Youngsters to join Philharmonic on stage for concert

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By Martha Groppo

The Lexington Philharmonic’s next guest artists will not have fame, prestige or even much experience.
This Sunday, instead of performing with professionals, the Philharmonic will be joined by middle- and high school-aged musicians, singers and dancers from Lexington.
“We are trying to focus on all of the art disciplines and bring student performers from the area to one concert,” said Jessica Lane, the Philharmonic’s Education Coordinator. “The Youth Arts Day is not your typical concert.”
Coordinators said the event should be unique, fun and important to the young performers.
Youth Arts Day will be the first event of its kind for Lexington.
“This is the first time all of these organizations have collaborated to create a program,” said Scott Terrell, the Philharmonic’s Music Director and new Conductor.
Terrell said that the event, part of a Family Series, will include almost 175 performers. The Philharmonic’s Marketing Director, Chelsea Compton, said young artists from the Lexington Ballet, Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra and SCAPA Children’s Chorus will perform on stage with the Philharmonic on Sunday.
With that many young people on stage, coordinators anticipate a fun environment. Though the concert is designed for families, Compton said that the Philharmonic “expects to attract an audience of all ages to this event.”
She said college students will enjoy Youth Arts Day, and noted that it is inexpensive enough to “fit in a college-student’s budget.”
Contributing to the young environment, crafts, face painting and art work displays by Fayette County Public School students will be in the lobby before the concert begins.
The performance itself will be suited for young audiences.
“This concert will only be about an hour long, and includes a couple pieces people will recognize, plus pieces we’re sure they’ll enjoy,” Compton said.
A few of the pieces performed will be “Song of the Sandman” from Hansel and Gretel, “Berceuse” and “Finale” from  Firebird, and “Dry Your Tears, Africa,” from Amistad.
Terrell’s inspiration for this event came from his experience conducting elsewhere.  He hopes that in addition to entertaining the audience, the concert will be a motivating experience for the Philharmonic’s young guest artists.
“I have conducted many side-by-side concerts around the country, and I know this is a very important event in the life of a young musician,” Terrell said.
Terrell said the students performing on stage with the Philharmonic are not the only ones who will benefit. He hopes that students in the audience, too, will leave inspired.
Terrell said that this inspirational quality is what makes Youth Arts Day special.
“It is unique in that audience members, many of them young people, will get to see other young people performing — and in so doing — inspire them to get involved in the arts,” he said.
Youth Arts Day with the Lexington Philharmonic begins at 3:00 p.m. this Sunday in the Singletary Center for the Arts. Pre-concert activities begin at 2:00 p.m. in the lobby. Tickets are $13 for children, $17 for adults and can be ordered by calling 859.233.4226, or by visiting www.lexphil.org.