Programs
The YOC Family
The Youth Orchestras of Charlotte comprise several performing groups, committed to musical excellence and rigor as well as diversity and inclusiveness. The ensembles are led and coached by a team that includes musicians of the Charlotte Symphony and the area’s top music educators.
Ensemble
Youth Orchestra of Charlotte
The Youth Orchestra of Charlotte is a full symphony orchestra made up of high school age musicians, performing masterpieces from the orchestral repertoire in a professional symphony setting. From late August to mid May, the YOC rehearses on Monday evenings from 5:45–8:15pm. For each rehearsal, please bring your music, your stand with your name on it, and a pencil. Do not bring any food containing nuts as some students are severely allergic.
Recent Repertoire
- Badelt: Pirates of the Caribbean
- Beethoven: Egmont Overture
- Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, mvmts. 4 & 5
- DeFalla: Three Dances from the Three Cornered Hat
- Humperdinck: Selections from Hansel and Gretel
- Mozart: Symphony No. 25
- Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain
- Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnol
- Saint-Saëns: Danse Macabre
- Vaughan Williams: Concerto Grosso for Strings
- Barber: Violin Concerto, Op. 14
- Barber: Adagio for Strings
- Bernstein: Overture to Candide
- Bizet: Carmen Suite No. 1
- Borodin: Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor
- Brahms: Academic Festival Overture
- Copland: Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo
- Holst: The Planets
- Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
- Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 63
- Rossini: Overture to The Barber of Seville
- Strauss: On the Beautiful Blue Danube
- Wagner: Overture to Rienzi
Ensemble
Preparatory Orchestra
The Preparatory Orchestra is a full symphony orchestra that performs both actual symphonic literature and arrangements of the repertoire geared to advanced younger players. It is a preparatory training orchestra for the Youth Orchestra of Charlotte. From late September to May, the Preparatory Orchestra rehearses on Saturday afternoons from 2:00–4:00pm. For each rehearsal, please bring your music, your stand with your name on it, and a pencil. Do not bring any food containing nuts as some students are severely allergic.
Recent Repertoire
- Bizet: Carillon from L'Arlésienne Suite 1
- Handel/arr. Meyer: Réjouissance from Royal Fireworks
- Meyer: Festival Rondo
- Rimsky-Korsakov/arr. Dackow: Russian Easter Overture
- Saint-Saëns/arr. Story: Royal March of the Lions from Carnival of the Animals
- Tchaikovsky/arr. Dackow: Trepak from The Nutcracker
- Vaughan Williams: Concerto Grosso for String Orchestra
- Brahms/arr. Ryden: Hungarian Dance No. 5
- Grieg: Solveig’s Song from Peer Gynt Suite, No. 2
- Holst: Prelude from Brook Green Suite
- Respighi/arr. Bulla: The Pines of Rome — Finale
- Sibelius/trans. Goldsmith: Finlandia, Op. 26, No. 7
- Sullivan/arr. Dackow: Overture to Pirates of Penzance
- Tchaikovsky/arr. Dackow: Finale from Symphony No. 2
- Verdi/arr. Dackow: Anvil Chorus
- Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 3, Nr. 6
- Williams/arr. Cerulli: Superman Returns
Ensemble
Sinfonia Strings
The Sinfonia Strings is a string orchestra that prepares young musicians in the art of orchestral performance. From late September to May, the Sinfonia Strings rehearse on Saturday afternoons from 11:45AM to 1:45pm. For each rehearsal, please bring your music, your stand with your name on it, and a pencil. Do not bring any food containing nuts as some students are severely allergic.
Recent Repertoire
- Balmages: Spartacus
- Balmages: Sweet Petite Winter Suite
- Day: Flight
- Gackstatter: The Black Sea
- Gruselle: Themes from the Nutcracker
- Newbold: Le Froid De L’Hiver
- Vivaldi/arr. Leidig: The Four Seasons
- Balmages: Lullaby to the Moon
- Balmages: To Tame the Raging Rapids
- Bobrowitz: American Variants
- Day: Aspen Glow
- England & Wilson: Shenandoah
- Griesinger: Epic Adventure
- MacDowell/arr. Cerulli: Alla Tarantella
- Meyer: Beethoven, Inc.
- Monday: American Horizons
- Newbold: American Landscape
- Williams/arr. Lavender: Olympic Spirit
Ensemble
Flute Choir
The Flute Choir is a flute ensemble that performs flute choir repertoire and explores a wide variety of musical genres. From early September through mid May, the Flute Choir rehearses on Monday evenings from 4:15 to 5:45pm. For each rehearsal, please bring your music, your stand with your name on it, and a pencil. Do not bring any food containing nuts as some students are severely allergic.
Recent Repertoire
- Anderson: Winter’s Gift
- Dorff: Musetta Steps Out
- Giovanni: Canzonetta
- Tchaikovsky/arr. Cerulli: Dance of the Reed Flutes
- Nishimura: Gloria Fantasie
- Foster/arr. Boland: Tioga Waltz
- Guenther: Song of the Bard
- Holst/arr. P. Louke: The Planets
- Leontovych: Carol of the Bells
- Mendelssohn: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
- Mercury/arr. Yoroiguma: Bohemian Rhapsody
- Pranzer: Allegro Moderato from Terzetto, No. 5
- Puccini/arr. P. Louke: Selections from Madama Butterfly