1. Student information form

2. Register for Youth Orchestra

Audition for Bridges Philharmonic (for advanced middle and high school students)

BYO FAQ's

Bridges MAYO Orchestras

Bridges Chamber:

Non-auditioned, 8-18

Bridges Phil:

Advanced Full Orchestra

Bridges Chamber Orchestra

Our non-auditioned orchestra, directed by Chase Remsburg, is open to elementary and middle school string players ages 8-18.

Requirements: All players are expected to play one octave major scales and have basic note reading skills.

Programming: Each semester, Chamber musicians will work with a resident artist, learn music in a variety of styles (popular, music of various cultures, contemporary works), and play 1-2 pieces alongside the Bridges Philharmonic.

Emerging musicians: Gain large ensemble experience, learn orchestral playing, practice sight reading, and get support from professional musicians.

Older middle schoolers: Gain leadership opportunities and experience as section leaders, polish musical technique while developing as orchestral musician.

Advanced elementary students: Gain ensemble and note reading experience.

High School Ambassador: Several of our high school musicians opt to play in our non-auditioned Chamber orchestra, serving as our chamber orchestra leaders.

Bridges PhilharmoniC

The Philharmonic is an audition orchestra, directed by IU Jacobs Doctoral candidate, Wei-Chung Chen. It is open to all string, woodwind, brass, and percussion players in middle and high school.

Programming: Bridges Philharmonic will perform full orchestral pieces for strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.

High School Students: Musicians are able to experience the full orchestral experience: strings, winds, percussion, and piano.

Middle Schoolers: Musicians have a large advanced ensemble experience and learn from older peers.

Audition for Bridges Philharmonic

String

3 octave Major and minor scale

Solo piece

Brass/ Woodwind

2 octave chromatic scale

Solo piece

Percussion

Snare drum solo

Mallet solo

How do you support school instrumental programs?

Programs offered by Bridges Musical Arts Youth Organization are designed to be supplemental to school music programs. Our orchestra members participate in their school music programs whenever those are offered, and are encouraged to take advantage of a wide range of school musical activities. In addition to need-based scholarships, we invite area public school directors to nominate students in their ensembles for scholarships.

Meet our Bridges Youth Orchestra Directors:

Wei-Chung Chen

Bridges MAYO Philharmonia Director

Taiwanese conductor Wei-Chung Chen received the Government Sponsorship for Overseas Study from the Ministry of Education (Taiwan) and is now a doctoral student in orchestral conducting at Indiana University under the guidance of Maestri Arthur Fagen, Thomas Wilkins, and Jeffery Meyer. In March 2023, he was invited by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra to cover Fabien Gabel. In the same month, he was selected by Robert Spano to the masterclass to conduct the ISO on Sibelius's Symphony No. 1. In July, 2023, he won the first prize of the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra Elite Competition.

Wei-Chung has conducted orchestras such as National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Indiana University Symphony Orchestra, Indiana University Conductors’ Orchestra, National Taiwan Normal University Symphony Orchestra, National Taipei University of Arts Symphony Orchestra, National Taiwan University Symphony Orchestra, and Taipei Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. He has also taken master classes with Robert Spano, Sir Neville Mariner, Shao-Chia Lü and Mei-Ann Chen, Hollerung Gábor, Gilbert Varga, etc. During his studies, he served as the assistant conductor of the Indiana University Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and collaborated with famous conductors such as Marzio Conti, Sebastian Lang-Lessing, Sarah Ioannides, Chelsea Tipton, and Alexander Kerr. Wei-Chung graduated in 2019 as a master in orchestra conducting from National Taiwan Normal University under the guidance of Apo Hsu and was selected as Collaborate Musician of Taipei Symphony Orchestra in the same year.

Chase Remsburg

Bridges MAYO Chamber Director

Chase Remsburg, a native of Boonsboro, Maryland, is a highly accomplished musician, born into a family with a rich lineage of saxophonists. His exposure to the vibrant world of 50s, 60s, and 70s R&B music, performed by both his grandfather and father fueled his passion for the saxophone. Chase was awarded the Louis Armstrong Award for Jazz Excellence. He has performed at renowned locations such as The Kennedy Center, The United States Air Force Band Collegiate Symposium, The Alba International Music Festival in Alba, Italy, Met Life Stadium, and the 39th and 40th International Saxophone Symposium hosted by the Navy Band.
He attended Shepherd University, serving as principal saxophonist in the Wind Ensemble, lead alto in the Jazz Ensemble, soprano saxophonist for the saxophone quartet, and the field commander for the Shepherd University Ram Band.

Chase served as orchestra director in the Washington County Public School system, completing his master’s degree at the University of Florida. The Smithsburg High School Orchestra performed his arrangement of Hans Zimmer's Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II, Other arrangements include Harry Gregson Williams' "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe,"
He performs regularly with his wife, Mary Remsburg. The duo has performed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown, MD, the Botanical Gardens in Knoxville, TN, and the Cress Creek Private Golf Course in Shepherdstown, WV. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in music education at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, Chase remains steadfast in his commitment to music. His mission is to share the profound beauty of musical and cultural exploration with everyone he encounters, fostering a deep appreciation for the transformative power of music.

Maggie Olivo

Program Director and Coach

Maggie Polk-Olivo is the music teacher and arts coordinator at Fairview Elementary School, a school for the arts and home to the IU Jacobs Fairview Violin Project. She serves as the Bridges Musical Arts Youth Organization's program director, Jacobs Academy's IU Musical Beginnings director, and is the founder and director of the BloomingSongs project.

In addition to teaching, she is a composer and has had recent works performed by The Amity Trio, members of the Southwest String Quartet, Bloomington Symphony Orchestra and Tucson Symphony Orchestra. In the summer, she teaches music composition and chamber music for the Bridges MAYO day camps and then makes her way to Colorado to join the faculty at the Rocky Ridge Music Center in Estes Park.

Local string teacher, Sarah Strickland explains the value of our Bridges Youth Orchestra

Connects peers from diverse backgrounds, spanning public, charter, private, and homeschool settings and ages span, 8-18.
Serves a variety of levels, beginner through advanced.
Offers high student-teacher ratio, utilizing multiple conductors, coaches, and Music Ed practicum students, providing personalized support and making it more like a side-by-side experience!
Has faculty who care about helping each individual student reach their personal potential.
Helps students learn music from diverse time periods, styles, and composers.

IU Jacobs Practicum Students:

Bridges MAYO partners with IU Jacobs School of Music as a practicum placement for future instrumental music educators studying at Jacobs. During our rehearsals, IU students have hands on rehearsal experiences as they work with young musicians.

Bridges MAYO students benefit from the small teacher to student ratio, playing alongside incredible musicians, and meeting one on one with teachers as needed.

Throughout each rehearsal, our musical directors and staff provide support and feedback to the practicum students and their professors.

2021: Sounds of Spring

"Primula," composed by Nukiko Nishimura

Performed by the Bridges MAYO Youth Orchestra, spring 2022, conducted by Marissa Guarriello

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