Spokane Youth Symphony celebrates Spokane at the Fox

Since the theme of the Spokane Youth Symphony “Voices of Our Youth” concert Sunday at the Fox is “Celebrate Spokane!,” Grace Ahola’s original composition “From Rails to River,” fits perfectly.

The Spokane Youth Symphony alumna’s world premiere was inspired by Expo ’74.

“Her piece is neat,” Spokane Youth Symphony Executive Director Jennifer O’Bannan said. “Grace’s music brings the sound of construction, which takes us back to Expo ’74. Her work is how Spokane turned the downtown area from railways and the industrial into the beautiful riverfront park.

“With her inventive piece, you hear the sounds of trucks, hammering and screeches.”

Ahola, who graduated from Eastern Washington University in June, proves what young artists can achieve.

“The kids in the Spokane Youth Symphony are amazing,” O’Bannan said. “We have 225 children in our program and they come in every Monday and work on their music. Our mission is to provide exemplary musical education.

“We want to give kids a chance to improve. This is not something that gets in the way with what they learn at school, but it gives them a chance to add to what they learn with that curriculum. And then there are children in our program that are homeschooled. We want to provide as much support as we can to help develop musicians.”

O’Bannan, 66, recalls what it was like as a member of the Spokane Youth Symphony, which marks its 75th anniversary in November.

“I was 16 years old at Expo in 1974,” O’Bannan said. “I was in the junior symphony, and I learned so much being part of it. It was terrific then and it’s terrific now.”

The Spokane Youth Symphony has four concerts each year. Four orchestras, ranging from elementary to high school ages, will perform at the Fox. There will also be three soloists. Each performer won the Youth Symphony’s concerto competition in January.

North Central junior Eva Iannelli will play the flute, Lewis and Clark freshman Arjun Natesan and Sage Sorensen, a middle school student from Pendleton, Oregon, will also perform. Each plays the violin. The soloists will perform after intermission.

“We start the concert with our youngest students and work our way up,” O’Bannan said.

Selections range from the Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride” to Mozart’s “Violin Concerto No. 5.

“I think we have something for everyone to enjoy,” O’Bannon said. “It’s exciting to watch our children develop.”