Young Musicians To Perform With Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

This Fourth Annual Side-By-Side concert is an educational and performance experience for the GBYO. This all-Russian program includes Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky and Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The primary goal of this annual event is to highlight the importance of musical education by selecting young musicians, who are accomplished artists, to play "side-by-side" with the BPO in a performance setting.

"This special concert gives WNY high school students the opportunity to showcase their extraordinary talents, while performing beside and being mentored by some of most accomplished professional musicians in the world," said Paul Murray, Senior Vice President, Organizational Development and Human Resources with Gibraltar Industries. "Gibraltar is privileged to be part of such a worthy cause, as we strive to nurture the talents of areas students, while investing in their development through music and education," added Mr. Murray.

In the weeks leading up to the performance, BPO musicians from each section of the orchestra, monitor the students' GBYO rehearsals, coach the students in sections and play with them during their orchestra rehearsal. The mentoring and developmental stages will culminate with a professional rehearsal, followed by the evening's Side-By-Side concert. The first half of the concert will be conducted by Gerard Floriano, music director of the GBYO, the second half by Robert Franz, resident conductor of the BPO.

The Side-By-Side performance is free to the public. Tickets are general admission seating and are required for this event. For tickets, call the BPO Box Office at 716.885.5000 or toll-free, 800.699.3168 or visit the BPO Box Office located at Kleinhans Music Hall, 370 Pennsylvania Avenue. Hours are Mon through Fri., 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra (GBYO) - Now in its 48th season, the GBYO features 90 youth musicians representing all four musical families. Students from both private and public high schools make-up the ensemble cast.

The musicians are outstanding students who not only receive accolades in music, but have won National Math, Science and Literature awards, and excel at many endeavors. Under Dr. Floriano, the orchestra tours annually within the United States and has also toured internationally to Italy and Spain. In 1958 the Western New York Youth Orchestra was formed by Dr. Robert Mols, and in 1973 the name was changed to the Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra. The GBYO has performed under Pamela Gearhart, John Landis, David Miller, Ansgarius Aylward, and currently Dr. Gerard Floriano.

In 1983, an additional group, the Greater Buffalo Youth String Orchestra was formed to provide a preparatory orchestral experience for young musicians. Alumni of GBYO have attended the most prestigious music conservatories and universities in the United States - Curtis, Juilliard, Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, Brown, Oberlin, Cleveland Institute of Music, USC, Indiana University, Rice, Yale, Tufts, Columbia, and NYU - and have successful careers in music, medicine, law, literature, and research.

Gibraltar Industries - Gibraltar's commitment to the arts dates back to 1993 when the Lipke Foundation established the Gibraltar Performing Arts Awards program, the "Kenny Awards," recognizing the talent, dedication, and achievement of student performers from area high schools. Gibraltar is very pleased to invest in the community by helping to expand the musical horizons of young area musicians.

In addition to the educational experience, Gibraltar is also very excited to see these most talented and dedicated students receive the recognition they deserve. In addition to underwriting the Youth Orchestra members' "side-by-side" experience and concert, Gibraltar provides an additional $5,000 in prize money to be awarded to the area schools who demonstrate the strongest concert attendance support for their respective GBYO musician. Gibraltar Industries is a leading manufacturer, processor, and distributor of primary metals for the building, industrial and vehicular markets. The company serves a large number of customers in a variety of industries in all 50 states and throughout the world. It has approximately 3,500 employees and operates 77 facilities in 26 states, Canada, China, England, Germany, and Poland. -- www.bpo.org