Posted on April 14, 2026April 14, 2026 by mys-staff

CONCERT Orchestra Notes for April 19, 2026

Dear Concert Orchestra,

It was great to see you again on Sunday, April 12 after our long spring break. I was quite happy with our rehearsal. I thought the read-through of the Viola Concerto went quite well, and we’ve made good progress on Jupiter. It was great to have a fuller brass section with Symphony Orchestra guests.

We are done with small-group coachings for the year, and this Sunday will be our last day of sectionals. Also, the tutti portion of rehearsal will include Jacobi Esparza’s Movimientos de la Muerte, so please be sure to practice that, and listen to the reference audio on our YouTube playlist.

String players: please sign up for our day trip and outreach tour to Madras, OR, on Wednesday, April 22. Details below. If you’re able to join, please plan to stay until 5:45pm this Sunday for a special rehearsal for the outreach tour.

Everybody else: rehearsal will end a bit earlier (4:45pm).

Best,

Dr. G.

rehearsals left before concert

3!!

Recap – April 12, 2026

2:00pm-3:15pm: Sectionals/coachings on Jupiter
- each string section worked with a coach
- winds/brass worked with Robert Wakeley
3:15pm: break
3:30pm-5:00pm: tutti:
- Jupiter read-through and work from the beginning to about rehearsal #8
- Viola Concerto read-through and light work

Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, April 19

Please arrive by 1:45pm. We can always use extra hands to help set up the room if you are able to get there closer to 1:30pm. I will arrive at 1:30pm to open the space.

Arrival: 1:45pm – EVERYBODY SIGN IN IN CAFETERIA.
2:00pm-3:15pm: Sectionals:
- Winds/Brass/Percussion with Robert Wakeley (cafeteria): Jupiter and Viola Concerto
- Strings with Darian Todd (pavilion): Jupiter
3:15pm: break
3:30pm-4:45pm: tutti with RGR:
- Jacobi Esparza’s Movimientos de la Muerte
- Jupiter from #8 to end.
4:45pm – end of regular rehearsal

5:00pm-5:45pm: special rehearsal for Outreach Tour to Madras, OR (Symphony and Concert Orchestra string players)

Strings: please sign up for Madras Outreach Tour (Wednesday, April 22)

A reminder from my recent e-mail:

As you may know, each spring, MYS ensembles perform 15 outreach concerts at low-income and under-served schools in the Portland metropolitan area and southwest Washington. This is an important part of our mission: we believe that every student deserves access to music education, regardless of socio-economic circumstance.

This year, we would like to assemble a large string ensemble made up of players from both Symphony and Concert Orchestras, for our outreach trip to Madras, OR on Wednesday, April 22 (coming up soon!). I would like to have as many of you as possible. It will be a fun day of sharing the gift of music and making community.

The trip will include lunch at a pizza place and two performances for hundreds of local elementary school students.

I will select about 15 minutes of easy music (grade 3 or so), and we’ll have a short rehearsal on Sunday, April 19 from 5pm to 5:45pm (between Concert and Symphony rehearsals).

If you’re interested and available, please 1) check in with your family, and 2) fill out this commitment form. Please respond by end of day tomorrow (Wednesday 4/15).

MYS Students in a 2025-2026 Outreach Concert | Photo by MYS

MYS CONCERT Part Assignments, Orchestra Schedule, Repertoire, Audio Reference, etc…

Find all relevant PDFs and links on the side bar of this webpage (or bottom of the page if on mobile).

Spring Concert Date confirmed: Sunday, May 10

Sunday, May 10 at 4pm at The Reser. As usual, a sound check rehearsal will take place earlier in the day. Please mark your calendars!

Find PDF Practice Parts at the MYS Online Music Library

If you lose your part, or need to access a digital copy for any reason, you can find one in our Online Music Library. Look for the button “C.O. Music Library” on the sidebar or the bottom of this blog page. The password is playmys.

Availability for private lessons

I don’t take long-term regular private students, but this season I will have some availability on Monday afternoons for “one-off” violin, viola or conducting lessons. The lessons can be in person at the MYS building in SE Portland, or via Zoom. (I may also be available for private coaching sessions for other instruments, but my specific instrumental training is upper strings.) Shoot me an e-mail if you’re interested for more details.

Happy practicing,
(and don’t forget to bring a music stand)