On Sunday, March 22, The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York will present performances featuring all of the Nassau County MYO orchestras at the new Adelphi University Performing Arts Center in Garden City. The featured soloist will be Long Island violinist, Anton Polezhayev.

Two concerts will be presented on March 22. The 2 PM concert will feature the MYO String & Concert Orchestras, led by Victoria Alaimo and Peggy Ho, as well as the new Suffolk Principal Orchestra, lead by Phil Preddice. At 5 PM the MYO Chamber Orchestra, led by Patricia Koppeis, and the MYO Nassau Principal Orchestra, directed by Scott Stickley will perform. Music will include works by Gershwin, Saint-Saens, Beethoven, Frescobaldi, Strauss and Bizet.

Violinist Anton Polezhayev, who will be performing Saint-Saen's "Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso," won "Grand Prix" at the "International Violin Competition Pierre Lantier" in Paris France, 1997, as well as numerous other competitions, awards and scholarships. Anton was a member of the New York Philharmonic from 2002 to 2004 and New Jersey Symphony Orchestra from 2000 to 2002. In addition to recital and private teaching schedule Anton recently held the position of Associate Concertmaster in "Orchestra Sinfonica do Estado de Sao Paulo", Brazil, and as a Teaching Artist at the C. W. Post Summer Music Festival. Mr. Polezhayev was featured on the cover of Part 2 of Newsday on October 21, 1992 and New York Times January 18th, 2004, and has performed numerous times on radio and television. His credits also include performances at the International Concert Series at Hofstra University, the Tilles Center, Alice Tully Hall in New York City, and numerous concert halls in Europe and Russia. Anton was educated at the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with Dr. Albert Markov (1993-1999) and Principal Associate Concertmaster of New York Philharmonic Ms. Sheryl Staples (1999-2001). Mr. Polezhayev was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1976, and at age 5 began his violin studies at the Central Music School of Moscow State Conservatory. Currently, Anton lives and teaches violin in Sea Cliff.

The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York was founded in 1993 and now has nearly five hundred members in it's fi ve orchestras and three choirs. Members hail from over one hundred different towns in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and New York City. The ensembles perform at various venues throughout Long Island, usually including concerts at Tilles Center and at Lincoln Center or Carnegie Hall each year. This year's final concert series will be held at Carnegie Hall on June 7, featuring the world premiere of a new orchestral work by 17-year old composer, Jay Greenberg. The orchestra has also performed throughout central and eastern Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and China. The MYO was founded by Glen Head resident, John McNeur, who recently was named "Educator of Note for 2008" by the Long Island Music Hall of Fame and will be honored this May as a Nassau BOCES "Educational Partner."

The Adelphi University Performing Arts Center is located at 1 South Ave. in Garden City. Tickets are $20 ($10 for students and senior citizens) and may be ordered online at http://aupac.adelphi.edu or by calling the Adelphi box office at 516-877-4000. For more information about the program, auditions, the orchestras or choruses, visit the web site at www.myo.org.