Hi all,
Welcome (or welcome back) to a new MYS Concert Orchestra season! It’s MYS’s 51st year, and my 10th as Music Director. I’m excited about getting to conduct Concert Orchestra in addition to Symphony Orchestra this year. I look forward to working with each of you!
Please expect an email from me every Tuesday with a link to my blog on the MYS website. These blog posts typically include a quick rehearsal recap, our rehearsal plan for the following week, and other important information. This is the first of such posts for the 2025-2026 season.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: You are expected to arrive at least 15 minutes before the posted rehearsal start time, and you must always show up to rehearsal prepared. This means practicing (at home) the music that we will be working on at each rehearsal. This starts today! See our rehearsal plan below, check your part assignment, download a PDF practice part, and start preparing for Sunday.
Please read on, and note any action items.
Thanks!
Dr. G.
Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, September 7, 2025
NEW REHEARSAL TIME FOR CONCERT ORCHESTRA IS SUNDAYS 2:00PM-5:00PM
- Please arrive by 1:45pm at All Saints: 601 NE Cesar E Chavez Blvd, Portland, OR 97232. Bring a music stand!
- 1:45pm-2:00pm – grab your folder, grab your printed sheet music, say hi to friends!, find your seat
- 2:00pm-3:20pm – Welcome meeting (parents welcome but not required), activities
- 3:20pm-3:30pm – break
- 3:30pm-4:30pm – Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 6
- 4:30pm-5:00pm – Ethel Smyth Symphony for Small Orchestra
MYS CONCERT Orchestra 2025-2026 Schedule
Please click here to download our season schedule. Please make sure to add all rehearsals and events to your calendars. Please note the few dates with modified rehearsal times. If you identify any conflicts, please let me know as soon as possible. We’re always happy to support our students’ other interests and school commitments but we ask that you communicate your necessary absences as early as possible (maximum of 3 absences allowed per term). Thank you in advance!
MYS CONCERT Orchestra 2025-2026 Repertoire
Click here to see our 2025-2026 season repertoire. Our first concert will be MYS’s Season Opener at the Schnitz, and we will open for Symphony Orchestra. You’ll note there is a “challenge piece” listed within the spring concert repertoire. This will be the hardest piece in our season, and we will begin work on it during our fall term. All pieces marked at “TBD” will be chosen a few weeks into our fall term.
Part Assignments for Fall Term
Please click here to see your part assignments for the fall term. We’ll speak about this on Sunday, but I’d like to mention that my part assignments are not rankings. I rotate sections and leadership as much as possible. The most experienced players are not always in the front or first chair.
After you’ve noted your part assignments, please find and print practice parts below.
PDF Practice Parts
Click here to find practice parts for Brahms. As noted above, we’ll start working on this piece on Sunday.
Here are practice parts for the Ethel Smyth Symphony. We will read part of this piece on Sunday as well.
String players: make sure you download the parts marked as “bowed.”
After this week, you’ll be able to find PDFs of all of our music at the MYS Digital Music Library. I’ll send a link and further instructions next week.
Leadership Auditions
In our Season Schedule, you’ll note that there will be leadership auditions in the fall (for winter term) and in the winter (for spring term). These auditions will be done via self-submitted video. Further instructions will be sent later this month. This is an opportunity for you to show me your work, especially if you are not quite satisfied with your part assignments.
Audio Reference
There are many recordings of most of our repertoire that can be easily found online. I strongly encourage you to create your own playlists and add our repertoire to your regular listening rotation. For your convenience, all throughout the season, you can always find audio (or video) reference tracks selected by me on this YouTube playlist. The more you listen, the more you’ll enjoy playing this music.
Online orientation tonight! (Wednesday 9/3)
Join us tonight, Wednesday, September 3 from 7:00-8:00 pm, for our online Family Orientation. Meet our staff and artistic team, learn about the upcoming season, and ask questions about all things MYS!
The meeting will be recorded and available for later viewing.
Join the online Family Orientation via the Zoom link below. Contact Mark at production@playmys.org or Sarah at programs@playmys.org with any questions.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89429130641
Meeting ID: 894 2913 0641
Please complete tuition payment and enrollment confirmation
If you haven’t already done so, please complete these important steps. We haven’t heard from a few of you. Please email programs@playmys.org or call the MYS office if you need help: 503-239-4566
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 my home studio 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 on Sunday)
Dr. G.
Recent photo shoot with MYS students | August, 2025 | Photo by MYS