the Concert Orchestra for outstanding musicians in grades 7 – 10 ; and the Youth Orchestra , a pre-professional orchestra for grades 9 – 12 . Hundreds of aspiring musicians from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region apply each year and go through a rigorous audition process to win seats . The commitment is not a small one ; once accepted , the young players rehearse once a week at the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology in Towson and are expected to practice their orchestral parts at home .
Each ensemble plays three concerts during the season and there are also opportunities for small chamber group performances . The Youth Orchestra repertoire is no different from what might be heard at the Meyerhoff and Strathmore , including selections from the classical canon and new works . In May , for example , the BSYO will perform Holst ’ s The Planets at the Meyerhoff .
Hersh , also the co-curator of the BSO ’ s Pulse series — which combines classical programming with indie rock — has experience in a wide array
“
“ Suddenly something … clicks into place and the kids finally get it … that is an incredible feeling .”
Nicholas Hersh
of genres . He sees value in introducing students to new works . “ I ’ m trying to work with repertoire that could be considered a stretch technically ,” he says . When confronted with a contemporary composition , young musicians can ’ t always turn to a recording to learn melody and pacing , as they might with a piece by Mozart or Bach . This season , the Youth Orchestra learned pieces by Anna Clyne and a folk suite by early 20 th -century Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály , works that “ are cerebral and require virtuosity ,” Hersh says . “ As a musician , stepping out of your comfort zone is essential .”
At the same time , the conductor stresses , youth orchestra is about more than playing music . “ The point of playing in an orchestra is much more than learning to play Brahms or Beethoven ,” he points out . “ The skills required are really hard to acquire and can only be done by actually playing in an orchestra — at the highest level you can .”
Furthermore , he says , “ These kids come out with a better understanding not only of music but of interpersonal relationships , conflict resolution and cooperation .”
Hersh , who grew up in Evanston , IL , and earned his bachelor ’ s at Stanford and his master ’ s at Indiana University ’ s Jacobs School of Music , began his musical training on the cello . He joined the BSO as assistant conductor in 2014 . Along with his work with the BSYO and Pulse , he has conducted the BSO during the subscription season .
Conducting the youngest musicians is not without its trials . There are the competing demands of family , school and extracurricular activities . Hersh says it is a challenge for all educators to instill the discipline , focus and level of priority a youth orchestra requires . But then there are those moments when it all comes together . One was last fall , Hersh recalls , when the string section “ got this perfect sound .” At moments like those , he says , “ suddenly something you ’ ve been harping on for a long time clicks into place and the kids finally get it .” For an educator , Hersh says , “ that is an incredible feeling .”
Currently , the BSYO has three ensembles tailored to specific ages and abilities .