Type of Ensemble: String Ensemble for violins, violas, cellos, and basses. 2017-18 enrollment: 55
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 10th 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.
EQTeach 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. EQTeach is underwritten by the EQT Foundation.
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 at the Mary Pappert School of Music of Duquesne University.
Travel: TRYPO large ensembles 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.
Auditions: Symphonette has auditions every May/June for entry to the next season. 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’s Concerto grosso, op. 6 no. 6 in G minor
- Elgar’s Serenade for strings in E minor: 16-17 Season
- Part’s Summa for Strings: 16-17 Season
- Respighi’s Ancient Airs and Dances: 16-17 Season
- Rutter’s Suite for Strings: 16-17 Season
- Grieg’s Two Elegiac Melodies: 16-17 Season
- Handel’s Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 7 in B flat Major, HWV325: 15-16 Season
- Janáček’s Idyll for String Orchestra: 15-16 Season
- Mendelssohn’s String Symphony No. 8 in D Major: 15-16 Season
- Telemann’s Viola Concerto in G Major, TWV 51:G9 (featuring Marylène Gingras-Roy, viola): 15-16 Season
- O’Conner’s Appalachia Waltz: 15-16 Season
- Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G major, BWV 1048: 14-15 Season
- Haydn’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in G Major (featuring Marta Krechkovsky, violin): 14-15 Season
City Music Center: TRYPO is pleased to be affiliated with City Music Center [CMC] of Duquesne University at the Mary Pappert School of Music. CMC offers a comprehensive program of individual instrumental instruction combined with a sequenced, age-appropriate musicianship curriculum, ensemble and recital opportunities. Students in a cross-registered program (X-Reg) have access to all of the best parts of both CMC and TRYPO. By bundling your membership in both CMC and TRYPO programs, your time and money go a lot further. For more information about CMC X-Reg Bundles, click HERE.
Please note that additional fees to City Music Center will apply. See below for more information. For members not interested in participating in CMC, your TRYPO membership can stay just as it is. There are no obligations, just opportunities for those who want them. Please note: TRYPO does not give any preference to City Music Center students at auditions, seating assignments or any other program or event.
Tuition: 2018-19 Tuition Fees are as follows. Most tuition fees are split into fall and spring payments. Visit our Tuition Assistance page for more information about scholarships.
| Symphonette Tuition Fees Payable to TRYPO | Total Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition (Students in SYM only) | $700 |
| Tuition (X-Reg students in both CMC and SYM *) | $50 |
| Symphonette Day Tuition (Applicable to both SYM only as well as CMC X-Reg students) | $20 |
*Additional tuition fees to City Music Center applicable. For more information about City Music Center’s cross-registration, see their website.