The Willamette Valley Junior Honors Symphony (WVJHS) was founded in 1985 by two public school strings teachers, Carol Huntington and Liane Ingalls, who wanted to provide middle school students with the opportunity to perform in a full symphonic ensemble. The program served a very real need in a community which enthusiastically supported music for children, and the program grew.
WVJHS is now under the aegis of the Corvallis Youth Symphony Association and has broadened its membership to include a wider age span. Typically, the orchestra has over 50 musicians from grades six to ten. Students audition in January and rehearsals run February through April.
Performances
WVJHS will perform on stage at the Corvallis High School Performing Arts Center on April 25, 2010. Rehearsals are held on Tuesdays from 7:00pm to 8:30pm at Crescent Valley High School.
Fees
The tuition for the WVJHS is $180 for the spring 2010 term season.
Conductor
Andy Nelson has been teaching in Albany since 1996. During eight of those years, he was the band director at both North Albany Middle School and West Albany High School. He now teaches full time at NAMS. Prior to teaching in Albany, Mr. Nelson taught band for grades 5-12 in Weiser, Idaho. His professional experience also includes: past chair of Oregon Music Educators Association District XI, clinician/judge for several area band and solo festivals, and Symphonic Band Director at Northwest Band Camp at Twin Rocks.