Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras
Encyclopedia
The Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (BYSO) is a youth orchestra
based in Boston, Massachusetts under the artistic leadership of Music Director Federico Cortese
. Since 1958, BYSO has served thousands of young musicians from throughout New England
with a three full symphonic orchestras, a string training orchestra, a preparatory wind ensemble, four chamber orchestras, a chamber music program, and a nationally recognized string training program for underrepresented youth from inner-city communities.
BYSO’s mission is to "encourage artistic excellence in a nurturing environment by providing the highest quality orchestral training and performance opportunities to qualified musicians, grades K-12, while making its programs accessible to underrepresented youth through financial aid and outreach."
Each year, BYSO auditions around 700 elementary and secondary students, accepting around half of them. BYSO prides itself on creating a community for young musicians, their families and the people that support their passion for music.
BYSO offers over 15 performances in some of Boston's finest venues including Boston Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall
at New England Conservatory, Sanders Theatre at Harvard University and Tsai Performance Center at Boston University
. The orchestras and chamber ensembles rehearse every Sunday from September through June at Boston University College of Fine Arts
, where BYSO has been in residence since it was established in 1958. The College of Fine Arts is a major sponsor of BYSO.
BYSO receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts
, the premier federal arts funding agency in the United States, as well as numerous private and public funding sources. In 2007, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the state’s agency for arts, humanities and sciences, announced continued support for the BYSO; it ranked the BYSO first among all orchestras in the state for its quality, outreach programs, and fiscal and administrative management.
BYSO has the largest operating budget (in 2010, $2,372,974 ) of any youth orchestra in the United States, nearly double that of most youth orchestras.
Eduardo Tobon, Managing Director of the Cards Division within Sovereign Bank
/Santander Bank
, is the current President of BYSO Board of Directors.
and Assistant Conductor Mark Miller.
During the season, all members of BYS also participate in one of two chamber orchestras, BYS Sinfonietta or BYS Camerata, in which they explore music of the Classical period, including works by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. BYS also performs complete semi-staged operas (Così fan tutte
, Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni
and MacBeth
). By studying this repertoire in a chamber orchestra setting, BYS members develop specific techniques of ensemble playing and musical phrasing to a degree they may not otherwise experience within the larger orchestra. The BYS also holds an annual concerto competition open to all of its members.
BYS performs at world class venues including Boston Symphony Hall
, Sanders Theatre at Harvard University
, and Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory. Every other year, BYS embarks on an international tour. These professionally managed tours provide students with first-rate performing opportunities abroad as well as cultural sightseeing excursions and activities.
During the season, all members participate in one of two chamber orchestras, Repertory Sinfonietta and Repertory Camerata, in which they explore music of the classical period, including great works by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. By studying such repertoire as part of these chamber orchestras, Repertory Orchestra members develop specific techniques of ensemble playing and musical phrasing to a degree they may not otherwise experience within the larger orchestra. Joel Bard conducts Repertory Sinfonietta and John Holland conducts Repertory Camerata.
During the year, all JRO members receive sight-singing and ear-training instruction as part of their experience at BYSO. These classes are taught by graduate students from Boston University's College of Fine Arts.
's Cartoon Festival.
(NEMC). JRO and BYS members arrive there on the same day, however JRO members stay for five days while members of BYS stay for eleven. On the day JRO leaves, REP orchestra arrive and stay for six days. During these days, the orchestras make use of NEMC's facilities practice and rehearse throughout each day. During breaks, members of BYSO cool down in the canteen, relax in dorms or cabins, play sports, relax, or practice.
Youth orchestra
Youth orchestra may refer to:-Australia:*Adelaide Youth Orchestra*Melbourne String Ensemble*Queensland Youth Orchestras*SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra*Sydney Youth Orchestra...
based in Boston, Massachusetts under the artistic leadership of Music Director Federico Cortese
Federico Cortese
Federico Cortese has served as Music Director of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras since 1999. He is currently also the Music Director of the New England String Ensemble and the newly-appointed Conductor of the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra at Harvard University. In summer 2009, he was appointed...
. Since 1958, BYSO has served thousands of young musicians from throughout New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
with a three full symphonic orchestras, a string training orchestra, a preparatory wind ensemble, four chamber orchestras, a chamber music program, and a nationally recognized string training program for underrepresented youth from inner-city communities.
