Community Corner

Shoreline Youth Symphony Orchestra To Hold Auditions This Week

Auditions will be Monday, Sept. 12 and Tuesday, Sept. 13 at Daniel Hand High School from 7-9 PM.

By Carrie Nye

The Shoreline Youth Symphony Orchestra will hold auditions this week for new members. They will be held Monday, September 12 and Tuesday, September 13 at Daniel Hand High School from 7-9 PM.

Anyone who is interested in auditioning should contact Ann Clemmons at toscanini42@gmail.com or (203) 421-3484.  The first rehearsal for both Whiz Kids and SYSO will be on Wednesday, September 14 at Daniel Hand.  Whiz Kids meet from 6:00-6:45 and SYSO meets from 7-9 PM every Wednesday.

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The Shoreline Youth Symphony Orchestra (SYSO) is a community youth musical group made up of high school age musicians from the Shoreline towns in central coastal Connecticut. 

Student musicians come from Branford to the Lyme’s, Haddam-Killingworth to Deep River as well as Madison.  SYSO’s mission is to provide a quality musical experience in orchestra for interested young players. They play classical symphonic music, original contemporary compositions for orchestra, in addition to lighter “pops” or show music. Smaller ensembles are formed for performances, including a jazz band and a fiddle club. All of these elements combine to create an opportunity for young musicians to grow, contribute and develop their talents, and enjoy the company of other like-minded students from a wide geographical region.

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The Shoreline Youth Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1985 by William and Ann Clemmons to provide a full orchestra experience for students in the local area. Last Spring, the orchestra celebrated 25 years of performances.  The orchestra has grown, and a younger preparatory orchestra has been added, called the “Whiz Kids Orchestra”.

The Shoreline Youth Symphony Orchestra  travels each year to attend a Music Festival. They have performed at Carnegie Hall in NYC as well as London and Bournemouth, England. They have also traveled to Quebec, Philadelphia, and Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg, New Jersey, and Washington, DC in recent years. This spring,  SYSO traveled to Boston, where they received the “Outstanding Orchestra” award for the Heritage Festivals. They have performed in New York City at Alice Tully Hall and Avery Fischer Hall at the Lincoln Center.

This year there will be concerts at the North Madison Congregational Church, Congregational Church on the Green (ABC Concert), Daniel Hand High School, and “On the Green” in Madison.

William and Ann Clemmons of Madison conduct both the Whiz Kids orchestra and the Shoreline Youth Symphony. William conducts two jazz bands, one for younger musicians and one for SYSO members. Ann directs a “Fiddle Club” to explore and perform alternative violin music styles.

This information was provided by the Shoreline Youth Symphony Orchestra.



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