Introducing Miss Alice Guo, winner of the Young Artist Concerto Competition!
Alice is a 14-year old Overland Park native. When she was in the 4th grade she, along with the other students in her class, was introduced to the various stringed instruments. She became very interested in the cello and started taking private lessons.
Now an 8th grader at Harmony Middle School, Alice plays in her school orchestra. She takes lessons from Allen Probus and has participated in many additional musical activities, including the KC Youth Symphony, Heartland Chamber Music, Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan, and many other cello competitions. She was recently a finalist in the Kansas City Symphony’s Young Artist Competition. Alice and a few of her friends also play at a senior home every Friday.
As the winner of the competition Alice will perform at our April concert. She will also receive a $500 cash prize.
Celebrate the season with KCCO! Our Sounds of the Season concert features holiday favorites like White Christmas, Silver Bells, and our annual performance of Sleigh Ride, featuring a guest conductor from our audience!
Sounds of the Season Concert Friday, December 9 and Saturday, December 10 Silent Auction at 6:45pm, Concert at 7:30pm Atonement Lutheran Church
Before the concert, be sure to visit our Silent Auction Fundraiser. We have a great collection of unique items that are perfect for gift-giving! Proceeds from auction purchases support future KCCO outreach programs and help us continue to offer our concerts for free! Below are just a few of the items that will be available. If you’d like to see the complete list of available items, view our Friday auction catalog or the Saturday catalog.
KCCO is excited to announce our 2017 Young Artist Concerto Competition!
The Concerto Competition gives KCCO the opportunity to engage with and support young musicians in the Kansas City area. The winner of the competition will have the opportunity to perform with the orchestra and will also receive a cash prize of $500. This year’s auditions will take place on Saturday, February 4th. We invite all musicians aged 13 to 19 to participate!
Mail form and $25 application fee to: Kansas City Civic Orchestra, P.O. Box 224, Shawnee Mission, KS 66201
Applications must be received by January 25, 2016.
Competition rules and guidelines
*Please Read Carefully*
Competition Audition Date is: Saturday, February 4, 2017 (Atonement Lutheran Church) 10:00am – 3:00pm (time assigned).
The concerto competition is for ages 13 – 19.
Perform a solo orchestral work that is no less than 9 minutes and no greater than 20 minutes in length, from memory (can be a movement from a standard concerto or a multi movement work.)
Audition time slots will be up to 15 minute intervals (cuts are acceptable for the audition).
The competition is open to all instrumentalists (except piano & saxophone).
First place winner will receive a performance with the Kansas City Civic Orchestra on Saturday, April 29, 2017 and a prize of $500.00.
Second place may receive acknowledgement at our March 4, 2016 performance.
Kansas City Civic Orchestra reserves the right to have both first and second place winners perform at the March 2017 concert.
Winner(s) must be available for rehearsals on: Tuesday, April 18 & 25 (between 7:30pm – 9:30pm) and Saturday, April 29 (between 9:00am – 3:00pm.) Specific times within these rehearsals will be assigned at a later date.
All room/board/transportation is at the expense of the competition participant.
The $25.00 application fee is non-refundable
Audition date/time/place is non-negotiable.
An audition time will be emailed to participant within one week of the application deadline.
Competition participants must supply their respective instrument at audition/performance.
Competition participants must supply their own accompanist at audition.
Judges may come from within or may be guests of the Kansas City Civic Orchestra.
Winner selection will be announced and emailed at the end of the audition day.
Judge’s decision is final.
The Kansas City Civic Orchestra can decide not to award winners/prizes.
Failure to abide by these guidelines and rules may result in participant’s disqualification.
Feel free to contact us with any additional questions.
10/21/2016
Early childhood and lower school students experienced music with their ears, eyes— and hands—during a visit from members of the Kansas City Civic Orchestra on Wednesday, October 19.
Jennifer Mitchell and Don Goldenbaum are members of the all-volunteer, community-based orchestra that performs high-quality, free concerts throughout the metro area. They shared their musical passion with students in pre-Kindergarten through grade 2 on Wednesday, October 19.
