Camerata Orchestra, Las Vegas Sun, Feb. 23, 1996

Camerata Orchestra celebrating its 10th year Lisa Sciortino Friday, Feb. 23, 1996 | 11:59 a.m. At a time when arts groups are struggling for attention in the ever-growing Las Vegas Valley, the Youth Camerata Orchestra has managed to keep its head above water -- and make quite a name for itself in the process. In fact, the 20-member group's class-act reputation is probably better known in musical circles outside of town, admits founder and conductor Oscar Carrescia. He has already lined up several engagements for the violin, cello and viola-playing teens in Oregon and South America this year. The orchestra is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month with a special concert Saturday at the Winchester Community Center, featuring guest Myriam Santucci, principle cellist of the Nevada Symphony Orchestra. But gaining an international recognition wasn't what Carrescia, who also teaches music lessons at his Las Vegas violin shop, had in mind when he set out a decade ago. "I didn't do it for that," he says in his thick Argentine accent. "Mainly it was to put (together) a group of my students just to play classical music. And then we became very successful." Since then, about 300 of his students have played in the half-dozen concerts the orchestra performs annually, most of them locally. Part of the draw has been the notable guest soloists -- Ruben Gonzalez, concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony, and Louis Greenhouse of the Montreal Symphony among them -- that Carrescia invites to perform with them. Both men played in a youth orchestra with Carrescia in Argentina during the '50s and are slated for repeat performances with the Camerata this year. "All of those artists like to help and perform with young people," he says. But the real stars of the show are the kids. There have been a handful of standout musicians through the years, he says. Several have gone on to perform with symphonies around the country. "I suffer very much when they go, but I'm used to that. They always come and visit me, and when they are in town they perform with the orchestra." That's not to say, though, that some students were more dedicated to their art than others. "With talent or no talent, it's a daily commitment, it's hours of practicing. You are a slave of the instrument or the music you conduct. "You don't have to be a star to enjoy music," he reminds. "Everybody on their own level can enjoy and can contribute to music." Carrescia has included such words of wisdom in a book he's written about the orchestra's history and his own, scheduled for local release early this summer. "They're all true stories about how I started in music, me as a student, me as a conductor, as a teacher. I have a lot of good, funny stories," he says. A "Best Of" Camerata CD is also in the works. Of course, there will be plenty more where that came from. "Ten years is a lot" of time, he says, "but there's still a lot more to do."