WRTI Broadcasts Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Concerts Sundays In May

WRTI 90.1 is broadcasting four concerts by the talented young musicians of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO) during the month of May in 2020. Performing with exceptional soloists and conducted by Maestro Louis Scaglione, the four-week schedule includes full concerts from 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020.

The broadcast will take place on Sunday May 3, 10, 17 and 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. and will be co-hosted by WRTI's Kevin Gordon and Maestro Scaglione. It is available on the radio at WRTI 90.1, streaming at WRTI.org, and on the WRTI App.

Maestro Scaglione feels very fortunate and honored to have this excellent ongoing relationship with WRTI, as they have supported PYO and broadcast their concerts for years. He said, "We know that we are privileged to have the support of Bill Johnson (WRTI General Manager) and everyone at WRTI, but this year it feels even more poignant. We are now able to share our music with audiences everywhere, as we had to cancel our concerts due to the pandemic. We extend our sincere gratitude to WRTI for supporting our students and salute WRTI for supporting music education."

The following concerts are planned in May:

Sunday, May 3, 2020, 4:00 p.m.

PYO Concert

(Performance date: November 17, 2019)

The afternoon's program will open with JohannesBrahms' Symphony No. 4, then proceed with Sergi Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé and conclude with Ottorino Respighi's rousing work, Pines of Rome

Sunday, May 10, 2020, 4:00 p.m.

PYO Concert with Special Guest Celebrated Violinist Francesca dePasquale, PYO Alumna

(Performance date: February 23, 2020)

The program will open with Samuel Barber's Medea's Dance of Vengeance, then proceed with dePasquale as soloist with the orchestra in Dmitri Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1 and conclude with Aaron Copland's Symphony No. 3.

Sunday, May 17, 2020, 4:00 p.m.

PYO Concert featuring organist Alan Morrison and Bravo Brass Alum and Euphonium Soloist

Joel Collier

(Performance date: June 5, 2016)

The performance opens with Samuel Barber's Toccata Festiva, featuring internationally acclaimed guest organist Alan Morrison. Next on the program, Joel Collier is guest soloist with PYO in the U.S. premiere of Symphony Concertante by Roland Szentpali. It is followed by Blue Cathedral by Pulitzer Prize winner and Philadelphia-based composer Jennifer Higdon and concludes with Sergei Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances.

Sunday, May 24, 2020, 4:00 p.m.

PYO Concert featuring Violinist Michael Ludwig, Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Boys Choir, and guest vocal soloists Alexandra Nowakowski, Eric Rieger, and John Viscardi

(Performance Date: June 4, 2017)

The musical selections includethe winning composition by Alan Mackwell in the Inaugural Young Composers Competition titled Secretly Ramses the Second, Glazunov's Violin Concerto with Michael Ludwig and Orff's Carmina Burana with the Mendelssohn Club Chorus, Philadelphia Boys Choir, and vocal soloists Alexandra Nowakowski, Eric Rieger, and John Viscardi.