Young Texas Artists (YTA), a one-of-a-kind nonprofit, fine arts organization best known for the YTA Music Competition, is launching a free classical music video series designed to educate and entertain.
The first one-hour episode of “YTA Insights — A Journey Into the World of Classical Music” will be presented at 7 p.m. CDT Sunday, March 21, during a Facebook Watch Party. This video experience, and three more to be scheduled later this year, will be free to the public.
Episode 1, airing March 21, explores the question, “What is classical music?” Watch party participants will be able to type questions for YTA and series host St. John Flynn via Facebook’s live chat function. Flynn, former Arts and Culture Director for Houston Public Media, currently is a writer, speaker, and arts and culture consultant.
Each episode in the series will feature performances by alumni of the YTA Music Competition, the organization’s contest for emerging artists who are Texas residents or affiliated with a Texas music school. The videos also will feature talks and interviews with internationally recognized performing arts professionals associated with YTA.
“One of our goals at YTA is to foster ‘classical connections,’ to make the power, emotion, and beauty of classical music enjoyable to as many people as possible,” said Susie Moore Pokorski, President/CEO of Young Texas Artists. “This video series will help us take those efforts to a new level.”
“We are thrilled to be able to work on this video series with St. John Flynn,” Pokorski said. “Not only does he have extensive classical music knowledge but also a talent for helping others understand why this genre continues to capture the hearts of so many people.”
“YTA Insights” has been made possible by a grant from the City of Conroe.
Future video episodes will delve into other fine arts genres, including dance, visual and literary art, as well.
To see a 60-second trailer of “YTA Insights — A Journey Into the World of Classical Music,” Episode 1, visit https://youtu.be/0fAkV2IIBsY.
How to Join the Watch Party
At 7 p.m. CDT Sunday, March 21:
Visit the YTA Facebook Page at http://bit.ly/3bPylxM.
When you see the Facebook post with the watch party, click the video or the caption beneath it to join.
Those who cannot attend the interactive watch party March 21 can still watch Episode 1 on Facebook or the YTA website beginning March 22.
About Young Texas Artists:
Young Texas Artists, founded in 1983, is a one-of-a-kind nonprofit presenter of music competitions and events, career development programs and cultural enrichment outreach. The nationally acclaimed Young Texas Artists Music Competition and the YTA Career Development Program provide professional guidance, mentoring and highly-sought performance experience. An Official Music Competition of the State of Texas, it is one of the few competitions in the nation with four performance divisions: Voice; Piano; Strings; and Winds, Brass, Percussion, Harp and Guitar. The YTA contest is open to classical artists, ages 18-32 (20-32 for Voice), who are Texas residents or affiliated with a Texas music school. Over the years, Young Texas Artists has helped produce many distinguished professionals who have gone on to join orchestras, opera companies, universities and music schools around the world.
Affiliations:
Young Texas Artists a member of the Greater Conroe Arts Alliance, the Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce, the Texas Cultural Trust and Texas for the Arts.
Young Texas Artists, Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization founded and headquartered in Conroe, Montgomery County.
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St. John Flynn, a writer, speaker, and arts and culture consultant, is the host and director of Young Texas Artists’ new interactive video series, “YTA Insights — A Journey Into the World of Classical Music.” (Photo courtesy St. John Flynn)