Type of Ensemble: String Ensemble for violins, violas, cellos, and basses. 2019-20 enrollment: 43
Typical Symphonette Students: Symphonette are generally from the greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area and from as far as West Virginia and Ohio. While auditions are based on playing level and not age, most students are in between 7th and 12th grades, with some younger students and some older students.
Conductor: Andrew Wickesberg is the conductor of Symphonette. See Artistic Staff for more information about Mr. Wickesberg.
Coaches: Students break out into periodic sectionals to focus on technique and their individual parts. Symphonette coaching staff is drawn from members of the Pittsburgh Symphony and other professional local teaching artists. See Artistic Staff for more information about Symphonette’s artistic staff.
Performances: Symphonette performs two to four concerts a year.
Rehearsals: Symphonette rehearses on Saturday mornings from 10:00am to 12:30pm at the Mary Pappert School of Music of Duquesne University.
Retreats: Symphonette has a season retreat day camp at the start of each season.
Travel: TRYPO believes that performing while traveling uniquely cements a student’s relationship with music and wants its large ensembles to travel every three years. The 2014-15 Season was a travel year for Symphonette, which had a day trip to the Chautauqua Institute. During the 2017-18 Season, Symphonette participated in a dual exchange with the Youth Philharmonic from the DC Youth Orchestra program. All Symphonette students are expected and encouraged to travel with Symphonette during a travel season. However, with proper notice, permission to miss the trip may be granted without jeopardizing the student’s membership in the orchestra. The next travel year for TRYPO was anticipated to be the 2020-21 season, however given the current situation with COVID-19, we do not yet know when we will next be able to travel.
Auditions:Symphonette has auditions every May/June for entry to the next season. Due to the current restrictions on gatherings, we will move to an online audition. If possible, some in-person auditions will be scheduled. We’ll keep you updated. See New Member Auditions for more information on how to join Symphonette and for current openings (if any).
Repertoire: Symphonette performs challenging repertoire for string orchestra according to their level of playing abilities. Recent repertoire selections have included:
- Handel – Water Music Suites: 19-20 Season
- Bach – “Air on the G String” from Orchestral Suite No. 3: 19-20 Season
- Finzi – Prelude for Strings: 18-19 Season
- Warlock – Capriol Suite: 18-19 Season
- Handel – Concerto grosso, op. 6 no. 6 in G minor: 17-18 Season
- Elgar – Serenade for strings in E minor: 16-17 Season
- Part – Summafor Strings: 16-17 Season
- Respighi – Ancient Airs and Dances: 16-17 Season
- Rutter – Suite for Strings: 16-17 Season
- Grieg – Two Elegiac Melodies: 16-17 Season
- Handel – Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 7 in B flat Major, HWV325: 15-16 Season
- Janáček – Idyllfor String Orchestra: 15-16 Season
- Mendelssohn – String Symphony No. 8 in D Major: 15-16 Season
- Telemann – Viola Concerto in G Major, TWV 51:G9 (featuring Marylène Gingras-Roy, viola): 15-16 Season
- O’Conner – Appalachia Waltz: 15-16 Season
- Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G major, BWV 1048: 14-15 Season
- Haydn – Violin Concerto No. 2 in G Major (featuring Marta Krechkovsky, violin): 14-15 Season
Tuition: 2020-21 Tuition Fees are as follows. Visit our Tuition Assistance page for more information about scholarships.
| Symphonette Tuition Fees | Total Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $700 |
| Symphonette Day Tuition (Mandatory) | $20 |
- Financial aid and scholarship assistance are always available to students who demonstrate need. Families should not be discouraged from applying to TRYPO due to financial limitations. Visit our Tuition Assistance page for more information about scholarships.
- Family Discounts: TRYPO offers a family discount for households that have a child or children registered in more than one Sep-May TRYPO program. The first enrolled program will be charged at full price, but all subsequent programs qualify for $50 off per semester ($100/year).