PATRICIA C. SYAK | Music Youth plan festive holiday concerts

When area students perform on the Powers Auditorium stage during December concerts as musicians or singers, their programs will serve as both extensions of the educational process and fund raisers for their institutions.
The Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Stephen Gage and assisted by Michele Vari and student conductor Robert Seebacher, will present its first concert of the season at 4 p.m. Dec. 9.
Youth Orchestra Senior Concerto Competition winners, double bassist Nicholas Tartarka from Boardman High School and Moon Area Township High School student Robin Sisk, will be performing. Tartarka performs the "Allegro" movement from Domenico Dragonetti's "Concerto for Double Bass in A" with conductor Vari on the podium. Sick performs the "Allegro" movement from Edward Gregson's "Concerto for Tuba."
Conductors: Gage will conduct Rimsky-Korsakov's "Procession of the Nobles" and "Capriccio Espagnol." Dana School of Music student conductor Robert Seebacher will conduct Borodin's "In the Steppes of Central Asia."
The Youngstown Symphony Symphonettes, conducted by Vari, will perform selections of the holiday season.
Tickets are available at the door the day of the concert or in advance by calling the Symphony Center box office at (330) 744-0264.
The third-annual Christmas in the City concert to benefit the five Catholic elementary schools in Youngstown will be performed at 7 p.m. Dec. 17 at Powers Auditorium. The Youngstown Catholic Elementary Schools Choir will join the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under the direction of Isaiah Jackson. The 50-member Catholic Elementary Schools Choir will perform Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" from "Messiah."
The opportunity for these young people to perform before their families and friends and to work with Jackson and the Orchestra and Chorus is an important extension of their learning experience and self-development.
Fund raiser: Christmas in the City is a unique fund-raising event for the Catholic elementary schools in Youngstown. It is the first of its kind, using a local symphony to raise monies for Catholic elementary schools. Principals, teachers, parents and interested citizens have banded together to form the Christmas in the City Committee. John McNally IV and St. Christine principal Kathy Victor lead the committee. The group is now seeking program advertisements and ticket sales, and coordinating student activities for those who will perform onstage and carol prior to the concert in the Symphony Center Grand Lobby.
Narration: WKBN TV personalities Gina Marinelli and Rich Morgan will narrate "The Snowman," Howard Blake's Academy Award-nominated cartoon based on the Raymond Biggs storybook. The tale, set in an enchanted forest, involves the adventures of a little boy and his come-to-life snowman's magical flute, with a visit from Father Christmas.
The Youngstown Symphony Orchestra and Chorus will perform the Christmas portion of Handel's "Messiah" and perennial favorites "March of the Toys" from Victor Herbert's "Babes in Toyland" and carols "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing," "Joy to the World" and "Silent Night."
Tickets are available through the participating schools: Immaculate Conception, St. Brendan, St. Christine, St. Edward and St. Mathias, and Christmas in the City Committee members, or by calling the Symphony Center box office at (330) 744-0264.
XPatricia C. Syak is executive director of the Youngstown Symphony Society.