BYSO’s mission is to "encourage artistic excellence in a nurturing environment by providing the highest quality orchestral training and performance opportunities to qualified musicians, grades K-12, while making its programs accessible to underrepresented youth through financial aid and outreach."
Each year, BYSO auditions around 700 elementary and secondary students, accepting around half of them. BYSO prides itself on creating a community for young musicians, their families and the people that support their passion for music.
BYSO offers over 15 performances in some of Boston's finest venues including Boston Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall
Jordan Hall
Jordan Hall is a 1,019-seat concert hall in Boston, Massachusetts, the principal performance space of the New England Conservatory. It is one block from Boston's Symphony Hall, and together they are considered two of America's most acoustically perfect performance spaces...
at New England Conservatory, Sanders Theatre at Harvard University and Tsai Performance Center at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
. The orchestras and chamber ensembles rehearse every Sunday from September through June at Boston University College of Fine Arts
Boston University College of Fine Arts
The Boston University College of Fine Arts is unit of Boston University. The College consists of the School of Music, the School of Theatre, and the School of Visual Arts. Each of the individual schools offer degrees in the performing and visual arts at the undergraduate and graduate level...
, where BYSO has been in residence since it was established in 1958. The College of Fine Arts is a major sponsor of BYSO.
BYSO receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
, the premier federal arts funding agency in the United States, as well as numerous private and public funding sources. In 2007, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the state’s agency for arts, humanities and sciences, announced continued support for the BYSO; it ranked the BYSO first among all orchestras in the state for its quality, outreach programs, and fiscal and administrative management.
BYSO has the largest operating budget (in 2010, $2,372,974 ) of any youth orchestra in the United States, nearly double that of most youth orchestras.
Eduardo Tobon, Managing Director of the Cards Division within Sovereign Bank
Sovereign Bank
Sovereign Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Spanish Grupo Santander. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the bank—whose principal market is in the Northeastern United States—has more than $77 billion in assets, operates 723 retail banking offices, over 2,300 ATMs and employs approximately 8,500...
/Santander Bank
Grupo Santander
The Santander Group is a banking group centered on Banco Santander, S.A., the largest bank in the Eurozone and one of the largest banks in the world in terms of market capitalisation. According to Forbes Magazine Global 2000, it is the 13th largest public company in the world...
, is the current President of BYSO Board of Directors.
Boston Youth Symphony (BYS)
The Boston Youth Symphony, BYSO’s premier ensemble, is composed of 120 advanced players. The group performs a wide range of demanding orchestral repertoire and is led by Music Director Federico CorteseFederico Cortese
Federico Cortese has served as Music Director of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras since 1999. He is currently also the Music Director of the New England String Ensemble and the newly-appointed Conductor of the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra at Harvard University. In summer 2009, he was appointed...
and Assistant Conductor Mark Miller.
During the season, all members of BYS also participate in one of two chamber orchestras, BYS Sinfonietta or BYS Camerata, in which they explore music of the Classical period, including works by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. BYS also performs complete semi-staged operas (Così fan tutte
Così fan tutte
Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti K. 588, is an opera buffa by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart first performed in 1790. The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte....
, Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
and MacBeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
). By studying this repertoire in a chamber orchestra setting, BYS members develop specific techniques of ensemble playing and musical phrasing to a degree they may not otherwise experience within the larger orchestra. The BYS also holds an annual concerto competition open to all of its members.
BYS performs at world class venues including Boston Symphony Hall
Symphony Hall
Symphony Hall usually refers to:* Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, USAIt may also refer to:Concert Halls* Allentown Symphony Hall in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA* Phoenix Symphony Hall in Phoenix, Arizona, USA...
, Sanders Theatre at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory. Every other year, BYS embarks on an international tour. These professionally managed tours provide students with first-rate performing opportunities abroad as well as cultural sightseeing excursions and activities.
BYS International Tours
Every other year, the Boston Youth Symphony embarks on an international tour. These tours provide students with an invaluable opportunity to perform abroad in internationally prestigious venues as well as to experience different cultures.Repertory Orchestra (REP)
Under the direction of conductor Joel Bard, the Repertory Orchestra is an advanced, full symphonic orchestra composed of approximately 100 players of excellent technical and musical ability. Repertory Orchestra has performed in some of Boston's most prestigious venues including Boston Symphony Hall, Sanders Theatre at Harvard University, Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory and the Tsai Performance Center at Boston University.During the season, all members participate in one of two chamber orchestras, Repertory Sinfonietta and Repertory Camerata, in which they explore music of the classical period, including great works by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. By studying such repertoire as part of these chamber orchestras, Repertory Orchestra members develop specific techniques of ensemble playing and musical phrasing to a degree they may not otherwise experience within the larger orchestra. Joel Bard conducts Repertory Sinfonietta and John Holland conducts Repertory Camerata.
