Youth Orchestra from Chesapeake, Virginia, finishes cultural excursion in Finland, Sweden, and Estonia, showcasing their music talents.
Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra Embarks on Cultural and Musical Journey Through Finland, Sweden, and Estonia
The Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra (CYSO) recently returned from an enriching international summer tour, travelling through Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. The tour offered a unique blend of performance opportunities and cultural immersion for the youth musicians.
The journey began with a visit to Ainola, the former home of Jean Sibelius, a renowned Finnish composer. This immersion into Finnish musical heritage provided the orchestra with a deeper understanding of the roots of Finnish music.
During their time in Finland, the CYSO performed at the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, the largest folk music celebration in the Nordic countries. They also had the privilege of performing for Jorma Panula, a famed Finnish conductor and mentor to many top conductors.
In addition to their musical engagements, the students enjoyed local water parks and adventure centers, experienced a traditional Finnish sauna, and toured the iconic Rock Church in Helsinki. They also visited the Fazer chocolate factory and a historic sea fortress and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Suomenlinna.
In Sweden, the orchestra played in Pohjanranta and participated in a church service at Haparanda Church. The final destination of the tour was Tallinn, Estonia, where students toured the city's medieval old town.
Throughout the tour, the CYSO continued its mission of nurturing the next generation of musicians through high-quality ensemble training and educational opportunities. Dane Krich, Executive Director of CYSO, stated that the tour was a meaningful experience for the students, offering valuable performance opportunities.
The CYSO expressed gratitude to families, supporters, and community partners for making the international tour possible. For more information on auditions, upcoming concerts, or how to support the orchestra, visit their website at www.cysomusic.org.
While the CYSO has not been mentioned as performing at a regional jazz fest or music conference recently, their latest international tour underscores their commitment to broadening the global musical perspectives of their young musicians through direct contact with the heritage and contemporary music scenes of various countries.
The youth musicians continued their musical journey beyond Finland, performring at Pohjanranta in Sweden and participating in a church service at Haparanda Church. They further extended their experiences by immersing in Estonia's lifestyle, touring the medieval old town of Tallinn. This tour, showcasing a fusion of travel, entertainment, and music, broadened the global musical perspectives of the CYSO, reaching beyond classical music to include the contemporary music scenes of various nations.
