Category: Symphony Orchestra

MYS Symphony Orchestra Posts

Rehearsal Plan for May 4, 2025

Posted on by mys-staff

Hi everyone,

We’re going into our third and final weekend of sectional rehearsals. Woodwind sections will work with coaches during the second half of rehearsal this Sunday.

Also, we will read and work on the encore that Mr. Balogh will conduct: the Intermezzo from Háry János Suite by Zoltán Kodály.

Earlier this week, I sent out part assignments to alumni for each of the pieces on the first half of our June 17 concert. Please double-check these new PDFs to confirm your own part assignment. They’re linked below.

Again, remember to listen to our reference video/audio regularly. It’s all on the sidebar of this blog and this YouTube playlist.

Finally, unless you’re a graduating senior, it’s time to re-register for next season to avoid having to re-audition. No exceptions will be made. Your deadline is June 17th. Anybody who registers after June 17th will have to re-audition.

Best,

Dr. G.

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, May 4, 2025

  • Please arrive by 3:45pm.
  • 4:00pm-4:30pm – Kodály: Intermezzo from Háry János Suite.
  • 4:30pm-5:30pm – James P. Johnson’s Drums: A Symphonic Suite
  • 5:30pm-5:45pm – break
  • 5:45pm-7:00pm:
    • woodwind sectionals on James P. Johnson’s Drums: A Symphonic Suite
    • percussion sectional/MYSticks with Mr. Schlossman
    • strings and brass with Dr. G. on James P. Johnson’s Drums: A Symphonic Suite

Program Page, Part Assignments and Practice Parts

Below are links to updated PDFs with our program page and part assignments including alumni.

For practice PDFs and to consult full scores, please go to our Online Music Library. The password is playmys.

Audio Reference

Check the sidebar of this blog and or access this YouTube playlist. Feel free to research online on your own too!

Happy practicing!

Best,

Dr. G.

MYSfits| April 18, 2025 | MYS Gala at Castaway Portland | Photo by Richard Kolbell

Rehearsal Plan: June 8 to June 17

Posted on by mys-staff

Dear MYS Symphony Orchestra and Alumni,

Here’s our preliminary rehearsal schedule for rehearsals from Sunday, June 8 to our concert on Tuesday, June 17. It is subject to change, but I’ll try my best to keep it as-is.

Rehearsals are at All Saints Catholic School: 601 NE Cesar E Chavez Blvd, Portland, OR 97232 (cafeteria; with glass doors facing NE Glisan)

Best,

Dr. G.

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, June 8, 2025

  • Please arrive at least 15 minutes before you are needed.
  • 4:00pm-5:00pm – esperanza repertoire
    • Ebony & Ivy
    • Dispelling the Lie of Lies
    • Midnight in Carlotta’s Hair
  • 5:00pm-5:20pm – Price
  • 5:20pm-5:30pm – break
  • 5:30pm-6:00pm – Johnson
  • 6:00pm-6:30pm – Armstrong with Raúl
  • 6:30pm-7:00pm – Kodály with Raúl

Rehearsal Plan for Saturday, June 14, 2025

  • Please arrive at least 15 minutes before you are needed.
  • 7:00pm-8:00pm – esperanza repertoire
    • Ebony & Ivy
    • Dispelling the Lie of Lies
    • Midnight in Carlotta’s Hair
  • 8:00pm-8:20pm – Price
  • 8:20pm-8:30pm – break
  • 8:30pm-8:50pm – Johnson
  • 8:50pm-9:10pm – Armstrong with Raúl
  • 9:10pm-9:30pm – Kodály with Raúl

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, June 15, 2025

  • Please arrive at least 15 minutes before you are needed.
  • 4:00pm-5:30pm – with esperanza spalding:
    • Ebony & Ivy
    • Dispelling the Lie of Lies
    • Midnight in Carlotta’s Hair
  • 5:30pm-5:45pm – break
  • 5:45pm- 6:15pm – Johnson
  • 6:15pm – 6:30pm – Armstrong with Andrés Lopera
  • 6:30pm-7:00pm – Kodály with Mr. Balogh

