US Youth Brings Classical Strains To Esplanade
article
from a local paper in Cairns Australia
CLASSICAL music echoed from the soundshell on the Esplanade yesterday, June 29th
as a student orchestra played Tchaikovsky.
The San Diego Civic Youth Orchestra of 58
instrumentalists from 20 different high schools in America visited Cairns for
the first time delivering a free concert as part of their 17-day tour to
Australia and New Zealand.
The group of students played one major symphony,
an overture and a few shorter pieces with conductor Robert Gilson.
The orchestra's general manager, Rebecca
Washburn, said the two-hour concert went well.
"It was spectacular," Ms Washburn said.
"The group tours every two years and in 1996
visited Sydney but didn't get the opportunity to travel to the tropics."
"It was breathtaking for those students then and
they loved it. These students are grateful to see this part of the country."
She said the full orchestra of strings, brass and
percussion students were aged from 14 years old to 20.
"They spend a lot of time learning these
instruments and they put a lot into it," she said.
