GDYO Announces Winner of Giangiulio Scholarship, Dylan Hunn
The Richard Giangiulio Artist Development Scholarship provides support for a current GDYO ensemble member to attend a summer music camp or festival. Participation in summer enrichment is very rewarding for motivated musicians. Applications are required with a deadline in February. Applications are considered without knowledge of the student’s name. An essay, written by the student, as well as letters of recommendation from music teachers, private teachers, and Maestro Giangiulio, are a part of the application package.
The award is based on the following criteria:
- Demonstrated Passion, Participation, and Dedication for Music
- Ability/Musicianship
- Goals
- Leadership
- Recommendations
This year's recipient is GDYO percussionist Dylan Hunn. One of Dylan’s teachers concisely sums up the reasons he is the recipient of this year’s award by saying, “He is highly creative yet extremely logical, he is gifted academically and musically, his passion for music knows no bounds, and he is one of the most upstanding students and citizens I have encountered in my career.”
Dylan Hunn, an avid percussionist and composer, is a junior at Plano West Senior High School. A student of percussion since age five, Dylan is presently Principal Percussionist with the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra; he has been a member of the GDYO organization for 4 years. He has also appeared in concert as a soloist with internationally acclaimed marimbist Naoko Takada, has won accolades in concerto competitions, and has consistently received “superior” ratings at local solo festivals. A regular performer with honor bands and orchestras, Dylan has been selected to the All-Region programs each year of high school and has performed with the Texas All-State Band twice, each time ranking in the top ten high school percussionists in the state.
As a composer, Dylan has been selected as a finalist in the O'Donnell Young Masters competition and is a consistent winner of his local PTA “Reflections” composition competition; some of his prize-winning work has been exhibited at the Dallas Museum of Art. Dylan has received seven consecutive gold medals in theory through the Texas Music Teachers Association and has similar accreditation in theory through the Royal Conservatory/Carnegie Hall Achievement Program, earning marks of “first class honors with distinction” as well as best-in-state awards for both theory and piano. He studies with Drew Lang (SMU, Dallas Opera) and Dr. Xi Wang (SMU).
When not performing or composing, Dylan prides himself on maintaining strong academics, with a top 1% class rank, and enjoys creative writing, a discipline in which he has had work published.
TWO GDYO members named to National Youth Orchestra roster!
Congratulations to GDYO members Franklin Jia, Clarinet and Jackie Johnson, Bass. Franklin and Jackie were selected to be a part of the first-ever National Youth Orchestra, a group of 120 musicians, ages 16-19, representing 42 US states--they have been recognized by Carnegie Hall as being among the finest in the country following a comprehensive audition process. National Youth Orchestra members will travel to New York for a two-week residency as well as participate in an international tour!
“We have been thrilled at the response to our creation of the NYO-USA program,” said Clive Gillinson, Executive and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall. “We are very excited, but not surprised, that there is such a depth of world-class talent among young musicians across the United States, and we know this first roster will be wonderfully strong. With the energy and skill demonstrated by these young players, we fully expect that the music-making of this orchestra will be completely inspirational for participants and audiences alike.”
Visit the NYO-USA homepage for more information about the members of the 2013 orchestra, as well as the tour, guest artists and faculty, and more.
NYO-USA homepage
Lush…Fiery…Modern
Join us Sunday, March 3rd, 7:30pm at the Meyerson Symphony Center for GDYO’s Symphonic Spectacular!
The March 3rd concert of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra includes a lush Romantic symphony by Brahms, a fiery Romanian Rhapsody by Enescu, and a modern American classic by Aaron Copland. All three pieces have a familiarity because they percolate through the American musical culture.
George Enescu's Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 in A major fulfills expectations of an Eastern European rhapsody with powerful crescendos and fast tempos. Requiring virtuosic playing in places, its popularity is well-earned for its emotional intensity.
Aaron Copland's Billy the Kid is quintessentially American with its many cowboy songs and folk tune melodies. In 1938, Copland's new style declared that America would be a leader in the modern world.
Johannes Brahms' 4th Symphony in e-minor is his final and most complex symphony. Beginning with a huge classical sound, it moves through a quietly romantic second and a glorious third movement to the amazing final movement. A Bach melody is the basis for the creation of the fourth movement, considered one of the most profound masterworks of the Romantic period.
This will be an eclectic concert of powerful and adventurous music by one of the most accomplished orchestras in North Texas. Tickets, priced from $8 to $40, are available at on the GDYO website, AND will be available at the Meyerson Box Office on the night of the concert.
You can read the program notes, written by GDYO musicians, by clicking here.
GDYO receives generous grant from TACA
We are thrilled to inform you that TACA awarded Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra a grant of $42,000 on Monday, January 28th. Music Director Richard Giangiulio received the check at the awards presentation. This is an increase from previous years, as well as our largest grant ever from TACA. Another marker is that we were #7 of 42 grant recipients. TACA distributed grants totaling $1.3 million this year!
Congratulations and thanks to you who have led the GDYO to a position of excellence among Dallas arts organizations.
Consider writing a note of thanks to TACA for their support of GDYO as well as their support of the arts in North Texas. Notes can be sent to:
Rebecca Young, President
TACA
One Arts Plaza
1722 Routh Street, #115
Dallas, TX 75201
More information from TACA’s website:
Dallas' premier umbrella arts organization TACA, The Arts Community Alliance, had a banner year fundraising in 2012, allowing the organization to distribute $1.3 million to diverse and deserving North Texas performing arts organizations. Of that amount, $1.2 million was distributed on January 28 at the TACA Grant Awards Presentation, presented by Bank of Texas, at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre. Hosting the event was the AT&T Performing Arts Center.
The additional $100,000 will be distributed later this year in June as part of the TACA Donna Wilhelm Family New Works Fund. This fund is intended to particularly encourage the creation of innovative and experimental work. Awards will be available to organizations that have otherwise qualified as TACA beneficiaries through TACA's annual general operating and project grants funding process.
"Bravo to all those who supported TACA, who attended one of our events, who support the performing arts by attending a play, a performance, a musical and more," said Nancy Carlson, Chair of TACA's Board of Directors. "Exceeding the $1 million mark has been a goal of TACA's, whose mission is to support and sustain a vibrant performing arts community in North Texas."
In 2013, TACA's grants awarded will help support more than 5,073 performances that approximately 1.4 million people will attend. Ranging from $5,000 to $110,000, TACA grants are being awarded to a varied group of North Texas' performing arts organizations, from the very large and established to the newly emerging.
For a full list of grantees, CLICK HERE.
