August 12, 2004

French orchestra to present fireside

at BYU-Idaho

 

 

A youth orchestra from France will present a musical fireside Sunday, Aug. 29, in the Barrus Concert Hall of the Eliza R. Snow Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m.

The Orchestre des Jeunes de Haute Bretagne based in Rennes, the capital city of Brittany, will also work with students at Madison High School in Rexburg Aug. 27 and present a free outdoor concert at the Yellowstone Historic Center in West Yellowstone, Mont., Aug. 28 at 6 p.m.

             The orchestra was founded in 1985 under the name of The Rennes Youth Orchestra by parents of young musicians in Rennes, since there were no youth orchestras in the area at the time. It quickly grew, and in 1992, its name was changed to Orchestre des Jeunes de Haute Bretagne (The Brittany Youth Orchestra) to reflect its ever widening influence in the surrounding areas.

            A French/American collaboration began in 1998 when the orchestra hosted the Rocky Mountain Youth Camerata, an orchestra of high school and college age students from Utah and Idaho directed by Ted Ashton from BYU-Idaho and his brother, Jack Ashton of the Utah Symphony in Salt Lake City.

            The young musicians come from the Rennes Conservatoire and other music schools of Ille et Vilaine. Though only some are training to become professionals, all are drawn together to share the pleasure and desire to play as a group.

The symphony orchestra is composed of 62 musicians, ranging in age from 12 to 23 years. The guitar ensemble has 14 musicians, from 12 to 20 years old. All make room for our orchestra in their busy lives, which include school, musical studies and participation in one or more orchestras.

 

 

  


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