As part of an ongoing effort to diversify the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (BYSO) and the classical music genre, 11 young musicians from Dorchester and Mattapan will participate in this year's 50th season of the BYSO.

More than 400 students in grades K-12 participate in one of BYSO's five programs for various skill levels.

The Boston Youth Symphony (BYS) is the organization's most advanced ensemble; there is also the Repertory Orchestra, the Junior Repertory Orchestra and the Young People's String Orchestra.

BYSO operates the Intensive Community Program (ICP) as well, which offers rigorous training to underserved youth in hopes that they will graduate into more advanced ensembles.

Nine of the 11 students from Dorchester and Mattapan are in ICP. They receive scholarships for private music lessons and instrument rentals and participate in weekly orchestra rehearsals at Boston University.

The success of the program is marked by growing participation in the BYSO among Black, Latino, and inner-city children.

This season, seven African or Haitian-American students have been selected for the prestigious BYS. Most of those students are ICP graduates.

At 5.8 percent, African-American representation in the BYS is now significantly higher than the national average among professional orchestras, which is around 2 percent, according to a survey done by the American Symphony Orchestra League.

Since the program started in 1999, 36 ICP students have been accepted into a BYSO orchestra.

"We knew it would take time to see results, but we are thrilled that nine years after starting this innovative program, we have made some phenomenal progress," Catherine Weiskel, executive director of BYSO said in a press release.

Of the 71 ICP participants, 71 percent are African-American and 17 percent are Latino. Ninety percent of the students in ICP are from Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, Roslindale and Hyde Park neighborhoods of Boston. Auditions are held every other year.

The ICP students from Dorchester are Kermelle Billy, Isaiah Charles, Alexandra Maund, Raven Whyles, Bergelin Jean, Cyan Jean, and Edwin Nathan Jones. Genevieve Lefevre (in photo) and Maeva Veillard, both of Mattapan, have also joined ICP.

Damon Levin of Dorchester was selected for BYSO's Young People's String Orchestra and Troy Harvey, also of Dorchester, will play in BYSO's Repertory Orchestra (Rep).

Troy, a sophomore at Melrose High School, has played the string bass for five years. He played in his school orchestra before auditioning for BYSO two years ago, when he was selected for the Junior Repertory Orchestra.

Troy advanced to Rep last year and he continues to play in the Melrose school orchestra during the week. He spends his Sundays at Rep rehearsals from 12-6 p.m. at Boston University.

Troy said his friends from school think classical music is boring and they don't understand how he can spend so much time at rehearsals. "I just love the music," he said. His favorite piece is Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 2, which he recently performed at B.U.'s Tsai Performance Center.

Troy hopes that his dedication to the bass will help him get into college in a few years, where he will continue to study music. He wants to be a music teacher someday.

Genevieve Lefevre (in photo), a fifth grader from Mattapan, just started her second year in ICP, though she plays with the third-year students. Most new applicants are accepted into ICP in the first or second grade, so Genevieve was placed on the accelerated track when she joined.

She spent two weeks learning to play the viola at BYSO's summer program before attending rehearsals with the group, where she caught up quickly. Genevieve is happy to take what she learns at ICP back to her school orchestra; she is one of only three fifth graders at her school in the senior ensemble for seventh and eighth graders.

In May, Genevieve will be auditioning for the Young People's String Orchestra. "I practice every day for at least an hour," she said. "That's the hardest part about playing the viola, but it's worth it."

ICP students perform in several concerts throughout the year with other BYSO orchestras. In May they will perform at Symphony Hall with the BYS and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Alexandra Maund, 12, has been in ICP for three years and is looking forward to the spring concert at Symphony Hall. She played there once before when she was nine.

"It's an accomplishment because some grown-ups haven't gotten to play there but I did as a nine-year-old," she said.

source: DotNews.com [2]

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