Rehearsal Plan for Monday, June 16, 2025 (final full rehearsal)

  • Please arrive at least 15 minutes before you are needed.
  • 7:00pm-8:15pm – repertoire with esperanza spalding:
    • Ebony & Ivy
    • Dispelling the Lie of Lies
    • Midnight in Carlotta’s Hair
  • 8:15pm-8:30pm – break
  • 8:30pm-8:45pm – Kodály with Mr. Balogh
  • 8:45pm-9:00pm – Armstrong with Andrés Lopera
  • 9:00pm-9:15pm – Johnson
  • 9:15pm-9:30pm – Price

Rehearsal Plan for Tuesday, June 17, 2025

  • Tentative call time: 2:30pm at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
  • 3:00pm-5:00pm – sound check in concert order (check back for updates)
  • 7:30pm: concert

Program Page

The full program page with repertoire and timings can be found here.

Part Assignments and Practice Parts

Updated part assignments can be accessed below:

For practice PDFs and to consult full scores, please go to our Online Music Library. The password is playmys.

Audio Reference

Check the sidebar of this blog and or access this YouTube playlist. Feel free to research online on your own too!

Happy practicing!

Best,

Dr. G.

MYS Symphony Orchestra | March 2, 2025 | Newmark Theatre | Photo by Richard Kolbell

Rehearsal Plan for April 27, 2025

Posted on by mys-staff

Hi all,

I hope you had a fun Easter. We’re back this coming Sunday, and I can tell you from experience… things are going to move FAST between now and our Season Finale concert with esperanza spalding on June 17.

So, PLEASE PRACTICE! Remember that by being a member of this orchestra, you’ve committed to learning and practicing our repertoire at home. Let’s make sure rehearsals are fun and efficient by being prepared. Also, I’m sure your private teachers would love to help you with our repertoire if you ask them.

Remember to listen to our reference video/audio regularly. It’s all on the sidebar of this blog and this YouTube playlist.

Best,

Dr. G.

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, April 27, 2025

  • Please arrive by 3:45pm.
  • 4:00pm-5:00pm – Florence Price’s “Dances in the Canebrakes” movs 2 and 3
  • 5:00pm-5:30pm – James P. Johnson’s Drums: A Symphonic Suite
  • 5:30pm-5:45pm – break
  • 5:45pm-7:00pm:
    • brass sectionals on James P. Johnson’s Drums: A Symphonic Suite
    • percussion sectional/MYSticks with Mr. Schlossman
    • strings and woodwinds with Dr. G. on esperanza’s “Dispelling the Lie of Lies.”

Added: Intermezzo from Háry János Suite by Zoltán Kodály

MYS founder, Maestro Lajos Balogh, will conduct an encore at the end of the first half of the concert: Intermezzo from Háry János Suite by Zoltán Kodály. Parts will be handed out on Sunday.

Part Assignments and Practice Parts

Updated part assignments can be accessed here. Latest percussion assignments are here.

For practice PDFs and to consult full scores, please go to our Online Music Library. The password is playmys.

Audio Reference

Check the sidebar of this blog and or access this YouTube playlist. Feel free to research online on your own too!

Happy practicing!

Best,

Dr. G.

MYS Symphony Orchestra | March 2, 2025 | Newmark Theatre | Photo by Richard Kolbell

Rehearsal Plan for April 13, 2025

Posted on by mys-staff

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your patience in receiving this late rehearsal plan e-mail, which I normally send out on Tuesdays. It’s been a very busy week!

We’re back to our regular rehearsal time of 4pm-7pm this coming Sunday. Plus, we start sectionals! Strings will have guest coaches this week.

We will have a few updated parts for esperanza’s piece, after a round of corrections. Please check at the sign-in table to see if there are updated parts for your instrument.

Remember to listen to our reference video/audio regularly. It’s all on the sidebar of this blog and this YouTube playlist.

Best,

Dr. G.

