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Youth Orchestra

Central Ohio 's aspiring young instrumentalists in grades 9-12 perform in this ensemble directed by Columbus Symphony Orchestra Associate Conductor Peter Stafford Wilson. The 100-member orchestra has students from 36 high schools in over 20 counties. Members are selected through a competitive audition process each April/May.

Sponsored by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the organization emphasizes the performance of standard orchestral literature with special emphasis on American music under the leadership of a professional conductor with regular advice from coaches from the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.  Weekly rehearsals during the school year are carried out under professional standards, and the members are expected to take private lessons and maintain leadership responsibilities in their school ensembles.  

The orchestra performs an extensive series of concerts including three subscription programs at its home, The Capitol Theatre at the Vern Riffe Center in downtown Columbus, and runout performances throughout the state of Ohio.  In 1998, the orchestra was one of six chosen worldwide to appear at the 1998 Banff International Youth Orchestra Festival in Banff, Alberta, Canada.  During the summer of 1999, it made its first European tour, performing highly acclaimed concerts in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.  Returning to Dresden Germany in 2000, the orchestra developed an exchange relationship with the Heinrich Schultz Konservatorium, a community music school that boasts 8000 students.  In June of 2005, the orchestra embarked on an extensive 15-day tour of the Peoples Republic of China and Hong Kong performing in 5 different cities, including a concert atop the Great Wall of China. Currently, the Youth Orchestra is investigating a potential tour of selected countries in South America for June of 2008.

The Orchestra has appeared at regional conferences of the Ohio Music Educators Association, and the national conferences of the Music Educators National Conference and the American Symphony Orchestra League.  In 1998, the Orchestra released its first CD recording featuring Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, and its concerts are regularly re-broadcast on WOSU-FM.  Artists appearing with the Orchestra in recent seasons have included Dave Brubeck, Andrew Carlson, Gregory Fulkerson, Andreas Henkel, Marilyn Nims, Stephen Secan, Charles Wetherbee, and Eugenia Zuckerman.

Cadet Orchestra

The Cadet Orchestra, under the direction of Mark Sholl, is comprised of students in grades 7-10. This ensemble rehearses weekly and performs three concerts per season. Columbus Symphony musicians and area music educators host sectional coaching sessions periodically during the season. The orchestra also tours schools in the central Ohio area each spring and has performed at the Annual Ohio Music Educators Association conference in the past.

Chamber Strings Orchestra

The Chamber Strings Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Robert Gillespie, is comprised of talented string players in grades 6-9. The Columbus Symphony Chamber Strings Orchestra rehearses weekly and holds at least three concerts per season. Sectional coaching sessions, led by Ohio State University music education students, are held periodically during the year. The Chamber Strings Orchestra also tours schools in the central Ohio area each spring and will be performing at the American String Teacher Association National Orchestra Festival this year.

Junior Strings Orchestra

The mission of Junior Strings is to encourage the technical and musical development of young string players in grades 3-6 throughout Central Ohio. The orchestra is designed to complement the instruction that students receive from local private teachers and school string teachers, fostering the growth and development of string and orchestral experiences for young people in Central Ohio. Junior Strings regularly tours area schools and performs two to three different concerts around Columbus.