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The Williamsport Symphony Youth Orchestra will perform their annual Spring Concert at the Community Arts Center on Monday, March 31st. Music begins at 7:30pm.

As an adjunct to the Williamport Symphony Orchestra, the sixty-plus member Youth Orchestra provides an educational and performance medium for aspiring young musicians from middle school students up to "college age."

The program will include "Finlandia" by Sibelius, the "English Folk Songs Suite" by Ralph Vaughan Williams, a tribute to Marvin Hamlisch, and works by Bach and Rimsky-Korsakov.

Finalists from the WSO's 2008 Young Artists' Competition will also perform. Pianist Anthony Cornet (of Altoona) will play the Toccata Concertata from Ginestera's First Piano Concerto. Vocalist Brian Mextorf will sing selections from "The Creation" by Haydn.

The Youth Orchestra will be conducted by Jeffrey Tedford, who is filling in for an ailing Dr. Christopher Para. On past occasions, Tedford has been the assistant conductor for the WSYO and the Williamsport Chamber Choir & Orchestra. In 2003 he earned his M.M. in conducting from Carnegie Mellon University. While in Pittsburgh, he studied with Robert Page, Conducting Assistant with Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. Tedford also performed with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and under the baton of internationally-renowned conductors. In 2002 he was a Conducting Fellow to the Dennis Keene Conducting Festival. Tedford has also played first violin with the WSO.

The Youth Orchestra was founded by Walt Straiton, who passed the baton to Rick Coulter. Under Coulter's supervision, the Williamsport Area School District has won numerous awards--including the President's Committee on Arts and the Humanities--and the WASD has been rated as one of the best school districts in the nation for music education.

This event is free to the public. No tickets are required. Donations to the Youth Orchestra will be accepted. For information phone (570) 322-0227.