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, April 13, 2025

  • Percussion: 4:00pm-5:30pm – work with Mr. Schlossman. Please arrive by 3:45pm at the latest to set up!
  • 4:00pm-5:00pm – Florence Price’s “Dances in the Canebrakes”
  • 5:00pm-5:30pm – Satchmo
  • 5:30pm-5:45pm – break
  • 5:45pm-7:00pm:
    • string sectionals on esperanza’s “Dispelling the Lie of Lies.”
    • winds, brass and percussion with Dr. G. on esperanza’s “Dispelling the Lie of Lies.”

Part Assignments and Practice Parts

Part assignments can be accessed here. Latest percussion assignments are here.

For practice PDFs and to consult full scores, please go to our Online Music Library. The password is playmys.

Audio Reference

Check the sidebar of this blog and or access this YouTube playlist. Feel free to research online on your own too!

Happy practicing!

Best,

Dr. G.

MYS Symphony Orchestra | March 2, 2025 | Newmark Theatre | Photo by Richard Kolbell

Rehearsal Plan for April 6, 2025 [updated 4/3]

Posted on by mys-staff

Hi everyone,

I hope you had a restorative and fun spring break. Our rehearsal plan for Sunday, April 6 is below [edited on 4/3: new rehearsal end time is 6:00pm]

We will have hard copies of esperanza’s piece for everyone, but please print a practice copy for yourself (or load a PDF into your device) to practice between now and Sunday.

Also, listen to the mock audio of esperanza’s piece here, and follow along with your part. I’ve added this audio to the sidebar of this blog and the YouTube playlist for this term’s repertoire.

Best,

Dr. G.

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, April 6, 2025

  • 4:00pm-5:00pm – esperanza spalding “Dispelling the Lie of Lies.”
  • 5:00pm-5:10pm – break
  • 5:10pm-6:00pm – James P. Johnson “Drums: A Symphonic Poem”
  • 6:00pm – end of rehearsal

Part Assignments and Practice Parts

Part assignments can be accessed here. Latest percussion assignments are here.

For practice PDFs and to consult full scores, please go to our Online Music Library. The password is playmys.

Audio Reference

Check the sidebar of this blog and or access this YouTube playlist. Feel free to research online on your own too!

Happy practicing!

Best,

Dr. G.

MYS Symphony Orchestra | March 2, 2025 | Newmark Theatre | Photo by Richard Kolbell

Rehearsal Plan for March 16, 2025

Posted on by mys-staff

Hi all,

Our rehearsal this coming Sunday (March 16) will end at 6:00pm. There is an MYS Community Concert happening upstairs in the church starting at 7:00pm. I encourage all of you to stay for the concert and support your peers, including MYSfits and MYSticks Percussion. MYS students do not need a ticket to attend Community Concerts.

We did receive PDF materials for James P. Johnson’s “Drums: A Symphonic Poem,” so we will start work on this piece on Sunday. We also received the parts from esperanza’s commissioned piece, but we won’t start rehearsals for that until after spring break. I’ll send PDFs early next week for you to practice with over the break.

Best,

Dr. G.

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, March 16, 2025

  • 4:00pm-5:00pm – James P. Johnson: “Drums”
  • 5:00pm-5:10pm: break
  • 5:10pm-6:00pm: – Armstrong/Ricketts: Satchmo

[edited 3/14/25] Part Assignments and Practice Parts

Updated part assignments (after leadership auditions) can be accessed here. Latest percussion assignments are here.

Percussionists: The part assignments PDF contains a list of all the percussion needs for this program, but no assignments yet. I’ll check in with Kevin and will keep you posted about this weekend.

For practice PDFs and to consult full scores, please go to our Online Music Library. The password is playmys.

Audio Reference

Check the sidebar of this blog and or access this YouTube playlist. Feel free to research online on your own too!

Happy practicing!

Best,

Dr. G.

MYS Symphony Orchestra | March 2, 2025 | Newmark Theatre | Photo by Richard Kolbell

Rehearsal Plan for March 9, 2025

Posted on by mys-staff

Hi all,

What a fantastic concert we had on Sunday! I’ll talk about it at our next rehearsal.

