Talented Young Musicians Featured in 'Orchestrafest' Collaboration Between Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus and Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of Atlanta

Written by LeAndra Douds

On Saturday, February 15th  2025, The Schwob School of Music, the Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus, and the Metropolitan Youth Orchestras of Atlanta had a day of collaboration with over 200 students.

With over 100 participating young musicians, the Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus (YOGC) provides high quality programs to the Columbus area. Over 30 years of providing education and 5 programs, YOGC has provided many young aspiring musicians in the southwest Georgia area with a wonderful foundation to begin their careers.

For over 32 seasons, The Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestras of Atlanta (MYSO) has fostered the growth of young musicians in the metro Atlanta area. MYSO offers the training of large ensembles, small ensembles, and solo performances at the beginner level through the advanced pre-college level. They have three large ensembles, Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, and Sinfonietta.

The day of collaboration started with a warm welcome from Dr. Scott Harris, Director of the Schwob School of Music, and Professor Paul Hostetter, Conductor of the Schwob Philharmonic. Shortly after, masterclasses from the Schwob instrumental faculty occurred. This is where the young musicians visiting played solo repertoire for feedback. The students then got to explore the downtown Columbus area and river on their way to lunch at The Banks. Following lunch was a tour of the Bo Bartlett Gallery and Corn Center. After the tour was a masterclass with Okorie Johnson. All students participated in this masterclass, including the Schwob students.

Okorie Johnson “OkCello” is an American cellist and songwriter whose work is primarily focused on improvising and jazz influence with the exploration of African Diasporic melodies and narratives within his compositions. OkCello’s masterclass was insightful on how to convey your emotions and speak through music. A single instrument can have many different voices and play many roles. OkCello uses a looper to evoke many different voices on a single instrument at the same time. A looper records a small amount of music and plays it on repeat which the performer often plays over.

Following the masterclass was an afternoon Schwob chamber concert. The groups included: Percussion Ensemble, String Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Harp Ensemble, and a Brass Quintet. The night ended with a joint concert featuring the YOGC orchestra, two of MYSO’s orchestras, and the Schwob Philharmonic. It was a day filled with musical growth and community. ◼️

*This content is presented in collaboration with Columbus State University Schwob School of Music's Public Musicology Program.

Special thanks to Dr. Reba Wissner for allowing her students to contribute to The Columbusite this year.