Oakland Youth Orchestras, (OYO), Spring Concert is April 28th at 6:30 p.m. in the Oxford Fine Arts Center. The performance will feature 15-year old Lake Orion High School composer, Sam Critchey, with the premier of Flight of the Flying Squirrel. This will be OYO’s first concert open to the public in over two years.
Flight of the Flying Squirrel is an orchestral piece written about the great adventure of a flying squirrel. If you listen closely, you might hear this quirky creature frolicking on the ground, collecting nuts for winter, zipping through a forest and soaring between the treetops.
It is a common saying that every journey begins with a single step, but this piece is the perfect example that a great journey doesn’t begin with a step; it begins with a leap.
“I’m very excited to be performing Sam’s Flight of the Flying Squirrel for orchestra. He shows a great level of nuance and maturity for such a young composer. I’m sure that this is just one of many works for orchestra to come from Sam–it’s an honor to be part of his journey as a composer.”–Wendy Stuart OYO Philharmonia Director.
Critchey is an award winning composer, pianist and the principal oboist of OYO’s Philharmonia Orchestra. He began composing music at age 11 when he wrote his first piano solo, Chickenz, which was selected as a first place winner for Michigan in the 2019 NFMC Junior Composer’s Contest.
His first composition for wind ensemble, Flying Squirrels, was selected for performance in the MMEA Honors Composition Concert at the 2020 Michigan Music Conference.
Critchey’s piano solo, Falling Snow, was awarded first place in the 2021 NFMC Junior Composer’s Contest. Later that year, he wrote Signs of Spring for OYO’s Philharmonia Wind Ensemble that premiered in the 2021 Virtual Spring Concert.
Recently he premiered and performed several new works with his friends at the 2022 MSBOA Solo and Ensemble festivals, including an instrumental sextet called Cha Cha Chipmunks.
Critchey also plays oboe for the Lake Orion High School Symphonic Band directed by Michael Steele. His composition teacher is Andy Jarema, a Detroit area composer and music educator. He also takes private oboe lessons from Chris Wheeler.
Besides working on music, Critchey enjoys playing with his dogs Frodo and Strider, doing math and computer programming, and spending time with friends.
Other works from renowned composers will also be performed by the OYO Orchestras. Musical selections include: John Williams, Berlioz, Glinka, and Borodin and more.
Oakland Youth Orchestras Spring Concert is April 28, 2022 at 6:30pm. The concert will be held at the Oxford Fine Arts Center located at 745 N. Oxford Road, Oxford, MI, 48371.
Tickets will be available at the door: Adults–$10, children and students–$5.