Philharmonia

Rehearsals will be held on Monday evenings from 6:15 – 8:30 pm. Musicians are expected to arrive and be prepared to rehearse 15 minutes prior to start time.

FALL QUARTER 2023 DETAILS

The Fall 2023 Parents Meeting will be held on Monday, September 18. More details will be emailed to all enrolled families in September, along with full calendar dates and venue locations.

Rehearsals Fall Quarter Dates
Mondays from 6:15 – 8:30 pm Rehearsals begin on Monday, September 25
Rehearsal Location Drop Off/ Pick Up
Odle Middle School A parking lot are available. Plan
502 143 Ave NE on prompt drop off and pick up to avoid
Bellevue, WA 98007 congestion.
Retreat Fall & Winter Quarters Only
Saturday, September 30 Odle Middle School
9:00am – 2:00pm 502 143 Ave NE
Bellevue, WA 98007
Fall Concert Time & Date
Meydenbauer Theatre Saturday, November 18 @ 7:00pm
11100 NE 6th St Call time and more info will be posted here
Bellevue, WA 98004 closer to the concert.

Student Checklist

  • Bring a pencil
  • Bring a music stand
  • Print your sheet music prior to first rehearsal (using link at top of this page) and bring with you to rehearsal
  • Arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of rehearsal to ensure you are in your chair and ready to play at the start of rehearsal
  • Have fun!

About

Philharmonia is an advanced orchestra in the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra organization. The typical Philharmonia student has had several years of private instruction and substantial ensemble experience and is highly skilled on his or her instrument.

Philharmonia prepares high-level musicians for possible entry into Youth Symphony with challenging full orchestra pieces. Past works performed include Brahms’s Academic Festival Overture, Tchaikovsky’s Slavonic March in Bb Minor, and Mozart’s Symphony No. 35.

Recent Philharmonia Performances


Conductor: Joseph Kempisty

Joseph Kempisty holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from The Ohio State University and a Master of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies degree from the University of Washington. He has taught elementary, middle, and high school orchestras in the Midwest as well as in the Bellevue School District, where he was also a school administrator for fourteen years. Learn more.

Contact Joseph Kempisty at philharmonia@byso.org

Messages from the Conductor

September 25, 2023

Congratulations on a great first rehearsal!  Our Fall Retreat is this Saturday, September 30th from 9am to 2pm.  Check the top of this webpage for more details.

Seating auditions will occur at the beginning of our Fall Retreat.  Everyone should prepare Part 1 for their instrument (if more than one part).  Listen to the recordings on this page (or other professional recordings you have) for reference.  Here are the spots by piece:

Copland: Saturday Night Waltz

  • Flute: Rehearsal 5 to 6
  • Oboe: Pick-up to Rehearsal 5 to 6
  • Clarinet: Rehearsal 7 to 9
  • No other instrument spots in this waltz.

Copland: Hoe-Down (No faster than quarter=90, and slower is ok.)

  • ALL Instruments:  Rehearsal 19 to End
  • Oboe add: Pick-up to Rehearsal 13 to 14
  • Clarinet add: Pick-up to Rehearsal 13 to 14
  • Trumpet add: Pick-up to Rehearsal 12 to 13
  • Violin add: Pick-up to Rehearsal 14 to 15
  • Viola add: Pick-up to Rehearsal 14 to 15
  • Cello add: Rehearsal 11 to 12

Williams: The Olympic Spirit (No faster than eighth=138, and slower ok. Subdivide!)

  • ALL Instruments:  Measure 64 to 74
  • French Horn add: Measure 43 to 54
  • Trumpet add: Measure 43 to 54
  • Trombone add: Measure 43 to 54
  • Tuba add: Measure 43 to 54
  • Double Bass add: Measure 43 to 54

Video links to our pieces

Aaron Copland’s ‘Saturday Night Waltz’ from his ballet suite ‘Rodeo’ performed by the London Symphony Orchestra (1968).  Aaron Copland, conductor.  This video is the entire suite.  Go to 11:39 for the Waltz.

Aaron Copland’s ‘Hoe-Down’ from his ballet suite ‘Rodeo’ performed by the National Youth Orchestra of the USA (2018).  Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor.

John Williams’ ‘The Olympic Spirit’ performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra with the composer conducting.  He wrote this for the 1988 television broadcast of the Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.  This is a score reduction, so you will easily see which instruments are playing the same rhythmic parts.  One change he made after the initial publication was in the final three measures.  In those last three measures of this video, you will see the initial written score but you will hear the change.  We will adjust our performance to match this later change.

Welcome to Philharmonia’s 2023-24 Season!

The music for our first concert will be posted on our website and linked above in the weeks ahead.  Please check for email notifications so that you can print out your music before our first rehearsal on Monday, September 25th.

I am in the process of selecting repertoire for this season, and I would like to have the input of our Philharmonia musicians.  If you have a piece or composer in mind, please email me the details at philharmonia@byso.org, and I will consider it.

Looking forward to a great season!

Mr. Kempisty, Philharmonia Conductor

 

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