Our Mission
To provide music education and performance opportunities to inspire and enrich the lives of young people.
Visit the links in the left side bar to learn more about the history of TRYPO, the conductors and coaches who direct and teach the orchestra members, and the staff who keep the orchestras running behind the scenes.
ABOUT THE ORCHESTRAS...
Established in 1974, Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras is a non-profit organization that provides the musically talented young people of the tri-state area with music education and performance opportunities that inspire and enrich their lives. The Young Peoples Orchestra (YPO) is open to students ages 14 through 18 and is a full symphonic orchestra. Symphonette is a string orchestra for students ages 10 through 15 and is a training ground for young, talented string players to learn to play together in an ensemble. Once accepted, students do not have to re-audition until they are ready to audition for the next ensemble.
Attendance is very important and we expect all members to commit their Saturday afternoons to TRYPO. Benefits of Membership:
- • Weekly two and a half hour rehearsals every Saturday at the Mary Pappert School of Music, Duquesne University during the school year in the afternoon.
- •YPO members participate in monthly sectional coachings from Pittsburgh Symphony members and other local professionals
- • Symphonette members participate in quarterly sectionals with local professional music educators
- • Chamber music classes are available to all members
- • Annual concerto competition available to YPO
- • Approximately three concerts per orchestra
- • YPO has a retreat known as Mini-Camp at the beginning of each season to kick off the year. The students spend two intensive days getting to know each other and the music at beautiful accommodations in West Virginia.
ABOUT THE REPERTOIRE...
YPO performs standard orchestral repertoire for full orchestra. Recent repertoire selections have included:
- • Beethoven's "Coriolan" Overture, op. 62
- • Bizet's Suite No. 1 from Carmen
- • Borodin's "Polovtesian Dances" from Prince Igor
- • De Falla's El Amor brujo
- • Schubert's Overture to Rosamunde
- • Kabalevsky's Overture to Colas Breugnon
- • Copland's "Saturday Night Waltz" from Rodeo
- • Strauss' Beautiful Blue Danube Waltzes
- • Beethoven's Symphony No. 5
- • Offenbach's "Orpheus in the Underworld" Overture
Symphonette performs challenging repertoire for string orchestra according to their level of playing abilities. Recent repertoire selections have included:
- • Brahms' Lullaby for the Christ Child (arr.)
- • Akpabot's Three Nigerian Dances
- • Husa's Vier Kleine Stucke
- • Sibelius' Andante Festivo
- • Dvorak's "Song to the Moon" from Rusalka (arr.)
- • Dittersdorf's Concerto in E Major for Bass and Orchestra with Pittsburgh Symphony bassist Jeffrey Grubbs
- • Weill's "Lost in the Stars" with Pittsburgh Symphony bassist Jeffrey Grubbs (arr.)
- • Grieg's Holberg Suite, Op. 4
ABOUT TUITION...
For those students who are accepted into TRYPO, tuition is $350.00 per semester.
For members of YPO, the season kick-off Mini-Camp is $295.00 and includes lodging and meals.
For students who elect to enroll in the Chamber Music Program, tuition is TBA for the full-year program.
Need-based scholarships are available for students demonstrating need for tuition assistance. Payment plans can be accommodated, as well as sibling discounts for families with more than one child participating in TRYPO.