The Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Welfen-Gymnasium and the music school Pfaffenwinkel e. V. has developed several classics of orchestral repertoire in the past school year. Well-filled in the brass, strings and percussion, it performed the first two movements of Antonin Dvorak's "Symphony from the New World" in the Advent Concert in the Transfiguration of Christ.
Soon after the annual music and leisure days in Wies, the orchestra set off for Dvorak's home country in March 2018. During a four-day trip to the Czech Republic, the Ensemble u. a. met the choir of Masaryk Grammar School Pilsen too. Orchestra director Matthias Utz contacted the local music and German teacher Mr. Petr Puda at the beginning of the school year. The result was a very friendly, intense contact and the anticipation of the meeting of both ensembles grew. The organization of the entire trip was in the hands of the Schongauer, but with the help of the active support from Pilsen the local concert as well as an easy and cheap accommodation could be organized, which limited financially the young musicians (and parents).
After extensive music test on the spot has orchestra performed in excellent acoustic friendly gym sexcept of Dvorak other pieces of classical music as “Bolero” from Ravel or prelude from Rossinis´s “Wilhelm Tell”. Together with the school choir under the direction of Mrs. Jolana Chaloupková they all played the title “I Will Follow Him” from a successful musical “Sister Act”. Before that, a mixed choir sang traditional Czech piece and with elegant Gershwin´s song “I got rhythm”, including a virtuoso piano solo from the choir director, the English part of the concert begun. The orchestra with more than 40 musicians played here for example the film music from "Narnia" or suite from "Harry Potter". Matthias Utz was supported at the conductor's place by Michael Müller, a former student who is now studying music at University of music and Art Munich Musicschool. Mrs. Giulia Reich, art teacher at the Welfen-Gymnasium, as well as the pianist Katja Brandl and the violinist Britta van der Smagt also accompanied the orchestra too.
It was a great enrichment and appreciation that some former long-time members of the orchestra have re-joined the orchestra on this concert tour. After the lunch at the local school canteen, the orchestra went for a walk in the old town of Pilsen before continuing on its journey to Prague.
Daniela Fišerová, Jan Pohořelý, Sára Kolorosová, Tereza Tomanová, sexta A
