[Rehearsals]  [Director Profile]  [Special Events]

Symphony Orchestra

The MCMC Symphony Orchestra is a full orchestra generally performing original orchestral repertoire, not arrangements. Most of the orchestra's members are high school students. This orchestra performs three times a year in November, March (Pops concert) and May. Membership in the Symphony Orchestra is by audition.


Cremona, Italy - June 2007
Symphony Orchestra Italy Tour
Click here for full size photo

Rehearsals

Rehearsals of the Symphony Orchestra are held from 10:45a.m. to 1:15p.m. The location is the Sage Gallery of the Lakeside Legacy Arts Park (Dole Mansion) in Crystal Lake.  401 Country Club Rd.  Activities Calendar is located here.

The current Rehearsal Notes can be found here...

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Director Profile

Russell Vinick is in his 7th season as Music Director and Conductor of the McHenry County Youth Orchestras.  Vinick serves as the Conductor of both the Symphony and Intermezzo Orchestras. 

 

Some of the milestone achievements of MCYO within the past seasons have been performances with concerto soloists from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; an international tour throughout Europe as part of the Music Celebrations International Festival; relocating performances to a professional concert hall- the newly renovated Raue Center; world premiere performances of commissioned compositions; the purchase of our own percussion equipment; and the addition of a weekly brass instructor and the birth of the MCYO Brass Ensemble.   

 

In addition to MCYO, Vinick also serves as Music Director and Conductor of the Lake Shore Symphony Orchestra (Chicago), Chicago Businessmen's Orchestra (Chicago's oldest community orchestra), the 2nd Unitarian Church Choir of Chicago, and as a part-time music faculty member at Sherwood Conservatory in Chicago and Columbia College of Chicago. 

 

Vinick has been a guest conductor in concerts with the Virginia Symphony, Missouri Chamber Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra, Macon (GA) Symphony Orchestra, Oak Ridge (TN) Symphony Orchestra, Manchester (CT) Symphony Orchestra, University of Tennessee Symphony Orchestra.    

 

Vinick was one of seven people internationally selected to participate in the conducting program at the Cabrillo Contemporary Music Festival in Santa Cruz, California.  He has also served as assistant conductor at the Pacific Music Festival (founded by Leonard Bernstein) in Sapporo, Japan, and has been 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, Interim Music Director for the Kingsport (TN) Symphony Orchestra, Interim Music Director and Conductor for the Macon (GA) Symphony Youth Orchestra, and Director of Orchestras at Lake Zurich (IL) High School.

 

Vinick earned a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Connecticut where he received the Lottie Green Conducting Scholarship and studied with 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 a student of Eiji Oue and Kirk Trevor.

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Special Events
Each Fall, the Symphony 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.

Other activities include a Tour , a Side -By-Side performance with the Lake Shore Symphony at Northside College Preparatory High School, 5501 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60625. The winner of the Concerto Competition performs with the Symphony Orchestra at the Spring Concert. 

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