Philharmonia

  • Our 2025 Winter Concert Series is just around the corner! Scroll down for details.
  • Winter Quarter music was sent out via the newsletter on January 3rd. The newsletter was sent via email to the primary email address we have on file for each enrolled student. To download music, click the following link and enter the password found in that newsletter: Winter Quarter 2025 Music.
  • Click here for Conductor’s Messages
  • Scroll down for Spring Quarter dates!

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 2025 DETAILS

Rehearsals Fall Quarter Dates
Mondays from 6:15 – 8:30 pm 1/6, 1/13, 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/24, 3/3, 3/10
There is no rehearsal on 1/20 and 2/17. 
Rehearsal Location Drop Off/ Pick Up
Bellevue Children’s Academy, South Campus Plan on prompt drop off and pick up to avoid
14640 NE 24th St, Bellevue, WA 98007 congestion.
Retreat  Time & Date
Odle Middle School Saturday, January 11 (9:00 am – 12:00 pm)
502 143rd Ave NE
Bellevue, WA 98007
Concert  Time & Date
Meydenbauer Theater Saturday, March 15 at 7:00 pm
11100 NE 6th St Call time is 5:30 pm. See below
Bellevue, WA 98004 for more details.

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!

ATTENDANCE POLICY FOR LAST REHEARSAL BEFORE CONCERT

In order to participate in the concert, Philharmonia students who miss the final Monday night rehearsal before a concert will be required to submit a video recording of them performing the seating audition excerpts posted in the Conductor’s Messages on the Philharmonia page (below). Students can send a link to accessible platforms like YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.  Please make sure you have adjusted the sharing settings appropriately and make sure you are clearly visible in the video recording.  Students must submit this no later than 11:59 PM Wednesday.  Mr. Kempisty will review the submission and notify the student and parent of the result by end of day on Thursday.


CONCERT DETAILS | Saturday, March 15 @ 7:00 pm

CALL TIME | 5:30 PM
All musicians should arrive promptly 5:30 pm.

LOCATION
Meydenbauer Center Theater: 11100 NE 6th St, Bellevue, WA 98004

DROP OFF
Musicians can be dropped off via the Meydenbauer parking garage. Please see Meydenbauer’s website for prices.

CONCERT ATTIRE
Be sure to check your ensemble’s concert attire requirements. Students must arrive wearing their concert clothing. They will not have a place to change later.

VOLUNTEERS – WE NEED YOU!
Volunteers will be a vital part of a successful day at Meydenbauer for all of our students. We need volunteers to help the check in process and supporting ensembles during their dress rehearsals. Volunteers have early access to reserve their seats in the hall. Click here to sign up now! 

CONCERT TICKETS
Tickets are now available for purchase for families of enrolled BYSO students, limited to 2 tickets per enrolled student per concert. If available, additional tickets will be opened to the public on February 27.


SPRING QUARTER 2025

Rehearsals will be at Bellevue Children’s Academy (South Campus) on Mondays from 6:15 pm to 8:30 pm on the following dates: 3/24, 3/31, 4/14, 4/21, 4/28, 5/5, and 5/12. There is no rehearsal on April 7 for Spring Break.
Concert dates are posted on our website here: This Season’s Concerts.
Full Spring Quarter details will be posted on this page as March 24 gets closer. Until then, email admin@byso.org with any questions.


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

Winter Quarter Music and Seating Audition Spots

Philharmonia download links will be shared by the BYSO office near the end of the week prior to our first rehearsal on January 6.  Check your email then for the link and password.  However, many of you asked to have parts earlier if possible.

One of the pieces we will be performing is the Fourth Movement from Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 “New World Symphony.”  This was requested by several of you!  If you want to look at the parts in advance of the download links, they are available online now.  You can go to the imslp.org page found below.

