紐約幼獅青少年管弦樂團的簡介

作者方秀蓉

成立於1996年，自1997年向紐約州政府註冊為非營利機構，1998至2007年列入紐約市政府燈塔計劃(The Beacon Program)。1999年起至今多次獲得紐約市皇后藝術基金協會(Queens Council on the Arts)、紐約州藝術基金協會(New York State Council on the Arts)、紐約市文化事務局(New York City Department of Cultural Affairs), 紐約市市議員顧雅明 (New York City Council Member Peter Kool), JP Morgan Chase銀行等頒發獎助基金；並獲紐約臺北經濟文化辦事處、臺北文化中心、僑務委員會及紐約華僑文教服務中心贊助支持。

自1998年以來，紐約幼獅青少年管弦樂團所推出的《聖誕音樂會Holiday Concert》成為皇后區聖誕佳節傳統慶典之一。紐約幼獅青少年管弦樂團秉持著「服務社區‧教育英才」和「幼吾幼以及人之幼」的理念，在社區中多次親善演出，行跡遍及圖書館、公園、學校、社區之耆老, 醫療與復健中心等。除每年定期於皇后區舉辦聖誕音樂會與林肯中心年度音樂會之外，曾舉辦八次美亞巡迴 (1997、1999、2002、2005、2007、2010、2012, 2015)、兩次美國西岸(1998、2000)以及歐洲 (2006) 演奏之旅，於舊金山、洛杉磯、聖地牙哥、夏威夷、臺北、宜蘭、台中、鹿港、高雄、金門、廈門、北京、上海、香港、大阪、東京、維也納、薩爾斯堡、布拉格等地，舉辦過數十場親善交流音樂會，不僅開拓了團員們的視野，也達到音樂交流的使命. 2015年7月, 和台灣新北市大豐國小校友管弦樂團共赴東京音樂大學以及台北市福華國際文教中心與當地音樂學生親善交流和共同演奏音樂會, 並兼就地旅遊。

紐約幼獅青少年管弦樂團招收團員年齡自10歲至18歲，來自預約甄試，經錄取後，每年九月至次年六月之每週六下午一時至四時，假皇后區貝158初中(Marie Curie Middle School)排練；由資優老師林季靜 , 張若葳, 張紀葳, 黃東瀛等指導, 鍾啟仁擔任音樂總監及指揮。2017-18年度舉行之三場大型音樂會分別為: 聖誕音樂會2017年12月17日假皇后區卡多所高中演奏, 法拉盛台灣會館音樂會2018年5月 19日舉行, 林肯中心年度音樂會演出於2018年6月9日愛麗斯特莉廳。演出曲目包括；古典、流行、爵士、百老匯、電影及亞洲音樂; 12017年春開創「幼獅師生才藝表演音樂會」於4月 15日假台灣會館舉行由24位師生舉行, 2018年3月 30日將再舉辦, 歡迎有興趣之音樂學生甄試. 報名請洽：藝術總監方秀蓉917-912-8288 或行政總監張俊生347-306-2511。

E-mail: YouthOrch8@aol.com 網址:www.YouthOrchestra.com。

The Brief History of YOUTH ORCHESTRA, CYCNY

The Youth Orchestra is a Queens-based youth orchestra since 1996, and has been a 501 (c) (3) organization since 2002. Our mission is to provide orchestra training and performing opportunities for musical students age 10–18, with a unique repertory that includes Classical, Popular, Jazz, Broadway, Film, and Asian music. The orchestra premieres and commissions works by American and Asian composers and has organized eleven summer concert tours to Asia, Europe and the East Coasts for global cultural experiences.

New members are recruited through auditions in September and January. Weekly rehearsals take place at Middle School 158 in Bayside, New York from September to June. Our teaching faculty members are: Chijen Christopher Chung, music director and string instructor, Chi-Ching Grace Lin for percussion, Lovell Park Chang for wind and brass, and Tony Huang for strings. The orchestra presents two formal concerts annually: one Holiday Concert, free for the community during the holiday season in Queens; and an Annual Concert at Lincoln Center in the spring. The Orchestra also serves the Queens community by performing concerts at senior centers, community centers, and nursing homes.

During the 2016-17 season, the orchestra performed a Christmas Concert at Silvercrest Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation on December 13th, and a Holiday Concert 2016 at Cardozo High School in Bayside, Queens on December 18th, and Student and Faculty Recital at Taiwan Center in Flushing on April 15th. Additional concerts were the Annual Concert 2017at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on May 20th; and the Taiwan Center Concert in Flushing on June 18th.

The sponsors of our 2016-17 Season were: The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Council designated by New York City Councilman Peter Koo; Culture Center and Taipei Cultural Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, COTS TRAVEL, Linco Printing, www.superprismlnet, as well as foundations, corporations, and individuals. For more information, please visit www.YouthOrchestra.com, e-mail: YouthOrch8@aol.com, or call (917) 912-8288 or (347) 306-2511.