Spotlight on Young Musicians of Note

With a new conductor at the helm and a bit of international travel under their belts, members of the Glendale Youth Orchestra are tuning up for a concert next week.

Tuesday night’s performance at the Glendale Adventist Academy auditorium will feature works by Vivaldi, Saint-Saens and Beethoven.

Conductor Christopher Fazzi took over the group of Glendale area musicians--in sixth to 10th grades--last September from Richard Rintoul, who left to accept a position at a university.

One of Fazzi’s first projects was taking a group of 19 of the musicians to Toronto this year.

“It was kind of a conclusion to an exchange program,” said Diana Rutledge, the orchestra’s treasurer.

Last year, a student orchestra from Toronto’s Oakwood Collegiate Institute joined the Glendale youths in concert. The Glendale musicians traveled to Canada last month, staying for a week with Oakwood families and playing concerts, one at a historic house.

Rutledge said the youths went to Disneyland in February and played during Magical Music Days.

They are also playing in smaller ensembles, such as quartets and trios.

“We hope to develop that more so we can have them play at various other Glendale activities,” Rutledge said.

The ensembles played last week at a fund-raiser held in an area home.

“The crowd was very enthusiastic,” Rutledge said. “It was a lot of Glendale residents and people who are interested in the orchestra.”

Rutledge said that the orchestra is a volunteer organization funded by donations and concert proceeds. This year it also received a $7,500 grant from the city.

Tuesday’s concert at the academy, 700 Kimlin Drive, begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $3.