MANSFIELD — Since the 1980’s, the Renaissance Theatre has proudly presented their Mansfield Symphony Youth Orchestra, made up of many incredibly talented musicians, mostly in high school.
It spans a 12-county region, and is the only youth orchestra within a 65-mile radius of Mansfield.
This weekend the orchestra swings into action with a Valentine-themed program, Romance & Rachmaninoff, set for 8 p.m. on the main stage of the Renaissance Theatre.
The Mansfield Symphony will present the concert side by side with members of the Mansfield Symphony Youth Orchestra, performing Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 and Beethoven’s Overture to Egmont.
Stephen Domka evolved from being a part of the orchestra for six years, starting in the sixth grade, to now being the current director. Before that, he was the orchestra director for multiple schools in the area. He currently remains as the director for Lexington Local Schools.
“I’ve been a part of the mainstream groups in the area that have fed this group for a long time, so I’ve seen a lot of these kids that are a part of this group go into music education, and we have a lot of alumni that are from the youth orchestra that are currently teachers throughout the state of Ohio and the United States,” Domka said.
The orchestra, involving strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion, is primarily for high school students, and represents the top instrumental students within a one-hour radius of Mansfield.
Currently, auditions are held year-round seeking talent.
In schools, being taught strings is considered a specialty, so it’s not as widely available as typical band classes. An opportunity to be in a full orchestra offers so much more, particularly a wider range of music.
“The Renaissance shines beyond just the city itself, and it shines way outside the county as a resource and outlet for those to express themselves, whatever passion they’re into,” Domka said.
Don’t miss the Youth Orchestra this weekend. Tickets are now available at this link.
