The Long Island Conservatory in Albertson is looking for a few good musicians – 60 in all – to play in the Nassau Youth Orchestra, a group being created through a partnership with Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano.
The basic idea is to establish a free orchestra program to give aspiring music students from 12 to 22 years old a chance to play under the direction of Julliard conductor George Stelluto.
Funding will come from the conservatory, the county and corporate sponsors for the project.
The orchestra is the brainchild of Long Island Conservatory president Minsun Kim, a Julliard-trained musician who has long hoped to give this kind of opportunity to young Nassau County musicians.
“The president of the conservatory has always wanted to do an orchestra,” said Patricia Schust, executive director of the Long Island Conservatory. “She didn’t want anybody to be excluded.”
The students will all receive scholarships for the program from the Long Island Conservatory at 1125 Willis Ave. in Albertson, which will run the program. The student orchestra will perform at least two concerts each year.
“I am proud to be able to see my longtime dream come true,” Kim said in a statement. Schust said she expects that many of the musicians will come from areas where the conservatory currently draws most of its students for private lessons, including Herricks, East Williston, Manhasset, Roslyn, Mineola, New Hyde Park and Old Westbury. But she’s also expecting interest from other areas, based on inquiries the school has received since sending notices to high schools throughout the county.
“We’ve been getting calls. People are interested,” she said.
Auditions for the group will be held during the last week of September with candidates required to perform one piece of their choice.
Schust said the conservatory has small chamber music groups that enable its music students to gain performance experience, but doesn’t have an orchestra.
“It will help our college level students to work in an orchestra and help our younger students to improve,” Schust said.
The student musicians, who must pass an audition for the orchestra to be formed this fall, will perform at county events, providing opportunities for county residents to gain more exposure to classical music.
“They’ll have opportunities to perform at some high-level venues,” Schust said. “It will some more culture for the community. Classical music is the beginning for all kinds of music and it’s good to expose all kinds of people to it so it stays alive.”
Long Island Conservatory students have performed in Oheka Castle in Huntington, Chelsea Mansion in Muttontown, Old Westbury Gardens, and Clark Botanical Gardens, among other venues, she said.
“The Nassau County Youth Orchestra will provide invaluable experience to our young people and I applaud the Long Island Conservatory and Julliard conductor George Stelluto,” Mangano said in a statement.
Schust said the idea is for the group of students selected for the Nassau Youth Orchestra to perform together for one year – with the possibility of admitting players during the year. She said she expects word-of-mouth from participating students to drive interest in the project.
