South Hills Junior Orchestra Launches 41st Season!

UPPER ST. CLAIR, PA, September 25, 2023 (PittsburghNewsWire.com) — The South Hills Junior Orchestra (SHJO) kicked off its Fall/Winter 2023 season on September 9, 2023 with regularly scheduled weekly rehearsals held in the Upper St. Clair High School, 1825 McLaughlin Run Road, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241, just south of South Hills Village Mall.

 

SHJO Artistic Director Paul K. Fox proudly boasts, “We’re back better than ever! Come ‘try-SHJO’ during the months of September and October to rediscover your own personal artistry and love of music!”
Free-trial practices of SHJO are open to “amateur musicians of all ages.” They will be held on Saturdays in the USCHS Band Room from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

 

SHJO is directed by an all-volunteer music staff led by retired public school teachers Paul Fox and Donna Fox. Made possible in part by the Upper St. Clair School District, professional music educators and community volunteers donating their services, and the SHJO Booster Organization, SHJO is nonprofit and non-competitive, and supports school string and band programs in the Western Pennsylvania area. The staff, families, and supporters of SHJO have been honored to be a part of more than 40 years of educational enrichment, philanthropy, and community service, performing 200+ concerts in numerous cities across the country and Canada, and raising more than $35,000 for school district and local charities.

 

There are openings in SHJO for all instrumental sections: strings (violin, viola, cello, and string bass), woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, alto or tenor saxophone, and bassoon), brasses (trumpet, French Horn, trombone, and tuba), and percussion.

 

Newcomers (students grades 4 and up) are encouraged to “try SHJO” for a three-week free-trial basis any time throughout the year. In addition, adults are invited to “brush up” their skills (or learn a new instrument) and join the weekly orchestra practices. Mr. Fox assures, “No one has ever been turned away! In support of our tagline – where members learn, grow, and lead – SHJO nurtures the players’ own realization of creative self-expression. Rehearsals are stress-free opportunities for musicians to develop their skills, explore orchestral and chamber literature, and collaborate with others in the making of beautiful music.”  And, according to Executive Director Donna Fox, “It’s a family-friendly experience where members find their true self-confidence and expand their musical thinking from being ‘note-tians’ to becoming musicians with interpretative understanding and sensitivity in the collaborative environment of an orchestra.”

 

New this year, several internships are being offered for advanced high school musicians who would like to work with less experienced players and to earn community service credits. If interested, email Mr. Fox at pfox@shjo.org.

 

For more information, please contact SHJO Managing Director Janet Vukotich at mdirector@shjo.org, call 412-341-5160, or visit the website at www.shjo.org.