Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra Festival Strings

An Educational Outreach Program

FESTIVAL STRINGS 2012 DATES AND APPICIATION ARE AVAILABLE BELOW - PLEASE USE THE LINK TO PRINT THE APPLICATION WHICH CONTAINS INFORMATION ON PARTICIPATING THIS YEAR

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HISTORY OF FESTIVAL STRINGS

Festival Strings is an educational outreach program run by the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra, and includes more than 100 young musicians from over 30 towns in northern New Jersey. The group comes together for five intense rehearsals and a wonderful concert in Ridgewood each winter.

Membership in the orchestra is open to all string players in grades six through nine upon the recommendation of their school or private study music teachers; all students are accepted without audition. Although most students who participate are members of their school orchestra, the activity also serves many students from communities without school string programs. Abilities on their instruments must include a command of first position, with extensions and accidentals, and facility in the higher positions for more advanced sections of the orchestra. High school alumni of the program often return to serve as rehearsal assistants to help with tuning and placement adjudication.

The group was originally organized by Dr. Sandra Dackow, former RSO Music Director and Conductor, under the auspices of the New Jersey units of the National School Orchestra Association and the American String Teachers Association. Todd Van Beveren has conducted the Festival Strings Orchestra since 2009.

FESTIVAL STRINGS 2012

The Festival Strings 2012 concert will be Saturday afternoon, February 25, 2012 at the Ben Franklin Middle School Auditorium. Rehearsals start on Tuesday, February 7, 2012. The rehearsals dates, application deadline, and other details are included in the application which is available below. Former Festival Strings members, who are now in grades 10 - 12 and would like to participate as a rehearal assistant should send an email to the Festival Strings link below to request an application.

Click Here for Printable Forms: Student Application Form

Questions: email Admin@ridgewoodsymphony.org (please put "Festival Strings" in the subject line)

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