Most incredible eleven days

Katie Oreskovich

The summer of 2002 has been the best summer of my life. By the time I went back to school, I had traveled to all four corners of the United States. The time I spent in Oregon was the most memorable, and the experience left an impression on my soul that changed me..

I had no idea what I was getting into when I auditioned for the Youth Choral Academy (YCA). The YCA is an extension of the Oregon Bach Festival held annually at the University of Oregon in Eugene. The academy is comprised of eighty high school singers from across the nation. I auditioned simply because Bach is my favorite composer. I had no expectations and went into the intense eleven days of singing with an open mind.

The repertoire was immensely challenging. The pieces ranged from Bach to southern gospel. I learned compositions in German, Latin, and Buddhist. The songs themselves were fascinating, but they were only a small portion of my experience. The conductor, Dr. Anton Armstrong, breathed life into each piece, giving them a character separate from the others.

The YCA started each day with movement and vocal technique classes. Being a dancer, the movement class helped me personally connect to the music and was a fabulous way to start my day. After that, we typically rehearsed all day in a full group or in sectionals. During the evening, we attended a concert. I saw the American premiere of Tan Dun's Water Passion, as well as the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Concerto from the Oscar-winning score for the movie. I sat in on a master class with Thomas Quasthoff, the world-famous bass-baritone, and listened to the expertise of Helmuth Rilling on Bach's Christmas Oratorio. I gained a wealth of musical knowledge from the performances, which contributed to the pieces I sang.

Eugene's culture was a learning experience in itself for me. Eugene, a very liberal city, was completely different from Westville, Illinois. I was exposed to open homosexuality, hippies, globalism, mass recycling, tofu, and many other foreign things during my short stay in Oregon. I soon discovered how sheltered my life in Westville was, and I became much more open minded. I am grateful I was given the opportunity and exposure to a different culture. I met many beautiful people who became close friends of mine. I felt internally unlocked and this had a huge impact on my music.

If I could describe the YCA's final concert in one word, it would be phenomenal. It was the most emotionally attached concert I have ever performed. I was so focused and adrenaline-charged that the audience disappeared completely. It was a satisfying ending to the most incredible eleven days of my life. I cannot express in words to anyone how the Oregon Bach Festival changed who I am, but it is evident in my abilities as a musician and as a person. My musical adventure will remain close to my heart forever.