By ZANT REYEZ | reyez@prairiemountainmedia.com
PUBLISHED: April 11, 2024 at 4:55 p.m.
The Greeley Philharmonic Youth Orchestra will make its return this weekend.
The Youth Orchestra will perform a free show at 2 p.m. Saturday at First Congregational Church, 2101 16th St., Greeley. They’ll play Vivaldi’s “Spring,” accompanied by co-concertmaster Sarah Whitnah. Whitnah is a principal violinist with the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra who has been rehearsing with the Youth Orchestra since the beginning of the year.
“I’m excited,” Youth Orchestra director Doran Azari said. “I think we have a good future ahead of us. It’s definitely an experience for the students … it won’t be the same kind of experience that the students will get in their orchestra programs in their public schools.”
Fifteen young musicians, mostly from Greeley high schools, play in the Youth Orchestra, Azari said. Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra executive director Ben Barnhart said they sent information about the Youth Orchestra to schools in Eaton, Windsor and other Weld County schools.
Barnhart said he wants family, friends and the community to attend Saturday’s show so everyone can experience the musical prowess of the Youth Orchestra.
“It’s hard to picture what a professional musician looks like, how they make their money, how they balance everything,” Barnhart said. “I think that when the students sit down in that room, they actually can visualize themselves in our musicians.”
Azari said he’s been impressed with all the rehearsals, with their professionalism and with their “seriousness of purpose.”
“We rehearse on Saturday mornings, which is definitely an extra for the students,” he said. “They are willing to get up and come to rehearsal on a Saturday morning, (and it) is a great thing. It’s going to work because of their commitment to the orchestra.”
Azari, a Greeley-Evans School District 6 board member, taught orchestra at Greeley secondary schools for 30 years, retiring in 2020.
The Youth Orchestra attempted a comeback in 2021 with efforts from University of Northern Colorado violin professor Jubal Fulks, the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, the UNC School of Music and the regional orchestra educator community. Leadership changes within the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra and the Youth Orchestra, however, made that effort short-lived, according to Barnhart.
With their concert just around the corner, it’s never too early to start thinking about the next one. Barnhart said auditions for the Youth Orchestra are scheduled to take place in the fall.
Azari wants to bring in more students from other schools moving forward into the Youth Orchestra, and his vision is to combine Greeley’s musical scene for the next concert. He said his vision is to have public and private school students, musicians from UNC’s School of Music and the Greeley Philharmonic to be a part of this year’s fall show. He said that vision could one day turn into a robust community-oriented music scene.
Barnhart and Azari have a bigger vision for the program moving forward. Along with bringing in more students from Weld County high schools, Barnhart would like to see the Youth Orchestra play more local performances and to perform out of state in a few years. But there’s no rush to grow, he said, as he wants “smart growth” for the Youth Orchestra.
For more information on the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra and the Youth Orchestra, go to greeleyphil.org.