Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra scales mountains with concert

Most 11-to-21-year-olds have never climbed the world's highest mountain.

But according to Randal Swiggum, Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra members will achieve a similar feat when they perform Gustav Mahler's First Symphony ("Titan") Sunday at Elgin Community College.

"Mahler's First Symphony is sort of the Mount Everest to climb if you're a young musician, and the Youth Symphony members have met the challenge each week in rehearsal," said Swiggum, the EYSO musical director, who has been with the orchestra for 10 years.

"The orchestra is the largest in EYSO history; and it's a huge piece, with lots of extra instruments and a wide range of emotional colors."

"People who know it and love it, love it because you cannot hear it even 10 times and hear everything."

"It's like exploring the Louvre -- you can't do that in the afternoon.

"You have to keep going back over and over and keep seeing things differently, and that's how this piece is."

The EYSO, which consists of high school and college-age musicians, will play one movement of the piece at the 4 p.m. concert and two at the 7 p.m. performance.

The young musicians aren't daunted by the challenge, according to Swiggum.

"They love playing it, and because they really understand it, they play it with a maturity that is often breathtaking."

The musicians' developing maturity is one of the many factors Swiggum considers when choosing a piece for his talented students.

Some of the criteria for Swiggum's musical choices are based on questions he asks himself in order to refine his search.

He asks, "Does it challenge them technically?

"Does it challenge them emotionally?

"Does it challenge them philosophically in terms of what the piece is about?

"Does it give them something to think about besides the technique of playing their instruments?"

Jason Flacks is conductor of the brass choir, a group of more than 40 brass and percussion players culled from the EYSO. The group will play at the 7 p.m. show.

Flacks is also looking to challenge his musicians, which he says is not an easy task.

"It's actually very tricky to choose music for a youth ensemble," said Flacks.

"They're all really excellent musicians.

"But the majority of the brass-choir literature is either really simple or really hard, so it takes a long time to find just the right pieces."

The brass orchestra will play "Mutations from Bach" by Samuel Barber, which is choral settings of part of the Catholic Mass.

The instruments combine in such a way as to resemble an organ, according to Flacks.

"Its going to be a big night for the brass," said Flacks.

"The Mahler is a huge piece for brass players, so they're going to go out of the frying pan and into the fire."

The Philharmonia symphony orchestra, scheduled to play at the 4 p.m. performance, consists of younger musicians -- sixth grade through high school -- and is directed by newcomer David Anderson, who graduated from the University of Illinois in 2006 with a degree in orchestral conducting.

Anderson has high praise for his pupils.

"The kids are top-notch. They have great attitudes, they do everything I ask them to do and more."

The Philharmonia will open the concert with Brahms' "Hungarian Dance." Next comes the second movement of Hanson's Second Symphony, and the Philharmonia will finish its portion of the show with Ravel's orchestration of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition."

Anderson looks to show off his student's musicianship with his choice of music, and also looks to challenge his orchestra and provide variety.

"Mussorgsky is mainly fast music and Hanson is slow and lyrical and melodic.

"Brahms is short and gets the audience's attention -- and it's a lot of fun to play."

The young musicians have surpassed Anderson's initial expectation with their dedication and talent.

"By the third or fourth rehearsal I realized these kids are just about ready for the concert and we have twice the amount of rehearsals to go," he said.

"So I kept challenging the students on musical concepts that people don't expect in junior high and high school, things that you would ask collegiate and professional orchestras to do.

"It's very fulfilling to hear these students play beyond their experience and years."

The experience of playing with the 300 students from more than 50 communities that make up the EYSO itself is a challenge to the orchestras, according to Flacks.

"They know that all of the top players in the area are playing in this. So they're in a group where kids are challenging them and pushing them to play at another level."

"We're starting to get more kids from college that are coming back to play, because the level of the group has really risen to a point where they are still challenged through college," said Flacks.

If you go

What: The Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra's "Transcend" concerts

When: 4 and 7 p.m. Sunday

Where: Elgin Community College Blizzard Theatre, 1700 Spartan Drive

How much? $19 for adults, $12 for seniors and $10 for students

Info: Call (847) 622-0300 or visit at www.elgin.edu/arts