For the time being, here’s our rehearsal plan for March 9, access to temporary part assignments, PDFs, and information about upcoming optional leadership auditions.

Dr. G.

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, March 9, 2025

  • 4:00pm-4:45pm – Florence Price: Dances in the Canebrakes
  • 4:45pm-5:15pm – esperanza spalding, Ebony and Ivy
  • 5:15pm-5:30pm – break
  • 5:30pm-6:15pm – Wayne Shorter: Midnight in Carlotta’s Hair
  • 6:15pm-7:00pm – Armstrong/Ricketts: Satchmo

Temporary Part Assignments and Practice Parts

Temporary part assignments can be accessed here. Latest percussion assignments are here.

Percussionists: The part assignments PDF contains a list of all the percussion needs for this program, but no assignments yet. I’ll check in with Kevin and will keep you posted about this weekend.

For practice PDFs and to consult full scores, please go to our Online Music Library. The password is playmys.

Audio Reference

Coming soon to the sidebar of this blog and as a YouTube playlist. Feel free to research online on your own too!

Optional Leadership Auditions due Thursday 3/13

If you’re interested in a leadership position this term, please send me a YouTube video of at least 3 minutes of your best playing to rgomez@playmys.org with the subject line “MYS Leadership Audition.” Please make a new video for this (don’t use other audition videos, etc). No accompaniment is necessary.

I will review these videos on Friday, 3/14 and will update part assignments in time for our 3/16 rehearsal (last before spring break).

Happy practicing!

Best,

Dr. G.

MYS Symphony Orchestra | March 2, 2025 | Newmark Theatre | Photo by Richard Kolbell

Rehearsal Plan for Concert Week (2/27-3/2)

Posted on by mys-staff

Hi everyone,

Great rehearsal on Sunday. I look forward to our evening rehearsals and concert on Sunday, March 2nd.

Please see our rehearsal plans for the week below, and please remember to practice strategically as we approach the end of the week.

Best,

Dr. G.

Rehearsal Plan for Thursday, Feb 27, 2025

  • 6:30pm-6:45pm: arrival
  • 7:00pm-7:45pm: Waloyo Yamoni (with Pacific Youth Choir)
  • 7:45pm-8:15pm: Palia Cinematic Trailer (“The Chase”) and Palia Suite
  • 8:15pm-8:30pm: break
  • 8:30pm-9:00pm: YCP Cartoon Music
  • 9:00pm-9:30pm: Star Wars (IV. Yoda and V. Throne Room)

Rehearsal plan for Friday, Feb 28, 2025

  • 6:30pm-6:45pm: arrival
  • 7:00pm-8:00pm: Palia Suite and Palia Cinematic Trailer (“The Chase”)
  • 8:00pm-8:30pm: YCP Cartoon Music
  • 8:30pm-8:45pm: break
  • 8:45pm-9:30pm: Star Wars (all movements)

Rehearsal Plan for Saturday, March 1, 2025

  • 6:30pm-6:45pm: arrival
  • 7:00pm-7:30pm: Waloyo Yamoni (with Pacific Youth Choir)
  • 7:30pm-8:15pm: Star Wars
  • 8:15pm-8:30pm: break
  • 8:30pm-9:00pm: Palia Suite and Trailer
  • 9:00pm-9:30pm: YCP Cartoon Music

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, March 2, 2025

  • 10:30am: arrival for percussionists and group managers
  • 11:00am: call time for rest of orchestra
  • 11:30am-11:50am: YCP Cartoon Music
  • 11:50am-12:20pm: Palia Suite and Trailer
  • 11:20-12:50pm: Star Wars
  • 12:50pm-1:20pm: Waloyo Yamoni (with Pacific Youth Choir)

Call Sheet for March 2

You got it by e-mail from Mark, but here’s a direct link for your convenience.

Online Music Library

If you need fresh parts or would like to consult full scores, please go to our Online Music Library. The password is playmys.