Junior Repertory Orchestra (JRO)
The Junior Repertory Orchestra has grown steadily from a small string orchestra to a full symphonic ensemble made up of over 90 members. Members receive group and individual coaching, which enables them to build solid, fundamental technical and musical skills. Adrian Slywotzky began his first season as the JRO conductor in 2006-2007. Under his leadership, JRO performs four times during the year at several venues throughout the Boston area, including Boston Symphony Hall, Boston University's Tsai Performance Center and Sanders Theatre at Harvard University.During the year, all JRO members receive sight-singing and ear-training instruction as part of their experience at BYSO. These classes are taught by graduate students from Boston University's College of Fine Arts.
Young People’s String Orchestra (YPSO)
The Young People’s String Orchestra is conducted by Marta Zurad. This young orchestra performs major repertoire from the standard string orchestra literature while learning the skills needed for excellent orchestral playing. It is an energetic and collaborative ensemble that emphasizes teamwork and leadership development. These young musicians challenge each other at every rehearsal as they learn the joys of hard work and dedication to excellence. Besides their routine performances, YPSO has also been featured as part of WCRBWCRB
WCRB is a non-commercial radio station licensed to Lowell, Massachusetts and based in the Brighton area of Boston, which serves the Greater Boston area. It broadcasts a classical music format; it existed as a commercial station from the early 1950s until December 2009, and as a listener-supported...
's Cartoon Festival.
Preparatory Winds (PW)
The Preparatory Winds, directed by Janet Underhill, is the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras' newest ensemble, beginning its first season in 2006-2007. The PW is designed to teach young wind players the fundamental skills necessary for successful orchestral playing. As members of the PW, students will develop basic techniques of ensemble participation, which will help prepare them for future orchestra membership.Intensive Community Program (ICP)
BYSO believes that every child benefits from engagement in the pursuit of artistic excellence provided in a nurturing environment. In 1999, BYSO recognized a need to reach out to students in under served communities in the Boston area to extend this valuable opportunity. The Intensive Community Program (ICP), a nationally recognized string instrument training program, serves underrepresented students in classical music with the goal of preparing them for successful auditions leading to membership in BYSO’s orchestras. ICP accepts young students (ages 5–8) who show exceptional interest in studying stringed instruments and provides them with scholarship assistance for weekly music lessons, ensemble classes and instrument rental. Once admitted into a BYSO orchestra, ICP students receive support in the form of need-based tuition scholarship, weekly lessons and use of an instrument until they graduate from high school. The program’s success is based on the community spirit that has been built which encourages students to achieve accelerated musical growth. ICP currently serves 75 students, including 18 new young recruits. For the last eleven years, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has supported ICP. NEA panelists have praised the high artistic quality and teaching methods of ICP, calling it a model music training program for under served youth.BYSO Camp
Every August, members in JRO, REP, and BYS start the season at the BYSO Camp, which takes place at New England Music CampNew England Music Camp
The New England Music Camp is a summer camp for music students ages 11–18, located on in Sidney, Maine, on the eastern shore of Messalonskee Lake in the Belgrade Lakes region. It was founded in 1937 on the site of the defunct Eastern Music Camp....
(NEMC). JRO and BYS members arrive there on the same day, however JRO members stay for five days while members of BYS stay for eleven. On the day JRO leaves, REP orchestra arrive and stay for six days. During these days, the orchestras make use of NEMC's facilities practice and rehearse throughout each day. During breaks, members of BYSO cool down in the canteen, relax in dorms or cabins, play sports, relax, or practice.
History
Since its inception in 1958, the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, formerly known as the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (GBYSO), has expanded beyond its original single orchestra and launched many new artistic initiatives. The timeline below highlights some of the most memorable moments in the history of BYSO.- 1958: Dr. Robert Choate of Boston University leads the effort to establish a youth orchestra for junior and senior high school aged musicians. Marvin Rabin is appointed Music Director, and the orchestra’s debut concert takes place at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall.
