Orange County Youth Symphony to team with Austrian orchestra

The Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, will join conductor Ivor Bolton and the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra to perform the United States premiere of Kurt Schwertsik's “Herr K. endeckt Amerika” (“Mr. K. discovers America”) Oct. 22 and 23 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

The work is part of the Mozarteum ensemble's 2 Orchestras project, which aims is to commission new works for joint performance by youth and professional orchestras. The Mozarteum Orchestra plans to commission five such new works in the next few years, with the world premieres to take place in Salzburg, Austria, through 2016. After the premiere of each work, other orchestras will be allowed to perform them.

“The young musicians share desks with the professionals, and even less experienced young players will be able to manage the compositions for 2 orchestras,” the Web site for the project states.

In an interview on the site, Daniel Alfred Wachs, music director of the OCYSO, says his players “are very excited about the project.”

“It came in a perfect year for us. We are just celebrating the 40th anniversary of the orchestra. We were going to go on a tour to Asia, which unfortunately, we could not realize in the end. So when this project came about, it was just perfect. It's an extraordinary project. The challenge, of course, is going to be that between September and October there are only six rehearsals and the piece is actually not so easy. So that's my job to make sure they are well prepared. It actually will be the first time for the students to play alongside professionals; it's a huge honor and they are absolutely thrilled.”

Schwertsik is described as one of Austria's leading composers, whose music “is witty and refreshing, describing the world with a light, humorous touch.”

Tickets for the event are available at philharmonicsociety.org or by calling 949-553-2422.