998).
Each year Midwest Young Artists hosts the Walgreens Concerto Competition, for young soloists, and the Chicago National Chamber Music Competition, for young string, brass, percussion and wind ensembles. Midwest Young Artists students have won top prizes at the prestigious Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition
Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition
Begun in South Bend, Indiana, USA in 1973, the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition is the largest chamber music competition in the world, and the only with separate Junior and Senior Divisions...
and Rembrandt Chamber Players High School Chamber Music Competition and have appeared on the radio and television program "From the Top
From the Top
From the Top is a national program and initiative to develop and showcase young classical musicians. It is best known for its NPR radio and PBS television programs hosted by pianist Christopher O'Riley, which celebrate the passion, dedication and personal stories of America's best young classical...
" and on broadcasts on WFMT
WFMT
WFMT is an FM radio station in Chicago, Illinois, featuring a format of fine arts, classical music programming, and shows exploring such genres as folk and jazz). The station is managed by Window To The World Communications, Inc., owner of WTTW, one of Chicago's two Public Broadcasting Service ...
. Recordings of Midwest Young Artists performances and interviews with conductors, soloist and performers can be heard on MYA's podcast.
Ensembles
Midwest Young Artists has six principal orchestras, ranked by skill level and age:- Reading Orchestra
- Cadet Orchestra
- Concertino Orchestra
- Philharmonia Orchestra
- Concert Orchestra
- Symphony Orchestra
The band is known as Honors Wind Symphony. Its conductor is Dr. James Ripley of Carthage College. The ensemble has performed recently at Orchestra Hall
Orchestra Hall
Orchestra Hall may refer to:*Symphony Center, home of Orchestra Hall in Chicago, Illinois*Orchestra Hall *Orchestra Hall...
in Chicago.
MYA has three main jazz ensembles, as well as a number of smaller jazz combos.
- Big Band
- Jazz Orchestra
- Jazz Ensemble