2022-23 Season Information

Rehearsals

Rehearsals are scheduled weekly from 2:30-5:00pm under the direction of co-conductors Dennis Colpitts and Rosemary Thomson.

Rehearsals take place at First Lutheran Church at 4091 Lakeshore Drive in Kelowna, although the ownership of the facilities recently changed and changes were announced.

An updated rehearsal and season schedule is available here. Please note that this is subject to change.

Fees for the OSYO program year are $400 per student. If there is more than one student per family, additional siblings are $350 each.  Additional fees are required to be part of the Composition Program and Masterclasses as noted below.

Camp Experience - September 17 & 18, 2022

Each year near the beginning of the season, the OSYO holds a weekend camp experience at Camp Hatikvah in Lake Country. Filled with rehearsals, outdoor activities, group meals, and an overnight stay in shared cabins, it’s a great opportunity for students to reconnect with old friends and make new ones!

Here is the proposed schedule for this year. Students will be provided with a list of items to bring following registration.   

Saturday, September 17th 

10:00 – 10:45am – Registration and Cabin Check-in 

10:45 – 11:00 – Bring instrument, music and stand to rehearsal area 

11:00 – 12:30 – Rehearsal #1  

12:30 – 2:00pm – Lunch (bag lunch provided by you) and coordinated activities 

2:00 – 3:30 – Free time 

3:30 – 5:30 – Rehearsal #2  

5:30 – 6:30 – Dinner 

6:30 – 7:30 – Workshop/Rehearsal #3 

7:30 – Free time, campfire, lights out 

Sunday, September 18th 

08:00 – 09:00am – Breakfast, free time  

09:00 – 11:00 – Rehearsal #4 

11:00 – 11:30 – Clean-up, Departure 

Performances

The OSYO presents six (6) concerts throughout the Okanagan Valley across two series each year, one series in November and one series in May, giving students a chance to gain valuable experience performing in a live concert setting. Each series is presented in Kelowna, Penticton, and Vernon. 

OSYO Fall Concert, First Lutheran Church, November 2022

Fall Concert Weekend 

Spring Concert Weekend

TUC: Trinity United Church; 3300 Alexis Park Drive, Vernon, V1T 6G8

CLE: Cleland Community Theatre; 325 Power Street, Penticton, V2A 7K9

FLC: First Lutheran Church; 4091 Lakeshore Road, Kelowna, V1W 1V7

Side-By-Side Experience

In February 2023, the OSYO will join the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra (OSO) on stage for a side-by-side performance of Richard Wagner’s Die Meistersinger Prelude. This is one of the highlights of the OSYO program — an excellent opportunity for students to learn directly from professionals while observing and working side-by-side through rehearsals and concerts. 

OSO Side-By-Side Weekend

KCT: Kelowna Community Theatre; 1375 Water Street, Kelowna, V1Y 0B4

CLE: Cleland Community Theatre; 325 Power Street, Penticton, V2A 7K9

VPAC: Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre; 3800 33 Street, Vernon, V1T 5T6

Composition Program (Participant Fee of $100)

Through regular Zoom sessions on Thursdays, students are mentored by an established composer in a small class environment to explore their creativity and broaden their instrumental composition skills. The program culminates at the OSYO Composer Reading Session on April 2, 2023, where students will have their own original compositions workshopped and performed on stage by the OSO.

This adjunct program is a great opportunity for students to expand their musical creativity and gain valuable orchestration skills. The year’s Composition Program will start in November and will include group and private sessions with the program instructor. 

The full schedule is available here.

Jennifer Butler will return as the instructor for the Composition Program this season. The OSO will perform Jennifer’s And Birds Do Sing on its November 2022 concert series Bird’s Eye View. 

There is an additional fee of $100 to participate in the Composition Program. Payment can be completed at the time of registration.   

Masterclasses (Participant Fee of $25)

The OSO is proud to present a series of masterclasses each year led by featured guest artists. These sessions provide students with the opportunity to perform for and learn from some of the best musicians in the world in an exclusive 1-on-1 setting. Students apply to participate and, if selected, pay a $25 fee the week of the masterclass. All masterclasses are open to the public to attend, and OSYO members are encouraged to attend and observe, in itself a valuable learning experience. 

October 2022 – Angela Cheng; piano 

November 2023 – Guy Few; trumpet 

March 2023 – Adrian Anantawan; violin 

May 2023 – Ariel Barnes; cello

Masterclass with Lorraine Min at the Black Box Theatre, March 2022. From left to right, Michael Zhao, Anna Mitchell, Mihai Covaser, Lorraine Min. 

Imant Raminsh Scholarship

At the end of each program year, we honour one graduating OSYO student pursuing music at a post secondary level with the Imant Raminsh Scholarship. Imant Raminsh is a prolific composer, was the founding director of the Youth Symphony of the Okanagan/Okanagan Symphony Youth Orchestra, and for almost 40 years the principal second violin of the OSO.  Announcement of the application process for the scholarship occurs in the spring. 

Imant Raminsh Scholarship 2022 recipient Shana DeForest with Imant Raminsh (left) and OSYO Co-conductors Rosemary Thomson and Dennis Colpitts. 

Community Engagement Programs

The OSYO program is the flagship of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra’s community engagement programs. OSYO musicians may be invited to play as part of small ensembles for one of the four preschool Symphony Storytime shows, act as mentors with the Middle School Band Clinic in February or participate in other opportunities that may arise.