  • https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.9,_Op.95_(Dvořák,_Antonín)
    • Go to the ‘Sheet Music’ section (middle of page).
    • Click on ‘Parts’ tab.
    • Go to the second grouping edited by ‘Otakar Sourek.’
    • Click on ’12 more’ to open the parts for download.
    • All Strings:  These imslp parts do not have all the bowings we will use.  The BYSO download files will.
    • Clarinet, French Horn, Trumpet, Trombone:  There are also transposed parts lower down on that page.  All these will be added to the BYSO download file as well.
      • Claudio Rosatelli transposition (Bb for Clarinet)
      • Paul Kim transposition (F for Horn, Bb Trumpet, Bass Clef for Trombone 1 and 2)

Our Seating Auditions will take place at our Winter Retreat on Saturday, January 11 (9am to 12pm at Odle Middle School).  Below are the Seating Auditions spots for all instruments.

Flute (use Dvorak Flute 1 part)

  • Rehearsal 1 to twelve measures after 2
  • Eight measures before 6 to 6
  • Nine measures after 7 to one measure after 8
  • Sixteen measures after 9 to 10

Oboe (use Dvorak Oboe 1 part)

  • Rehearsal 1 to twelve measures after 2
  • Eight measures before 6 to 6
  • Nine measures after 7 to one measure after 8
  • Sixteen measures after 9 to 10

Clarinet (use Dvorak Clarinet 1 part)

  • Rehearsal 1 to twelve measures after 2
  • Two measures before 3 to 4
  • Nine measures after 7 to one measure after 8
  • Nineteen measures after 9 to eight measures before 10

French Horn (use Dvorak French Horn 1 part)

  • Five measures before 2 to seven measures after 2
  • Eleven measures after 5 to two measures after 6
  • Eight measures before 11 to 11

Trumpet (use Dvorak Trumpet 1 part)

  • Beginning to 1
  • 4 to 5
  • Eight measures before 8 to one measure after 8

Trombone (parts as noted)

  • From Dvorak Trombone 1:  Five measures before 2 to seven measures after 2  and  Five measures after 11 to two measures after 12
  • From Schwartz Trombone 1:  Measure 75 to 79  and  measure 115 to 124

Bass Trombone (parts as noted)

  • From Dvorak Trombone 3:  Five measures before 2 to seven measures after 2  and  Five measures after 11 to two measures after 12
  • From Schwartz Trombone 3:  Measure 113 to 124

Euphonium (parts as noted)

  • From Dvorak Trombone 3:  Five measures before 2 to seven measures after 2  and  Five measures after 11 to two measures after 12
  • From Dvorak Bassoon 1:  Twelve measures before 5 to five measures after 5  and  Solo after 10 to eight measures before 11

Violin (use Dvorak Violin 1 part)

  • Fourteen measures before 1 to 2
  • Eleven measures after 2 to 3
  • Two measures before 8 to five measures before 9

Viola (use Dvorak part)

  • Fourteen measures before 1 to seven measures after 1
  • Eleven measures after 4 to twelve measures before 5
  • Ten measures after 6 to four measures after 7

Cello (use Dvorak part)

  • Fourteen measures before 1 to 2
  • Three measures before 3 to 4
  • Fourteen measures before 10 to six measures after 10

Double Bass (use Dvorak part)

  • Eleven measures before 1 to 2
  • Eight measures before 4 to four measures after 4
  • 6 to twelve measures after 6
  • Eight measures before 10 to 10

Winter Quarter Reference Video

For a video of Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 4, Fourth Movement (Allegro con fuoco), use the link below.  This final movement begins at 32:38. This is the ‘All-Star Orchestra’ conducted by Gerard Schwarz who was the music director of the Seattle Symphony for 26 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcrRDrMyYi0

Fall Quarter Reference Videos

Alpha and Omega by American composer Soon Hee Newbold.  This is a computer-generated recording with the score.     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge3Ckg_qzfc

Symphony No. 4, Finale (Fourth Movement) by Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky.  This is a recording by a Russian symphony with the score.  The Fourth Movement begins at 33:27.     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xldfaf4NGw

Welcome to Philharmonia’s 2024-25 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 23rd.

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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