- 1962: The Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra (GBYSO) performs at the White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
and at Carnegie HallCarnegie HallCarnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
. - 1963: A second full orchestra is established due to the demand created by the number of auditioning students; now known as the Repertory Orchestra, this group was originally called the Greater Boston Junior Youth Symphony Orchestra.
- 1964: GBYSO performs for the first time at Boston’s Symphony Hall. Dr. Artin Arslanian is appointed Music Director.
- 1967: Walter Eisenberg is appointed Music Director.
- 1969: GBYSO earns top honors at the first International Festival of Youth Orchestras in St. MoritzSt. MoritzSt. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
on its first international tour. - 1970: GBYSO is the first foreign youth orchestra to perform at the prestigious IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
Festival of Music and Drama. - 1972: GBYSO performs at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and later tours EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. - 1974: GBYSO travels to ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
to perform in BogotaBogotáBogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
and MedellinMedellínMedellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
(Boston’s sister city). - 1978: Members of the orchestras share music stands with Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians in five Youth Concert performances of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture1812 OvertureThe Year 1812, Festival Overture in E flat major, Op. 49, popularly known as the 1812 Overture or the Overture of 1812 is an overture written by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1880 to commemorate Russia's defense of Moscow against Napoleon's advancing Grande Armée at the Battle of...
under the direction of Harry Ellis Dickson at Boston’s Symphony Hall. - 1979: GBYSO returns to Colombia by popular demand.
- 1980: GBYSO participates in an exchange with the DüsseldorfDüsseldorfDüsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
Youth Symphony Orchestra and tours West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
and BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Leonard Atherton is appointed Music Director. - 1982: GBYSO tours MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
; the trip includes a joint concert with the Montreal Youth Orchestra. Eiji OueEiji Oueis a Japanese conductor.Oue began his conducting studies with Hideo Saito of the Toho Gakuen School of Music. In 1978, Seiji Ozawa invited him to spend the summer studying at the Tanglewood Music Center. While there, he met Leonard Bernstein, who became a mentor. Oue won the Tanglewood...
is appointed Music Director. The organization’s highest-level orchestra becomes informally known as the Senior Orchestra. - 1983: GBYSO’s Silver Anniversary celebrations include the commission and premiere of The GBYSO Music by Theodore AntoniouTheodore AntoniouTheodore Antoniou , is a Greek composer and conductor. His works vary from operas and choral works to chamber music, from film and theatre music to solo instrumental works. In addition to his career as composer and conductor, he also holds the position of professor of composition at Boston University...
and a tour of FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. GBYSO becomes an independent non-profit organizationNon-profit organizationNonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
. - 1985: The Senior Orchestra’s tour of YugoslaviaYugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, and AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
includes a performance in BudapestBudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
for the International Congress of Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, as well as an appearance at the Dubrovnik Music Festival. - 1988: Leonard BernsteinLeonard BernsteinLeonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
and Seiji OzawaSeiji Ozawais a Japanese conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of large-scale late Romantic works. He is most known for his work as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and principal conductor of the Vienna State Opera.-Early years:...
serve as honorary chairmen of the Senior Orchestra’s tour of JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The Senior Orchestra premieres "The Gesar Legend" by Peter LiebersonPeter LiebersonPeter Lieberson was an American composer. He was ballerina and choreographer Vera Zorina and Goddard Lieberson, president of Columbia Records....
, a piece for five soloists and orchestra commissioned by the BYSO. The soloists are Sato Knudson, Ronan Lefkowitz, Richard Sebring, Fenwick Smith, and Larry Wolfe, all BYSO alumni in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. - 1989: David Commanday is appointed Music Director.
- 1991: The Junior Repertory Orchestra (JRO) is established.
