AUDITIONS FOR THURNAUER SCHOOL ENSEMBLES SET

Thurnauer Symphony Orchestra members will have a rare opportunity to work with Alan Gilbert, Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, when he conducts the Orchestra at the Music School’s annual Gift of Music Benefit Concert on February 9, 2011, at Bergen Performing Arts Center.

The JCC Thurnauer School of Music will hold auditions for prospective orchestra and chamber music participants for the 2010-2011 school year.
WHEN: Sunday, September 12, from 3-6 PM.
WHERE: the Thurnauer School, at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades, 411 East Clinton Avenue, Tenafly.

Students may audition for one of three large ensembles—String Camerata, Philharmonia or Thurnauer Symphony Orchestra—or a chamber music group. This year, Orchestra members will participate in a two-hour intensive workshop with Mr. Gilbert, who will then lead them in a performance that evening.

• String Camerata, a beginning ensemble experience, is open to string players and rehearses on Mondays from 4:30–5:30 PM.
• Philharmonia, an intermediate chamber orchestra comprised of string and wind players, rehearses on Wednesdays from 5:00–6:00 PM.
• The Thurnauer Symphony Orchestra, a full orchestra which performs music from the standard orchestral repertoire, rehearses on Wednesdays from 5:00–6:30 PM. In addition to larger ensembles, the Thurnauer School also offers chamber music coaching, in which students rehearse in smaller settings under the guidance of master artist-teachers. Chamber ensembles are formed and scheduled based on student and coach availability, typically on Sundays from 1-5 PM and after-school weekday times as needed. "Whether students are enrolled in private music lessons at Thurnauer or elsewhere, or participating in their school music program, this is an excellent opportunity to augment their musical experience. One of the most significant and rewarding experiences a young musician can have is to contribute to a group," explains ensemble faculty member and coordinator Kimberly Syvertsen, "and we at the Thurnauer School are very fortunate to have a wide variety of performing ensembles. This allows students at every level of their musical development to be a part of something truly remarkable."

For more information about large and small ensembles or to schedule an audition, please contact the Thurnauer School at 201.408.1465 or go to www.jccotp.org/thurnauer for printable forms.

The Thurnauer School of Music (www.jccotp.org/thurnauer) is among 45 arts organizations in New Jersey designated as “Major Arts Institutions” by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State. As New Jersey's leading community music school, it serves over 700 students in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. It also serves as an area cultural resource by presenting over thirty concerts annually as well as master classes with world-renowned artists. The School is a member of the National Guild for Community Arts Education and an integral part of the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades. JCC membership is not a requirement for enrollment or financial aid at the Thurnauer School which is supported, in part, by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State.