ROCHESTER, MI—April 23, 2019—Oakland Youth Orchestras (OYO) will introduce an orchestral work written by talented 8th grade composer, Izzy Savides, from Warren’s Beer Middle School at its May 2, 2019 spring concert. Works from modern composers and great masters will also be performed.
Part of Savides first symphony, Sierra’s Return, Rondo con fuoco, will be performed by OYO’s Philharmonia Orchestra. The complete work is approximately 30 minutes long, with only the first movement being showcased at the concert.
Savides originally wrote the song in seventh grade for her friend Sierra, but wanted to do more with the original melodies. Although the Symphony is named after Sierra, the story that unfolded is not a reflection of her friend.
The new piece is about a person’s descent into madness and gets progressively more intricate and dissonant, as the individual becomes more and more distraught. The orchestra symbolizes what’s going on in the character’s mind.
Savides started composing at the young age of 10. She has written over 150 small pieces, many of which were written for bands and orchestras. Savides plays the French horn and bass guitar in her school’s symphonic and jazz bands. She is also a member of OYO’s Philharmonia Orchestra.
“When we invited Izzy Savides to join OYO this year, we knew we were getting a great young horn player, but I didn’t suspect we’d also be welcoming a talented young composer. Izzy started sending me scores to look at and asked if the orchestra could ever play one of her pieces. We chose to premier Sierra’s Return. It’s an amazing accomplishment for an eighth grader to write such a complex piece for a full orchestra and I’m excited we have the opportunity to perform the work. I look forward to seeing where Izzy’s passion for composing takes her and I’m glad we can be part of her journey,” Wendy Stuart, OYO Philharmonia Conductor.
Oakland Youth Orchestras Spring Concert is May 2, 2019. The concert will be held at the Oxford Fine Arts Center at 6:30 p.m. Oxford Fine Arts Center is located at Oxford High School, 745 N. Oxford Road, Oxford, MI 48371.
Tickets will be available at the door: Adults–$10, children and students–$5, and ticket quartets–$30 (includes four tickets).
Audition signup for the 2019-2020 is going on now at www.oyomi.org and extends through May 20, 2019. Merit and financial-need scholarships are available. For details about the orchestras and audition schedule visit: https://oyomi.org/join-oyo/ or https://oyomi.org/join-oyo/auditions/.