Youth Orchestra & Chorus Have Openings

Members of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York will be touring Australia and New Zealand this summer. Pictured is the MYO Touring Orchestra on The Great Wall during their tour of China in July of 2006.

The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York is inviting high-school-aged orchestral and vocal musicians to audition for the group's July 2007 concert tour of Australia and New Zealand. The touring MYO Orchestra and Chorus will visit and perform throughout the two countries. An optional, additional week of touring will be spent on an island in the Pacific.

The ensembles have embarked on several international tours over the past years with concert visits to Central and Eastern Europe, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China, Spain, Italy, Greece and, last year, a return trip to China. John McNeur, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, said, "This has proven to be a life-changing experience for so many young people. Beyond the incredible experience of spreading goodwill through their music, the musicians have had so many opportunities to interact with people of very different cultures. The experiences lived by the young musicians have become the inspiration for countless college essays and, of course, unbelievable memories."

Those wishing more information on the tour, including a detailed itinerary, are encouraged to visit the orchestra's web site at www.myo.org, or call the MYO office at 516-676-4751. An informational tour meeting will be held at Herricks High School on Tuesday, January 16, at 6 PM.