WHO WE ARE
Garden State Philharmonic History
Artistic Director & Conductor
Garden State Philharmonic Chorus
Garden State Philharmonic Youth Orchestras
Board of Directors
THE NEWSROOM
Click here to visit our Youth Orchestra website, call 732.255.0460, or email for more information.
Garden State Philharmonic Youth Orchestras
As part of its commitment to education, the Garden State Philharmonic actively sponsors three youth orchestras to provide young musicians the opportunity to play in an orchestra and receive training to develop and enhance individual musicianship. The three programs work together as feeder programs, so students can build on their knowledge and advance up the musical ladder. The members come from various schools throughout the Jersey Shore and must belong to their school music programs.
The Symphonic Youth Orchestra (SYO), formed in 1970, has approximately 25 - 35 students. This is a full orchestra, complete with wind, brass and percussion instruments, and the SYO has performed at Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall. Some SYO graduates have continued their musical studies and today are accomplished professional musicians.
In 1990, two more youth orchestras were founded to encourage elementary and middle school musicians. The String Ensemble (SE) encourages its 20+ elementary school students to seriously study string instruments and offers training and advancement into the Concert Youth Orchestra (CYO). The CYO has approximately 65 students. In 1998, it too became a full orchestra with brass and woodwinds. This group of middle school students offers training and advancement into the Symphonic Youth Orchestra.
The three youth orchestras typically perform two large concerts, one in January and one in June, as well as performing throughout the year at a variety of venues in the area. Scholarships are awarded each year to students who are pursuing a degree in music.
For more on the Youth Orchestra see Press Releases.