Audio Reference

I’ve created a YouTube playlist where you can find audio reference tracks for our March 2 repertoire, including the Star Wars Suite. The playlist is here. I will also add the individual videos to the sidebar of this blog.

Audio reference for Palia Suite can be found here.

Happy practicing!

Best,

Dr. G.

MYS Symphony Orchestra | January 12, 2025 | Newmark Theatre | Photo by Richard Kolbell

Rehearsal Plan for February 23, 2025

Posted on by mys-staff

Hi all,

The concert (and the weeknight rehearsals preceding it) are now firmly on the horizon. We will welcome Pacific Youth Choir this Sunday, and will also have the final version of YCP’s Cartoon Music. Please see below for our rehearsal plan.

And please double-check that all three upcoming weeknight rehearsals are on your calendars!

Dr. G.

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, February 23, 2025

  • 4:00pm-5:00pm: Waloyo Yamoni (with Pacific Youth Choir!)
  • 5:00pm-5:30pm: Palia Suite and Palia Cinematic Trailer (“The Chase”)
  • 5:30pm-5:45pm: break
  • 5:45pm-6:15pm: YCP Cartoon Music (final version)
  • 6:15pm-7:00pm: Star Wars

March 2 Part Assignments and Practice Parts

If you need fresh parts our would like to consult full scores, please go to our Online Music Library. The password is playmys.

Most recent part assignments (including Cartoon Music) can be accessed here. Latest percussion assignments are here (still working on these, since we’ll modify Cartoon Music parts).

Audio Reference

I’ve created a YouTube playlist where you can find audio reference tracks for our March 2 repertoire, including the Star Wars Suite. The playlist is here. I will also add the individual videos to the sidebar of this blog.

Updated repertoire for June 17 concert

We’ve updated the repertoire for the first half of our Season Finale Concert, which will involve MYS alumni from throughout the history of the organization. The updated repertoire sheet is here (page 2).

Happy practicing!

Best,

Dr. G.

MYS Symphony Orchestra | January 12, 2025 | Newmark Theatre | Photo by Richard Kolbell

Rehearsal Plan for February 16, 2025

Posted on by mys-staff

Hi all,

Thanks for a productive rehearsal on Sunday, February 9th. It was especially useful to read through the Cartoon Music. We took notes and will hand out updated parts as soon as they’re available.

It was also delightful to read Yoda’s Theme, which has been added to our program to complete the full Star Wars Suite.

Thank you to our brass coaches for working on Star Wars with our sections. This coming Sunday we’ll have an all-star line-up of woodwind coaches.

Please see below for our rehearsal plan for Sunday, Feb. 16.

Dr. G.

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, February 16, 2025

  • 4:00pm-4:45pm: Waloyo Yamoni
  • 4:45pm-5:30pm: Palia Cinematic Trailer (“The Chase”) + movements 1, 4 and 5 of Suite.
  • 5:30pm-5:45pm: break
  • 5:45pm-7:00pm:
    • Woodwind sectionals with coaches: Star Wars
    • Strings, brass, percussion, pno/hp with Dr. G: Star Wars

March 2 Updated Part Assignments and Practice Parts

If you need fresh parts our would like to consult full scores, please go to our Online Music Library. The password is playmys.

Most recent part assignments (including Cartoon Music) can be accessed here. Latest percussion assignments are here (still working on these, since we’ll modify Cartoon Music parts).

Audio Reference

I’ve created a YouTube playlist where you can find audio reference tracks for our March 2 repertoire, including the Star Wars Suite. The playlist is here. I will also add the individual videos to the sidebar of this blog.

Updated repertoire for June 17 concert

We’ve updated the repertoire for the first half of our Season Finale Concert, which will involve MYS alumni from throughout the history of the organization. The updated repertoire sheet is here (page 2).

Happy practicing!

Best,

Dr. G.

MYS Symphony Orchestra | January 12, 2025 | Newmark Theatre | Photo by Richard Kolbell