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The various ensembles of the Memphis Youth Symphony present eight concerts each year, but for the first time MYS has slated a concert to be played by grownups.

On Saturday, the Memphis Youth Symphony will present the first “A Musical Homecoming,” a benefit concert performed by alumni of the organization.

The event will take place at First Congregational Church at 1000 S. Cooper St. and will include a reception and discussion for young musicians at 5:30 p.m. Reservations are required for the reception. The alumni concert will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Organizers said the concert gives alumni the chance to catch up with old friends while supporting the organization that gave them their start in music.

REUNION: Julia Shaffer on harp and Alisa Horn on cello are two of 70 former members of the Memphis Youth Symphony who will play “A Musical Homecoming” Saturday at First Congregational Church.

“I still remember my first concert,” said Kathleen Powell, MYS executive director, who played violin for a youth symphony in Athens, Ga. “I was in the ninth grade and my biggest goal was not to play during a rest. My stand partner now is in the Atlanta Symphony.”

Powell said she hopes that younger attendees will be inspired by the sounds of the alumni.

“The reason we wanted to do a talk before the concert is that a lot of people don’t play their instruments anymore, but they’re doing all kinds of different things,” Powell said. “I think it will be encouraging for the young ones.”

Alisa Horn, a freelance cellist living in New York City and an MYS alumna, is organizing the concert. She said at least 70 alumni will be in attendance and about 60 of those will play in the concert.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JULIA SHAFFER

Horn began working on the event in April. Powell said next year’s event may draw even more alumni who couldn’t make it this year because of short notice. She said she had to learn about the social networking site Facebook in order to get in contact with all of the alumni.

“I loved being with people from all over the city and all different schools,” said Horn of her MYS days from 1993 to 2000. “From a very early age we had to audition and practice. Although it’s stressful, I think it’s an important skill to learn as a musician to work your hardest and play your best.”

The first half of the concert will feature soloists and small ensembles that will perform Bach’s Concerto No. 5 in F Minor for harpsichord, “Spain” by David Fetter for trombone, and “Scherzo-Tarantella” by Henri Wieniawski for violin and piano.

The second half will feature works for full orchestra conducted by former MYS conductor Vincent Danner. On the slate are George Gershwin’s Cuban Overture, Aaron Copland’s Hoe-Down from “Rodeo” and Intermezzo from “Cavalleria Rusticano” by Pietro Mascagni, among others.

The concert will finish with a rousing rendition of John Phillip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

A Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented to Michelle Walker, assistant principal violist for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, in honor of her service to young string players in MYS.

Powell said she hopes to raise $10,000 in proceeds to support the program.

The Memphis Youth Symphony includes three string ensembles conducted by Karla Philipp and Pak Chung Ching and a full orchestra under the direction of Dr. Douglas Morrison.

About 290 students ages 8 to 18 participate in the program, which began in 1966 as a part of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. The youth symphony became independent in 2006, Powell said.

“I feel very strongly about this,” Horn said. “Because of the youth symphony I realized that I really wanted to be a cellist. I definitely don’t think I would have made this career choice without it.”