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About us
The Rio Grande Youth Orchestra at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley brings classical music to life for young people across the Rio Grande Valley region. Its mission is to enrich, educate, and entertain diverse audiences of all ages in our communities through performances of orchestral music, offering a pre-college orchestra experience for young musicians while enhancing the vibrancy and vitality of the arts in the Rio Grande Valley.
The Rio Grande Youth Orchestra features talented student musicians from the Rio Grande Valley and communities nearby. Members perform a wide variety of standard and newly composed orchestral repertoire, including full scale symphonies, solo concertos, and works by living composers. Concerts take place at the beautiful UTRGV Performing Arts Complex in Edinburg. Students have the opportunity to meet regularly for sectionals with distinguished members of the UTRGV music faculty and other professional community musicians, including members of the Valley Symphony Orchestra. The Rio Grande Youth Orchestra is open through auditions to all string, woodwind, brass and percussion students ages 12 to 21. Applicants should have several years of orchestra and/or band experience and perform individually at a high level. To participate in the Rio Grande Youth Symphony students must be members of their school’s parent organization (band and/or orchestra) in order to be eligible for membership (students from schools with no performing music ensembles and homeschool students exempted).
The orchestra performs two programs every season, one in the fall and one in the spring. Rehearsals will take place every Sunday afternoon from 2:00-4:30 p.m. in the School of Music at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, starting in September and ending in May each season. Members are selected through annual auditions which take place in late August. Application information and materials can be obtained below.
For more information please contact Dr. Norman Gamboa via email at norman.gamboa@utrgv.edu, or by phone at (956) 665-8713.
JOIN THE RGYO
The Rio Grande Youth Orchestra (RGYO) challenges young musicians to rise to their full potential as performers, students, and productive citizens of tomorrow. Members of the RGYO develop important skills such as self-discipline and motivation, teamwork, responsibility, dedication, increased confidence, and the ability to communicate respectfully and effectively with peers, all while expanding their musical talent.
REGISTER FOR AN AUDITION CLICK HERE
Eligibility
- Applicants must be students age 12 to 21 and active participants in their school band and/or orchestra program (homeschool and students in schools with no music ensembles exempted)
- Applicants should have proficiency at least up to 4 sharps and 4 flats in at least 2 octaves, concert pitch (string players, 3 octaves)
- Percussion applicants should prepare to audition on timpani, snare drum, cymbals and mallet instruments.
- Flutists should be prepared to audition on piccolo, if possible
- Oboists should be prepared to audition on English Horn, if possible
- Horn and trumpet applicants, knowledge of transpositions encouraged
- Bassoonists, knowledge of tenor clef encouraged
- Trombonists, knowledge of alto and tenor clefs encouraged
- All applicants must prepare a short 2-3 minutes solo piece that showcases their technical and musical abilities
- Recommended proficiency for violin and viola players:
- Facility in advanced positions
- Established vibrato
- Violists should have knowledge of treble clef
- Recommended proficiency for cello players:
- Facility in 1st through 4th positions (thumb position encouraged)
- Acquaintance with treble and tenor clefs encouraged
- Established vibrato
- Recommended proficiency for bass players:
- Facility in half through thumb position preferred
- Acquaintance with treble and tenor clefs encouraged
- Established vibrato
Tuition and Forms
A limited number of partial scholarships will be available and they will be based on the student's ability to pay and the orchestra instrumentation requirements. If you are in need of financial assistance, download and complete the scholarship application form below and present to Dr. Norman Gamboa no later than September 27, 2024.
The UTRGV School of Music address is 1201 W University Drive. Edinburg, TX 78539.
PLEASE NOTE: there will be a late fee of $20 if tuition payments are not submitted by September 27th, 2024.
Tuition Payment Form (Click Here to Download)
Tuition Assistance Form (Click Here to Download)
Membership Handbook (Click Here to Download)
Liability Release Form (Click Here to Download)
Audition
ELIGIBILITY
Open to students ages 12 to 21 in all orchestral instruments: violin, viola, cello, bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, harp, percussion (students under the age of 12 may also audition with written recommendation of their band/orchestra director or private lesson teacher).
TIMELINE
July 25: Audition registration opens (all students must register to audition)
August 29-31: In-person auditions
August 31: Deadline for video audition submissions
September 3: Acceptance letters emailed directly to parents and students
September 8: Rehearsals begin
AUDITION FORMAT
Auditions will be in-person or by video submission. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the audition site.
AUDITION REQUIREMENTS
- A solo of your choice (2-3 minutes). Make sure your choice of solo piece best displays your highest playing ability. This can be an entire 2–3-minute piece or a 2–3-minute excerpt from a longer piece. You are not required to have piano accompaniment. This is your chance to really put your best “musical foot forward” and shine! Memorization is not required.
- You will be asked to play a major scale. Sight reading may be required during your audition at the conductor’s discretion.
- Percussionist should prepare a short excerpt for snare drum and a short excerpt for mallets.
Acceptance and placement are based on criteria listed above in addition to grade level, instrumentation needs and orchestra/ensemble availability. All orchestra placements are final. Students may audition on more than one instrument.
In the event regulations preclude in-person gatherings, the Rio Grande Youth Symphony reserves the right to transition rehearsals and programming online as needed.