Philharmonia

  • Winter Quarter music will be available via PDF download by Friday, January 5. Instructions on how to download music will be sent via email to all enrolled BYSO students.
  • Click here for Conductor’s Messages

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.

WINTER QUARTER 2024 DETAILS

Rehearsals Winter Quarter Dates
Mondays from 6:15 – 8:30 pm Rehearsals begin on Monday, January 8
Rehearsal Location Drop Off/ Pick Up
Odle Middle School A parking lot is 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, January 20 Odle Middle School
9:00am – 2:00pm 502 143 Ave NE
Bellevue, WA 98007
Winter Concert Time & Date
Meydenbauer Theatre Saturday, March 16 @ 7:00pm
11100 NE 6th St ∙ Arrive by: 4:55 pm
Bellevue, WA 98004 ∙ Philharmonia Chamber Groups will rehearse after
Full Orchestra rehearsal.

SPRING QUARTER 2024 DETAILS

Rehearsals Spring Quarter Dates
Mondays from 6:15 – 8:30 pm Rehearsals begin on Monday, March 25
No Rehearsal on Monday, April 8 (Spring Break)
Rehearsal Location Drop Off/ Pick Up
Odle Middle School  A parking lot is available. Plan
502 143 Ave NE on prompt drop off and pick up to avoid
Bellevue, WA 98007 congestion.
Saturday Rehearsal Saturday Rehearsal Location
Saturday, April 20 Odle Middle School
9:00am -11:15am 502 143 Ave NE
Bellevue, WA 98007
Spring Concert Time & Date
Benaroya Concert Hall Saturday, May 11 @ 3:00pm
200 University St. Call Times TBD.
Seattle, WA 98101

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

January 10, 2024

Thank you for a great first rehearsal on Monday!  Reminder that there is no rehearsal on Monday, January 15.  Seating auditions will occur near the beginning of our Saturday, January 20 retreat at Odle Middle School.  The retreat is from 9am to 2pm.

Seating audition spots are listed below.  Three important details for everyone to read first:

  1. For instruments with more than one part, you should play the first part for your instrument.
  2. Armstrong Tribute:  I found a reference recording of the exact medley we are playing, and I included time marks in the seating audition spots below – so you know where to listen.  This will be especially helpful for those of you that are new or not as experienced with Swing rhythms – and likely helpful even for those that are experienced!  Click here to hear this reference recording.
  3. Tchaikovsky measure marks for reference and to double check your numbering:
    • Lo stesso tempo = measure 84
    • Piu Mosso = m. 187
    • Andante molto maestoso = m. 213
    • Allegro risoluto = m. 220

Flute

  • Armstrong Tribute:  m. 88 – 116 (reference recording start at 2:10)
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 153 – 187
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 187 – 213
  • Tchaikovsky:  start m. 220, take the 2nd ending and play those 6 measures (stop at the rest measure)

Oboe

  • Armstrong Tribute:  m. 88 – 116 (reference recording start at 2:10)
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 153 – 187
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 187 – 213
  • Tchaikovsky:  start m. 220, take the 2nd ending and play those 6 measures (stop at the rest measure)

Clarinet

  • Armstrong Tribute:  m. 64 – 88 (reference recording start at 1:40)
  • Armstrong Tribute:  m. 88 – 116 (reference recording start at 2:10)
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 153 – 187
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 187 – 213

Horn

  • Armstrong Tribute:  m. 64 – 88 (reference recording start at 1:40)
  • Armstrong Tribute:  m. 88 – 116 (reference recording start at 2:10)
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 153 – 187
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 187 – 213

Trumpet

  • Armstrong Tribute:  m. 64 – 88 (reference recording start at 1:40)
  • Armstrong Tribute:  m. 88 – 116 (reference recording start at 2:10)
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 153 – 187
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 213 – 220

Trombone

  • Armstrong Tribute:  m. 64 – 88 (reference recording start at 1:40)
  • Armstrong Tribute:  m. 88 – 116 (reference recording start at 2:10)
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 153 – 169
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 213 – 220

Violin

  • Armstrong Tribute:  m. 88 – 116 (reference recording start at 2:10)
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 148 – 187
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 187 – 213
  • Tchaikovsky:  last 13 measures of piece

Viola

  • Armstrong Tribute:  m. 88 – 116 (reference recording start at 2:10)
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 5 – 21
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 148 – 169
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 187 – 213

Cello

  • Armstrong Tribute:  m. 88 – 116 (reference recording start at 2:10)
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 13 – 50
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 148 – 187
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 187 – 213

Bass

  • Armstrong Tribute:  m. 64 – 88 (reference recording start at 1:40)
  • Armstrong Tribute:  m. 88 – 116 (reference recording start at 2:10)
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 148 – 187
  • Tchaikovsky:  m. 187 – 213

January 2, 2024

Happy New Year, Philharmonia musicians!  I am looking forward to seeing and hearing you all on Monday, January 8th!

Prior to the first rehearsal, please print out all your instrument parts from both PDF files.  For example, Violins should print the entire ‘Violin’ file for both pieces which includes Violin 1 and Violin 2, Trombones should print Part 1, 2, and 3, etc. (Note for Trumpets:  You will find ‘Tromba’ and ‘Piston’ parts for the Tchaikovsky – please print them all.)

  • The link to the parts will be posted on our webpage, and an email will be sent out from our BYSO office to families after 5pm on January 4 with directions and password.

Seating auditions for this concert will take place at our Saturday, January 20th retreat.  The retreat is from 9am to 2pm at Odle Middle School, and the seating auditions will occur at the start of that retreat.  Seating audition spots will be posted on this BYSO Philharmonia webpage next week.

The pieces for our March concert will include Tchaikovsky’s Slavonic March (Op. 31 – using the original, professional version) and an orchestral tribute to Louis Armstrong which includes several pieces for which he was well-known.  Be sure to check below for video examples. 

Also, be sure to check this webpage for details on dates, times, and locations for all BYSO rehearsals, concerts, and other events.

See you soon!

Video links to our March 2024 Concert pieces

Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Slavonic March, Op. 31 (also called March Slav or Marche Slave), performed by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (New Zealand).  Conducted by Xian Zhang, Chinese-American conductor and music director of the New Jersey Symphony.

American composer Ted Ricketts arranged an orchestral medley of four famous Louis Armstrong classics which are frequently heard today.  The tribute medley includes the four pieces in the videos below.

When The Saints Go Marching In:

St. Louis Blues:

What A Wonderful World:

Hello Dolly:

Video links to our November 2023 Concert 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

 

Sponsors & Partners