Student musicians participating in the Tucson Symphony Orchestra's Young Composers Project will perform at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at Academy Village.
The program is free and open to the public. It will be held in the Arizona Senior Academy great room, adjacent to the community center, 13701 E. Langtry Lane.
The presentation includes a documentary film of students working with TSO mentors, a panel discussion and a performance by three of the young musicians.
The musicians, Carissa, Levi and Aliyah Powe, will play a movement of a Haydn trio for two violins and cello, and a short composition of their own.
In addition to the Powe family, the panel will include students Anthony Constantino and Nico Miller, who at age 9 is the youngest member of the Young Composer Project; instructor Ilona Vukovic-Gay, who is also TSO assistant principal violist and a composer; and Shawn Campbell, director of education and community engagement.
Anthony recently won a national competition that resulted in his creating a composition for choir, soloist and orchestra, performed to critical acclaim at Carnegie Hall in January.
The TSO serves as a "living laboratory" for young composers to interact with mentors in creating musical sketches that are performed by TSO ensembles and the orchestra.
Students work on music theory and compositional techniques and learn to use computer software to produce notation.
"The students use music composition as a creative tool to express their innermost thoughts and feelings," Vukovic-Gay said. "It is incredibly thrilling to complete an orchestra work, hear the performance and have the audience respond to their creation."
Academy Village is an active-adult community located off Old Spanish Trail six miles southeast of Saguaro National Park East.
A soup, salad and sandwich bar is available to concertgoers in the Academy Cafe, across the courtyard from the Arizona Senior Academy. Cost ranges from $4 to $9.25.
If you go
What: TSO Young Composers Project
When: 11:30 a.m. Tuesday
Where: Arizona Senior Academy Building at Academy Village, 13701 E. Langtry Lane
Cost: Free; contributions accepted
Reservations: Recommended; call 647-0980
