[Rehearsals]  [Director Profile]  [Special Events]

Intermezzo Orchestra

The MCMC Intermezzo Orchestra is an intermediate level, full orchestra with strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. Most members are in middle school or their early high school years. The orchestra performs three times a year, in November, February and May, as part of an MCYO concert. Membership is the Intermezzo Orchestra is by audition

 

The Intermezzo Orchestra performing at Chicago's Field Museum in May 2007.

Listen to an excerpt of the Intermezzo Orchestra performing "Marche Militaire Francaise" by Saint-Saens - WMA file - Windows Media Player (Right-Click to download or Click to play)

 

Rehearsals
Rehearsals of the Intermezzo Orchestra are held from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday during the Winter and Spring semesters. Rehearsals are held at Sage Gallery in the Lakeside Legacy Arts Park (Dole Mansion) in Crystal Lake. See the Activity Calendar

For the latest Rehearsal Notes, click here.

{top}

Director Profile

Russell Vinick is the Music Director and Conductor of the Intermezzo and Symphony Orchestras for the McHenry County Youth Orchestras.  Under his direction, the orchestras have had masterclasses and have performed concertos with musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, they have performed world premieres, and the Symphony Orchestra has performed and toured on three European tours.  

Vinick also serves as Music Director and Conductor of the Lake Shore Symphony Orchestra (Chicago), Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, and as a part-time music faculty member at Columbia College of Chicago. 

 Vinick has been a guest conductor in concerts with the Virginia Symphony, Missouri Chamber Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra, Oak Ridge (TN) Symphony Orchestra, Manchester (CT) Symphony Orchestra, University of Tennessee Symphony Orchestra, and faculty members of Northeastern Illinois University for the Henry Cowell Music Festival sponsored by Mostly Music.    

 Vinick was one of seven people internationally selected to participate in the conducting program at the Cabrillo Contemporary Music Festival in Santa Cruz, California studying under Marin Alsop and Gustav Meier.  He has served as Assistant Conductor at the Pacific Music Festival (founded by Leonard Bernstein) in Sapporo, Japan, under Christoph Eschenbach and Michael Tilson Thomas.  He has also been a participant in the conducting program at the Aspen Music Festival.  He has served as Apprentice/Assistant Conductor for the Knoxville (TN) Symphony, Chamber, and Youth Orchestras and Interim Music Director for the Kingsport (TN) Symphony Orchestra.  He has served as Music Director of the Second Unitarian Church Choir and Lake Zurich (IL) High School Orchestras. 

Vinick earned a bachelor's degree in Music Education from the University of Connecticut where he received the Lottie Green Conducting Scholarship and studied with Peter Bagley, Gary Green, and Paul C. Phillips.  He earned a master's degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles under Daniel Lewis where he received the Conducting Departmental Award and music scholarships.  Vinick has also been mentored by Kirk Trevor and Eiji Oue.

{top}

Special Events
Each Fall, the Intermezzo Orchestra musicians attend the Orchestra Overnight, held at beautiful Conference Point, at William's Bay, Wisconsin. There is plenty of rehearsal time and musical fun and games.

There is also a Chicago trip planned. Details to be announced.

{top}