Stephen F. Austin State University

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - Area middle through high school aged musicians interested in joining the Piney Woods Youth Orchestra may audition for the ensemble at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17. Auditions will be held in Room 170 of the Wright Music Building on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.

The orchestra, sponsored by the SFA School of Music's Music Preparatory Division, was founded in 2004 by SFA faculty members Evgeni Raychev and his wife, Jennifer Dalmas, and presently consists of only string players. Students who play flute, harp, violin, viola, and cello are welcome to audition for the fall semester.

The orchestra will rehearse from 4:30 to 6 p.m. each Tuesday, and there will be an end-of-the-semester concert in December.

Raychev said he and Dalmas started the orchestra because the orchestral experience benefits young musicians in a variety of ways.

"It creates collective thinking that builds up a more precise conception of intonations, rhythm, style and phrasing. It helps students learn about how musical forms, harmonies and colors are put together in a larger-scale composition. And it provides an understanding of the problematic issues involved in ensemble playing," Raychev said.

Raychev's long-term goal for the ensemble is to create a full orchestra, including woodwinds, brass and percussion.

Raychev, the principal cellist of the Orchestra of the Pines, has taught at SFA and for the Music Preparatory Division for the past two years. The Bulgarian native received his bachelor's and master?s degree from the Bulgarian Music Academy in Sofia and a second master?s and doctoral degrees in cello performance from Florida State University. While in Tallahassee, he was principal cellist of the Florida State University Symphony and the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra.

Dalmas also earned her master's and doctoral degrees from Florida State University, where she performed with the Florida State University, Tallahassee, Jacksonville and New World Symphonies. She is an assistant professor of music at SFA and the concertmaster of the Orchestra of the Pines. She and Raychev have performed internationally with orchestras, as chamber musicians and as soloists.

For more information on the auditions or the Piney Woods Youth Orchestra, please contact Raychev via e-mail at raycheve@sfasu.edu or call him at (936) 462-1255 or (936) 468-1063. For more information the SFA Music Preparatory Division, visit www.music.sfasu.edu/prep, e-mail director Pat Barnett at pbarnett@sfasu.edu or call her at (936) 468-1291.