Atlanta Youth Symphony
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The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, commonly known as the ASYO, is an organization featuring
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
's young instrumentalists, created in 1974. Each May, about 300 middle to high school instrumentalists go through one or more auditions for places in the ASYO (the minimum age requirement is 13, though exceptions are made). Only about 100 will be selected to participate in the season.


The youth orchestra

In 1974, the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra was created as a subsidiary of the
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is an American orchestra based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The ASO's main concert venue is Atlanta Symphony Hall in the Woodruff Arts Center. History Though earlier organizations bearing the same name date b ...
, a practice that is relatively rare for American orchestras. However, this arrangement worked for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since it began as a youth ensemble itself, the Atlanta Youth Symphony of 1944-47. Thirty years after the start of the Atlanta Youth Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra was formed, first directed under Michael Palmer, Associate Conductor of the ASO. Sung Kwak was the successor to Michael Palmer as conductor of the orchestra and conducted for two years. From 1979 to 2014, Jere Flint was the conductor of the orchestra. From 2014 to 2017,
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was the conductor. Stephen Mulligan was the conductor from 2017-2020, and Jerry Hou has been the conductor since 2020. Members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra often work with members of the youth orchestra during Saturday rehearsals. This program has been in effect since orchestra was founded. More than 50 ASO players have served as ASYO coaches.


Concerts

Each season, the Youth Orchestra performs at least three subscription concerts, in addition to annual Kids' Holiday concerts and a Family Concert. At least one concert each season features Youth Orchestra soloists selected through an annual Concerto Competition. Another annual competition, the Scholarship Auditions, reward the winners with scholarships which are used to further musical studies at summer camps, colleges and conservatories. The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra promotes the arts and arts education in the Atlanta community, and it performs an annual concert for the Atlanta Ministry with International Students. Occasionally, the Youth Orchestra performs large symphonic-choral works in concerts with local high school chorus members as a part of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra Chorus. As of the 2006-2007 season, the last time this occurred was May 2002. The ASYO also commissions works by local and national composers. The ASYO has hosted or exchanged visits with youth orchestras from
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. During the 1996 Cultural Olympiad, the Youth Orchestra performed to sold-out audiences. The Youth Orchestra was also the featured orchestra at the Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games and broadcast worldwide. Four concerts of recent performances have been highlighted on National Public Radio's "Performance Today" series. In addition to that, ASYO concerts are replayed on local radio station WABE FM-90.1. The Youth Orchestra was invited to perform for the Georgia Music Educators Association in January 2005. In April 2005, the Youth Orchestra performed and recorded two live concerts with Atlanta rock band
Collective Soul Collective Soul is an American rock band originally from Stockbridge, Georgia. Now based in Atlanta, the group consists of lead vocalist Ed Roland, rhythm guitarist Dean Roland, bassist Will Turpin, drummer Johnny Rabb, and lead guitarist Jes ...
. They are showcased in the DVD '' Home: A Live Concert Recording With The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra''. Other guest artists including
Jennifer Larmore Jennifer Larmore (born June 21, 1958) is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer, particularly noted for her performances in coloratura and bel canto roles which she has performed in the world's major opera houses.Slonimsky, Nicolas and Kuhn, ...
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, and Andrés Díaz have performed with the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. Guest conductors Robert Shaw,
Yoel Levi Yoel Levi (Hebrew: יואל לוי) (born 16 August 1950) is an Israeli musician and conductor. Early life Born in Romania, Levi grew up in Israel. He studied at the Tel Aviv Academy of Music, receiving a Master of Arts degree with distinction. ...
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Mark Waters Mark Stephen Waters (born June 30, 1964) is an American filmmaker who directed the comedy films ''Freaky Friday'', ''Mean Girls'', ''Ghosts of Girlfriends Past'', '' Mr. Popper's Penguins'', and ''Vampire Academy''. Filmography Film Producer ...
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Michael Kamen Michael Arnold Kamen (April 15, 1948 – November 18, 2003) was an American composer (especially of film scores), orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, songwriter, and session musician. Biography Early life Michael Arnold Kamen was born in ...
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Alexander Mickelthwate Alexander Mickelthwate (born 2 June 1970 in Frankfurt, West Germany) is a German-born conductor who is the current music director and principal conductor of Oklahoma City Philharmonic. Early life and education He is one of three sons in his fam ...
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Donald Runnicles Sir Donald Cameron Runnicles OBE HonFRSE (born 16 November 1954, Edinburgh, Scotland) is a Scottish conductor. Life and career The son of William Runnicles, a director of a furniture supply company and a choirmaster and organist, and Christin ...
, and
Robert Spano Robert Spano ( ; born 7 May 1961, Conneaut, Ohio) is an American conductorDavidson, Justin. "CLASSICAL MUSIC: Looking for Magic: Mixing visuals and language into a performance is just part of conductor Robert Spano's pursuit of orchestral risk" ...
have also conducted the Youth Orchestra. A number of the Youth Orchestra's members have gone on to study music in conservatories and university music departments and pursue careers in music, as teachers and performers.


References


External links


Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra
website {{authority control American youth orchestras Musical groups established in 1974 1974 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Youth organizations based in Georgia (U.S. state) Orchestras based in Georgia (U.S. state)