Music in the Mountains: Youth Orchestra to Perform at St. Joseph’s Hall

The Music in the Mountains Youth Orchestra (MIMYO), in partnership with MIM’s after school programs and several Nevada County schools, will present their spring concert on Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023, at 6:30pm at St. Joseph’s Cultural Center in Grass Valley, CA.

MIMYO is a part of multiple education programs serving Nevada County Schools and classrooms. The Music in the Mountains’ Youth Education programs range from after-school enrichment programs to in-classroom learning. The Music in the Mountains Youth Orchestra (MIMYO) serves more than 30 young musicians with adult mentors and is conducted by Wayland Whitney.

“I’m very pleased with how MIMYO is building back in the wake of the pandemic,” remarks Conductor Wayland Whitney. “I’m very grateful for the support of our generous underwriters. Looking forward to next year and our ninth season of MIMYO!”

“In March, we explored the idea of folk music from many different parts of the world – Brahms’ Hungarian Dances, Warlock’s Capriol Suite, and Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances,” notes Wayland. “Unfortunately, our March concert had to be called off due to weather, but our final MIMYO concert will be a combination of some of this folk music along with some great classical-era pieces.”

The concert program includes Haydn’s Symphony No. 60, “Il distratto”, which depicts the exploits of a young man so absent-minded he forgets to attend his own wedding, along with Biber’s Battalia, a wry depiction of a 17th-century battle with bawdy camp songs, vigorous marches, and the cello section exchanging musket fire!

This year, MIMYO will be joined by their junior satellite groups. Music in the Mountains Education Programs Coordinator, Marge Shasberger, has coordinated eight music programs serving fifty new string, woodwind, and brass students. Geared towards beginners, these after-school classes meet weekly and are taught by local teachers,

Music in the Mountains is also gearing up for their Summerfest Music Academy. This will run for the two weeks leading up to the beginning of MIM Summerfest, and will be a great day camp experience for student and adult musicians of all levels.

Music in the Mountains (MIM) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire and connect people of all ages through extraordinary musical performances, community engagement, and music education. Founded in 1982 by Paul Perry and Terry Brown, the organization’s first mission was to produce a summer festival utilizing the local volunteer choir and a core of professional musicians from orchestras throughout the United States. Today, MIM serves over 10,000 patrons through classical and pops orchestral programming during SummerFest

Music in the Mountains is a nonprofit organization that pairs world-class musical performances with a deep commitment to music education. Tickets for all SummerFest concerts are available at http://www.musicinthemountains.org or by calling the MIM box office at 530-265-6124.