History of the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra

In 1957, Alphonse Carlo, concertmaster emeritus of the Florida Symphony Orchestra (FSO), recognized a need for a youth orchestra in Central Florida in which young musicians could develop their talents. Young musicians were invited to attend and participate in rehearsals with Florida Symphony Orchestra musicians and the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra was born. Carlo nurtured the orchestra and served as its principal conductor for 15 years. In 1981, due to tremendous interest in the Youth Orchestra program, a second training orchestra was formed to meet the needs of the emerging music student who was not advanced enough to study complex traditional orchestral literature.

The late ’70s and early ’80s saw several changes in the management and structure of the Youth Orchestra. In 1976 the name was changed to the FSYO to reflect its ties with the FSO. The FSYO was incorporated in 1982 and received its 501(c)(3) status in 1984. Originally under the auspices of the Women’s Committee of the Florida Symphony (The League), the Orchestra was under the management of the conductor and general manager. Today’s FSYO is managed by an full-time executive director, part-time office manager, part-time production manager, three contracted conductors, and many volunteers, all under oversight of the volunteer Board of Directors.

Musicians are grouped by age and ability levels into five groups: Overture Strings, Philharmonia, Symphonic, Chamber and small ensembles. As of the start of the 2002-2003 season, FSYO is comprised of dedicated young musicians representing 60 schools from eight Central Florida counties: Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Brevard, Volusia, Polk and Highlands. Students audition to obtain their position in the orchestra and rehearse weekly during the school year in preparation for a total of 10 to 15 concerts.

Ninety percent of FSYO alumni advance to college, many at some of the finest music schools in the country, including the Juilliard School of Music, Eastman School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, and New England Conservatory. FSYO alumni serve as principals in three nationally recognized orchestras including the New York Philharmonic and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Many perform in major U.S. orchestras including the Baltimore Symphony and Nashville Symphony Orchestra. FSYO alumni are also performing members of the Florida Orchestra, the Naples Philharmonic and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.

The FSYO has performed throughout Florida and the Southeast with many noted professional soloists. In 1989, they premiered at Carnegie Hall. They premiered at Boston’s Symphony Hall in 1991 and in June 1993, the FSYO served as cultural youth ambassadors in a performance tour to Basel, Switzerland and Barcelona, Spain. The following spring, the FSYO hosted the Basel Orchestra in joint concerts in Orlando. In the summer of 1995, sixty FSYO musicians toured and performed in Great Britain. In July 1996, the Englanders from the East Herts Music Centre Orchestra reciprocated and traveled to the U.S. to perform with the FSYO at Epcot, and at a standing-room only concert at Seminole Community College. During the summer of 1997, the FSYO traveled to Australia to participate in the Sydney Youth Musicale, which included home-stays, concerts and tours, and culminated in a performance at the famous Sydney Opera House. In July 1999, 46 FSYO musicians toured Munich, Salzburg, Vienna and Prague for performances in Salzburg, Vienna and Marionkron, Austria and to compete in the 28th International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna. The FSYO Tour Orchestra won second place in the Youth Orchestra Division competing against European youth orchestras who include members up to age 29. The FSYO traveled and performed in Austria, Germany and Switzerland from 7-16 July 2001 with funding provided in part by an International Cultural Exchange Grant from the Florida Department of State.

The FSYO was extremely proud to be one of six youth orchestras from across the U.S. selected by audition to participate in the prestigious National Youth Orchestra Festival, June 23-30, 2002 in Sarasota. The National Youth Orchestra Festival is a biennial festival sponsored by the American Symphony Orchestra League and hosted in Sarasota by the Florida West Coast Symphony Orchestra. In the summer of 2004 the FSYO travelled to Washington DC where they performed with Martin Hackleman the Principal Horn of the National Symphony and took part in Master Classes with the Baltimore Symphony.