After ten years of service, Michele Ottesen will step down as the Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles (QCSYE ) Concert Orchestra Conductor at the end of April.
Michele leads and conducts the Concert Orchestra (formally Youth String Ensemble), introducing young musicians to their first full orchestra experience in the QCSYE program.
“We are deeply grateful to Michele for sharing her passion and dedication with the students of the QCSYE,” said QCSYE Music Director Hisham Bravo Groover. “Her commitment to building a robust foundation was instrumental in shaping Concert Orchestra into what it is today. Her expertise empowered countless young musicians to excel in their art.”
“Michele has devoted more than a decade to ensuring each youth orchestra student who passes through her ensemble has a solid foundation in ensemble skills and instrument technique,” said Chelsea Sammons, Director of Education and Community Engagement. “She is committed to each student’s progress in the QCSYE program and invites a welcoming and engaging rehearsal environment. She is not only a leader in the QCSYE program, but also the Quad Cities musical community with her experience and passion to provide students with a high-quality music education.”
Michele will be celebrated with a reception after the QCSO/QCSYE Side-by-Side Concert on Sunday, April 27 at 5:00 PM in the Adler Theatre lobby. The Concert Orchestra Conductor position has been posted, and applications are actively being accepted.
Concert Orchestra is a beginning orchestra whose members experience playing in a full orchestra with strings, winds, and percussion. The Concert Orchestra performs arrangements of great orchestral masterpieces as they develop full ensemble skills and individual playing technique. Concert Orchestra is primarily intended to serve students in grades five through nine and generally rehearses on Sundays from 5:15 – 7:00 PM.
About the Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles
The Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles (QCSYE) program consists of five performance groups (four youth orchestras and a youth choir) for students in grades two through twelve. Under the direction of the outstanding QCSYE conducting staff, members have the opportunity to perform great orchestral and choral repertoire with the most talented young musicians in the area and learn from the mentorship of professional musicians from throughout the region. Ensemble members come from the greater Quad Cities, as well as other communities in southeast Iowa and northwest Illinois.