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Philadelphia Youth Orchestra 14 year-old Harpist to Perform at Carnegie Hall
Helen Gerhold of Lansdale, Pa. will perform at the famed NYC hall in April 2011
Philadelphia, PA – January 18, 2011. (Download PDF) The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO) today announced its harpist Helen Gerhold, 14, from Lansdale, Pa. was picked from hundreds of young classical musicians to perform this spring at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
Miss Gerhold was one of 15 finalists chosen by the public from hundreds who uploaded videos to YouTube.com/BigBreak, a new online contest that offers young musicians the chance to compete for a spot on a special episode of NPR’s From the Top national radio broadcast, hosted by Christopher O’Riley, as well as an opportunity to perform in a Carnegie Hall Family Concert in Zankel Hall on April 9, 2011. The contestants from across the United States ranged in age from 8-18 and participated on a variety of solo instruments including piano, bassoon, harp, voice, violin, cello, bass, marimba, and recorder. Miss Gerhold was selected as a runner-up and will be performing in concert in Carnegie’s Zankel Hall. She was the only finalist from Pennsylvania.
“Performing in Carnegie Hall will be incredible,” said Helen Gerhold. “I am grateful to NPR’s From the Top for providing me with this experience and am honored to have been chosen from hundreds of other talented, young, classical musicians.”
Miss Gerhold has been performing with the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra since 2009 and is the harp section leader. She won the American Harp Society Philadelphia Chapter Youth Concerto Competition at age seven and the opportunity to play with the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra’s PYAO (Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra) by playing Concerto in C Major by Antonio Vivaldi.
“The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra offers its warmest congratulations to our talented harpist Helen Gerhold,” said Maestro Louis Scaglione, President and Music Director of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO). “Miss Gerhold is hardworking, passionate and driven. We are excited for her to experience the thrill of performing on stage at Carnegie Hall.”
About the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra: Founded in 1939, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra is one of the nation’s oldest classical music training and orchestra performance programs for gifted and talented students from the Tri-State region. Lead by Maestro Louis Scaglione, PYO’s companion ensembles include the Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra (PYAO), formed in 1996; Bravo Brass, added to the program in 2003; Philadelphia Region Youth String Music (PRYSM) created in 2007; and the Musicopia String Orchestra partnership, which began in 2008. Young musicians from ages six through 21 are selected by competition audition and have represented the United States on five continents. The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO) offers classical musical performances to the Greater Philadelphia region each year and supports musical education to children from Philadelphia’s more challenging neighborhoods through its newest after-school program launched in 2010, Tune Up Philly.
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