Shenandoah Valley Youth Symphony & Concert Orchestra

Spring 2023 Season

Spring 2023 rehearsals begin on Sunday, January 29. The rehearsals for the symphony will run from 2-4:10pm and for the orchestra they will run from 2:30-4pm.

Audition Information

Admission to the Youth Symphony and Concert Orchestra is by audition only. Auditions will be held January 29 & February 5 from 1-2pm.

To schedule your audition, please call 540-432-4650, or email erin.weldon@emu.edu. Auditions will be held in EMU's Lehman Auditorium.

Audition Requirements

Play one prepared piece (3-4 minutes) without accompaniment (SRO excerpts are fine)
2 or 3-octave scale, your choice
Sight reading

About the Youth Symphony

The Shenandoah Valley Youth Symphony, conducted by Dr. Yi-Ping Chen, provides a unique, high-level orchestral experience for advanced wind, brass, strings, and percussion students of the greater central Shenandoah Valley area.

The purpose of the Youth Symphony is:

to experience a broad range of symphonic literature
to broaden training in an orchestral setting
to experience a high level of music-making
to express individual creativity through concerto performances and performances of student compositions
to provide an orchestral forum not otherwise available for most wind and percussion players

Junior Strings

The Youth Symphony meets on Sunday afternoons from 2:00-4:10 pm on the Eastern Mennonite University campus in Harrisonburg, VA. Rehearsals are held for 8 weeks in the fall and 12 weeks in the winter/spring, with a free public concert at the end of each session.

About Concert Orchestra

The Shenandoah Valley Concert Orchestra, conducted by Kimberly Souther, provides an intermediate-level orchestral experience for string students of the Greater Central Shenandoah Valley area.

The Concert Orchestra meets every Sunday from 2:30-4pm on the Eastern Mennonite Campus in Harrisonburg, VA. Rehearsals are held for 8 weeks in the fall and 12 weeks in the winter spring, with 3 concert/performance opportunities each year.

Scholarship Opportunities

Fellowship Program:
In 2014, the Youth Symphony Fellowship Program was established through the generous donations of Bibb and Dolly Frazier. The Fellowship Program supports students who play at a high level and are committed to the Symphony through scholarship money for private lessons and tuition for the Symphony. Priority is given to instrumentalists needed to maintain a solid orchestra. Please consider joining Debbie Warnaar and Brian Bauer in making a donation to ensure that the Fellowship Program continues.

There are two types of Fellowships: partial (covers Youth Symphony tuition) and full (covers Youth Symphony tuition and assistance with private lesson expenses). In order to be considered for a Fellowship award, you must:

Submit a recommendation letter from your private teacher (email is fine) prior to your audition to our director, Kimberly Souther, kimberly.souther@emu.edu.
Commit to the entire season
Audition by September 2022 (scale of your choice, prepared piece of your choice, sight-reading)
Be an ambassador for the Youth Symphony at your school (promoting auditions and concerts)
Assist the conductor or program director with duties that are decided after the auditions.

If you would like to help this important scholarship program continue in the future, you can make a tax-deductible Online Donation, or contact Kimberly Souther for more details.

SVYS & SVCO Spring 2023 Schedule

(Members will receive a detailed rehearsal schedule)

Auditions for Spring of 2023 will be held Jan. 29 & Feb. 5
Rehearsals begin January 29, 2023

Junior Strings

Who? We will have this broken up into two levels. One for beginners primarily 2nd grade through 6th grade, and one for non-beginner string students who read music at the late Book 1 level or higher or who are a VMEA grade level 1-2 (this is typically equivalent to playing 1-2 yrs of your instrument). No previous experience or audition needed. If you have questions on whether or not you qualify please contact us.

When?

Non-Beginners - Sundays from 2:30-3:15pm

Beginners - Sundays from 3:20-4pm
These classes will run from this Sunday, January 29 through March 26, 2023

Where? Room 11 in the basement of Lehman at EMU (1191 Park Rd. Harrisonburg, Va 22801)

What? Director Angela Sulzer will teach the skills needed to be a successful and a confident orchestra member. The primary focus will be on reading music in an ensemble setting, and collaborating with other musicians in a fun environment.

How? Access our registration form here and return it by January 25, 2023