PIANO STUDENTS CAN AUDITION FOR PERCUSSION AND BASS
Dear Piano Teachers,
I wanted to let you know about an opportunity for your students to be a part of PYP. I hope you will agree that ensemble performance is a great way for a young musician to stretch him or herself musically as well as a chance to be a part of a team.
At the moment, the PYP organization is in need of talented musicians who would be interested in joining us as percussionists. To my way of thinking, piano students are an ideal choice because of their knowledge of treble and bass clefs as well as the keyboard which would translate well to reading music for mallet instruments such as the xylophone.
Currently, PYP enjoys the services of a regular percussion coach, Florian Conzetti. Dr. Conzetti has been helping all of our percussion students excel in their duties. He would be helpful in taking our new percussionists and giving them the fundamental training they would need to participate in the Portland Youth Wind Ensemble in their first year.
If any of your students would be interested in auditioning, we would be willing to hear them audition on the piano for a percussion spot. We would want them to play major and minor scales and arpeggios, a short prepared solo and to sight-read for us. No student should be nervous regarding a lack of experience playing percussion instruments.
Another opportunity to join the PYP organization would be to begin studying the double bass. This would require some training before joining an ensemble, but should a talented musician be interested in beginning the double bass, PYP would consider helping that musician to find an instrument and receive training. This program is still being developed, but should one of your students be interested, please let us know. PYP is always interested in talented musicians who would consider playing the double bass. We have three orchestras in need of double bass players of all ages.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your consideration regarding your students. If you would like to talk to me about this or if you have any questions, please e-mail me at david@portlandyouthphil.org.
Sincerely,
David Hattner
Conductor and Music Director
PIANO CONCERTO COMPETITION AND PETRUSHKA AUDITION
Dear Piano Instructors:
I am happy to announce that there will be two piano competitions held by PYP during the 2010-2011 season. In addition to the Piano Concerto Competition (winner to perform his or her concerto during the 2011-2012 season) we have added an audition to choose a pianist for PYP’s March 5, 2011 performance of Stravinsky’s Petrushka, which includes a prominent piano part.
The dates for the competitions are as follows:
Petrushka Audition: September 26, 2010 (application deadline – Sept. 7, 2010)
Piano Concerto Competition Finals: February 13, 2011 (application deadline – Jan. 7, 2011)
For details on the Petrushka Audition and the Piano Concerto Competition rules and instructions, please click on the links above. Feel free to make additional copies as needed or direct your students to our web site where applications will be available to be downloaded. Or they can call the PYP office, 503-223-5939, to request an application.
I should add that there are several other opportunities for keyboard performance during the season. As you likely already know, Petrushka has an important celeste part in addition to the piano part. PYP’s Spring Concert on May 15th will also require both piano and celeste. And there may be piano parts in PYP’s Chamber Orchestra, which next season will play two concerts at the Wieden and Kennedy Gallery. The winner and runners-up for the Petrushka Audition may wish to be considered for these.
I look forward to meeting and hearing many of your students in the coming season.
Sincerely,
David Hattner
Conductor and Music Director