FROM IPADS TO PARTICIPANTS
Their visit gave students the opportunity to not only hear a short violin concert, but also to see a live performance and to touch instruments and feel what it’s like to create sounds on a violin and viola.
Kristi Mitchell’s grade 1 and 2 students are studying orchestra instruments and instrument families in class this quarter. The live demonstration took those lessons to a new level.
“We’ve listened to classical music on an iPad app, but the transfer from studying it on the iPad to experiencing music live and in person was really cool,” Mitchell said.
The duo played songs that many of the children recognized, but might not have realized how instruments are used to create them: “Belle,” and “Cruella deVille” from Disney movies, “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and “Jingle Bells.”
TRYING THEIR HAND AT MAKING MUSIC
The familiar adage, “Look, but don’t touch,” was not part of the experience. Children passed around real horsehair that is used to make bowstrings. Mitchell and Goldenbaum also allowed every student in their audiences to hold their bows as the musicians guided them across the strings.
Barstow Director of Health Services Gay Lee Ludwig-Bonney ( aka Nurse Bonney) is a longtime member of the Kansas City Civic Orchestra. She plays the double bass, the largest of the stringed instruments. She said these outreach programs and events like the upcoming Instrument Petting Zoo give curious children the opportunity to develop a love of music at an early age.
“It inspires them to explore, to touch, to play, even to blow into a trumpet and create sound,” she said.
Children who are interested in more hands-on musical experiences are invited to attend the Kansas City Civic Orchestra’s Instrument Petting Zoo and family-friendly concert November 12 at 1:00 p.m. at Atonement Lutheran Church in Overland Park, Kansas.
Our third Annual Instrument Petting Zoo takes place November 12th at 1pm. The Petting Zoo gives kids the opportunity to touch, play, and learn about a variety of instruments. After the zoo participants are encouraged to stay for our 2pm performance of Peter and the Wolf narrated by local celebrity Bryan Busby!
Saturday, November 12, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. Preceded by our third annual Instrument Petting Zoo for kids at 1:00 p.m.!
Free – no tickets required
Atonement Lutheran Church (directions)
9948 Metcalf Ave
Overland Park, KS 6621
Featuring Guest Conductor Michael Mapp Musical Menagerie
This concert will feature music that is inspired by animals. Opening with Strauss’ famous Overture to Die Fledermaus, the audience will experience a light program that is sure to entertain both young and old. The final piece on the program is Prokofiev’s, Peter and the Wolf, narrated by Brian Busby. Peter and the Wolf will also be the portion performed on Saturday for the children’s concert.
Hoe Down from Rodeo – Aaron Copland
Baby Elephant Walk – Henry Mancini
Selections from The Carnival of the Animals – Camille Saint-Saens
Intermission
Peter and the Wolf – SergeiProkofiev, with narrator Bryan Busby!
Friday, December 9, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. Our Annual Silent Auction fundraiser will precede both concerts at 6:45.
Free – no tickets required
Atonement Lutheran Church (directions)
9948 Metcalf Ave
Overland Park, KS 6621
Featuring Guest Conductor Michael Mapp
Holiday classics featuring singers such as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin.
A Christmas Festival
Silver Bells
White Christmas
Let It Snow
Silver Bells – Bing Crosby
Troika – Prokofiev
Christmas Song
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Festive Sounds of Hanukkah
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
And, of course, our annual performance of Sleigh Ride, conducted by a member of our audience.
Saturday, October 8, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.
Pre-Concert Talk at 6:45 p.m.
Free – no tickets required
Atonement Lutheran Church (directions)
9948 Metcalf Ave
Overland Park, KS 6621
Featuring Guest Conductor Michael Mapp Red October
This concert will feature works by notable Russian composers and culminate with Shostakovich’s monumental 5th Symphony.
Procession of the Nobles – Rimsky-Korsakov
In the Steppes of Central Asia – Alexander Borodin