PENDLETON — The Oregon East Symphony Youth Orchestra will present a free winter concert at 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 23, at the Vert Club Room, 345 SW Fourth St.

The Youth Orchestra will be joined by the beginner-level Preludes Orchestra. The concert will be followed by a reception with punch and cookies.

The intermediate-level OES Youth Orchestra, under the direction of OES Assistant Conductor Zach Banks, will perform arrangements of Johannes Brahms’ “Hungarian Dance No. 5,” “Scherzo” from Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, “Andante” from Pytor Tchaikvosky’s Sixth Symphony, and the first movement from Antonin Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony.

The beginner-level Preludes Orchestra, under the direction of Emma Norquist, OES section violinist and McKay Creek Elementary music teacher, with assistance from Journey Hahn, will perform “La Rejouissance” from Handel’s “Royal Fireworks Music,” theme music from the film “How to Train Your Dragon” by Michael John Mollo and John James Powell, and “The Bringer of Joy, an arrangement by Roy Phillippe of Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter.”

About the orchestras

Both the OES Youth Orchestra and Preludes Orchestra are part of Playing For Keeps, OES’s classical music initiative for rural youth. Both are open to students playing string instruments (violin, viola, cello, double bass) who can play and read music at an elementary level.

Students audition to determine their placement in the two ensembles. Both ensembles are accepting new students for the spring concert rehearsal series, which begins Feb. 3. Rehearsals are held at the Pendleton High School music department on Mondays at 6:30 p.m.

For more information about Oregon East Symphony’s education and concert programming, or to donate in support of OES’s education programming, visit www.oregoneastsymphony.org, call 541-276-0320, or email info@oregoneastsymphony.org.