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Blues Alley Youth Orchestra
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The Blues Alley Youth Orchestra are the
Washington' DC area's premiere jazz ambassadors and they are physically located
here in our Nation's Capitol. The Orchestra is modeled and managed after and by
its 40-year old and internationally-renowned nightclub namesake.
The Orchestra is comprised of accomplished
student musicians ranging in age from 11-17 years old with their mission to
preserve and promote the big band jazz genre. Now in its 20 th year the
Orchestra has performed at such mainstay venues as The John F. Kennedy Center,
The Smithsonian Institution, The National Theater, East Coast Jazz Festival,
Carter Barron Amphitheater, Wolf Trap Farm Park, Blues Alley and elsewhere.
The Orchestra was founded in 1985 along with
its parent Blues Alley Jazz Society and performs varied musical selections by
such successful jazz composers as Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie
Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and others. The
Orchestra typically contains a full accompaniment of brass, strings and
percussion and attracts student musicians from Frederick to Fredericksburg.
Students also take part in both civic and educational trainings as they perform
in senior centers, at community functions and inside houses of worship.
Often performers traveling through Washington,
DC have volunteered in workshops and master classes while performing
simultaneously nighttimes at the club. Guest artists have included Quincy
Jones, McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, Terrence Blanchard and more. Auditions occur
each year in the fall with a full rehearsal and performance schedule from
September through May and from July through August. The school calendar
includes weekly and monthly rehearsal and performance opportunities.
To learn more or participate or perform with
this truly unique Washington musical experience please contact
ExecutiveDirector@BluesAlley.org.
Many musical opportunities may await you. |
