Conductors
Ann Clemmons
graduated from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
After a year studying in Vienna, Austria, she then spent three
years at the Yale School of Music, getting a Masters degree in violin.
As a Yale student, she joined the New Haven Symphony, and played
in other local orchestras as well.
She
began by teaching at the Dixwell Children’s Creative Art Center in New
Haven, and started teaching in the New Haven Schools, where she and
William taught for 12 years.
Ann then taught for the next 22 years in the Madison schools,
mostly in the middle school and high school.
In October of 1998, she was featured in the “School Band and
Orchestra Magazine”, with pictures of her middle school orchestra, and
an article she wrote about orchestra teaching orchestra in middle and
high school.
Ann and her husband started the
Shoreline Youth Symphony Orchestra in Madison, with students from all
the Shoreline area towns.
This orchestra, along with her high school orchestra, has performed in
many festivals around the country and a festival in England, giving two
concerts at the Lincoln Center. The Youth Symphony
performed at Carnegie Hall in April, 2007, a really exciting
evening! She and Bill still
conduct the youth symphony, and the Whiz Kids preparatory orchestra.
She also continues with private teaching, and performs at church or for local events. She also has a weekly “fiddle club” as part of the youth symphony program. She particularly enjoys playing with her two daughters, either at church, with Bill conducting the choir, or just for background music.
William Clemmons comes originally from Washington, North Carolina, and
majored in music at Norfolk State University. He began teaching in Virginia and North Carolina, and
then taught for 12 years in New Haven, conducting the band at
Lincoln-Bassett school and Jackie Robinson Middle School.
He also conducted the New Haven All-City High School Band.
William was for many years the
conductor of the bands at the Dr. Robert H. Brown Middle School in
Madison. He directed three
bands and three jazz bands, with over 250 students participating. He has
conducted the Shoreline Youth Symphony Orchestra since it began in 1985.
He has studied conducting with Tibor Puztai, Michael Lancester,
and Andrew Balent. He also
conducts the North Madison Congregational Church Choir and teaches
trumpet and other wind and brass instruments. He has conducted musical theatre productions, directed
several marching and school bands in New Haven, Connecticut, and
directed summer band camps in New Haven and Madison.
He also is a private music teacher, and prepares students for
festival and college auditions.
Mr. Clemmons conducted the Shoreline Youth Symphony Orchestra at
our performance at Carnegie Hall in April, 2007, and has conducted the
orchestra at the Lincoln Center and many other venues in concerts and
festivals. He continually
seeks to provide the best musical opportunities for students, and
selects quality experiences for the orchestra and jazz bands under his
direction.
About the Orchestra
The Shoreline Youth Symphony Orchestra is a community youth musical
group made up of high school age musicians from the Shoreline towns in
central coastal Connecticut.
Our mission is to provide a quality musical experience in
orchestra playing for interested young players.
We play the great classical symphonic music, original
contemporary compositions for orchestra, in addition to lighter “pops”
or show music. We
form smaller ensembles for performances, including a jazz band and a
fiddle club. All of these
elements combine to create an opportunity for young musicians to grow,
contribute and develop their talents, and enjoy the company of other
like-minded students from a wide geographical region.
The Shoreline Youth Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1985 by William
and Ann Clemmons to provide a full orchestra experience for students in
the local area. The
orchestra has grown, and a younger preparatory orchestra has been added,
called the “Whiz Kids Orchestra”.
Our Youth Symphony often
travels to attend a Music Festival.
In April, 2007,we performed at Carnegie Hall in NYC. We have played in London and Bournemouth, England.
We have also traveled to Quebec, Philadelphia, and Virginia
Beach, and Williamsburg, New Jersey, and Washington, DC in recent years.
This spring we traveled to Boston, where we received the
“Outstanding Orchestra” award for the Heritage Festivals.
We have performed in New York City at Alice Tully Hall and Avery
Fischer Hall at the Lincoln Center.
This year we
will play concerts at the North Madison Congregational Church,
Congregational Church on the Green (ABC Concert), Daniel Hand High
School, and “On the Green” in Madison.
William and Ann Clemmons of
Madison conduct both the Whiz Kids orchestra and the Shoreline Youth
Symphony. William conducts
two jazz bands, one for younger musicians and one for SYSO members.
Ann directs a “Fiddle Club” to explore and perform alternative
violin music styles.
The Shoreline Youth Symphony Orchestra will hold auditions in the fall for new members. See the audition information page if you are interested in joining the orchestra.