- 1992: The Senior Orchestra tours Central Europe. After the tour, the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) presents the BYSO a special award given in recognition of the programming of American music on foreign tours. The Senior Orchestra performs Mahler’s Symphony No. 2Symphony No. 2 (Mahler)The Symphony No. 2 by Gustav Mahler, known as the Resurrection, was written between 1888 and 1894, and first performed in 1895. Apart from the Eighth Symphony, this symphony was Mahler's most popular and successful work during his lifetime. It is his first major work that would eventually mark his...
at Symphony Hall in a special Benefit Concert for the Children’s AIDS Program. The concert is named the Best Concert of the Year by an orchestra other than the Boston Symphony Orchestra by the Boston Globe. - 1993: The Senior and Repertory Orchestras undertake an exchange with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras. The trip to IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
features a performance at ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
’s Orchestra Hall. - 1994: The Senior Orchestra tours FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The Repertory Orchestra travels to MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
on its first solo tour; the trip is part of an exchange with the Minnesota Youth Symphonies. - 1995: Violinist Lynn ChangLynn ChangLynn Chang is a Chinese American violinist known for his work as both a soloist and a chamber musician. Chang is a founding member of the Boston Chamber Music Society and is currently a faculty member at MIT, Boston University, the Boston Conservatory, and the New England Conservatory of...
and cellist Yo-Yo MaYo-Yo MaYo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
join the Senior Orchestra for the world premiere of Ivan TcherepninIvan TcherepninIvan Tcherepnin was an experimental, then later modernist/postmodernist, composer. He was born into a highly musical family, his father and grandfather, Alexander and Nikolai, being distinguished Russian composers, and his mother Ming a well-known pianist...
’s Double Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Orchestra, a work commissioned by the BYSO. The Preparatory String Orchestra, now known as the Young People’s String Orchestra (YPSO), is established. - 1996: Ivan Tcherepnin’s Double Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Orchestra wins the highly coveted University of LouisvilleUniversity of LouisvilleThe University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
Grawemeyer AwardGrawemeyer AwardThe Grawemeyer Awards are five awards given annually by the University of Louisville in the state of Kentucky, United States. The prizes are presented to individuals in the fields of education, ideas improving world order, music composition, religion, and psychology...
for Music Composition; GBYSO was the first youth orchestra organization to be affiliated with this prestigious award. The Senior Orchestra tours ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
with a featured performance at the world renowned Ravenna Festival. - 1997: National Public Radio’s Performance Today names GBYSO one of the nation’s five best youth orchestras.
- 1998: GBYSO celebrates its Fortieth Anniversary. The Senior Orchestra travels to England and Ireland for a six-concert tour.
- 1999: The Massachusetts Cultural Council ranks the BYSO #1 out of 45 applicants. The Senior Orchestra performs at Seiji Ozawa’s Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Celebration with the Boston Symphony Orchestra on the Boston Common. Bonnie Black becomes the Artistic Director of the BYSO’s Intensive Community Program (ICP). Federico CorteseFederico CorteseFederico Cortese has served as Music Director of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras since 1999. He is currently also the Music Director of the New England String Ensemble and the newly-appointed Conductor of the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra at Harvard University. In summer 2009, he was appointed...
becomes the Music Director of the BYSO. - 2000: The Senior Orchestra tours France. Both the Senior and Repertory Orchestras perform at Symphony Hall during the venue’s Centennial Celebration. The Senior Orchestra participates in an exchange with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras.
- 2002: GBYSO collaborates for the first time with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, the official chorus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The Senior Orchestra tours the Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and Hungary, and joins in the opening festivities of the Twentieth Biannual Béla BartókBéla BartókBéla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
Choir Competition in DebrecenDebrecenDebrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
. - 2003: The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) awards GBYSO the prestigious Commonwealth Award in the education category, given every two years as the state’s highest recognition for individuals and organizations in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences. The Senior Orchestra tours California.
- 2004: The Senior Orchestra tours EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, LatviaLatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, and RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and performs at St. Petersburg’s renowned Shostakovich Hall. - 2006: The Senior Orchestra tours Spain and Portugal and takes part in the prestigious Granada Festival. The Preparatory Wind Ensemble (PWE) is established.
- 2007: The Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (GBYSO) officially changes its name to the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (BYSO). The Senior Orchestra becomes known as the Boston Youth Symphony.
- 2008: BYSO celebrates its Fiftieth Anniversary Season with a sold-out gala featuring Yo-Yo Ma at Symphony Hall. The premier orchestra performs the world premiere alumnus Robert BeaserRobert BeaserRobert Beaser is an American composer.-Biography:Beaser was brought up in a non-musical family. His father was a physician and mother was a chemist. He grew up in Newton, Massachusetts where he distinguished himself at a young age as a percussionist, composer and conductor...
's "Evening Prayer".
Further reading
- Keches, Krysten A., Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, Arcadia Publishing, Images of America series, 2007.