Discover the Williamsport Symphony Youth Orchestra (WSYO), a premier musical experience tailored for high school and college students from 9th grade onwards. Rehearsing for 8 weeks per semester, our program offers students the chance to work with WSO and other professional musicians, enhancing their musical journey culminating into captivating concerts at the Community Arts Center in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
With an annual tuition fee of $125, WSYO students gain access to collegiate-level repertoire and top-tier musical education, complementing their school music programs. Prospective members must audition before registration to ensure suitability for the orchestra.
Join the WSYO community and embark on an unforgettable musical journey of excellence and growth!
Williamsport Symphony Youth Orchestra Information
Audition Requirements
Joining the WSYO is an exciting opportunity to showcase your musical talent and dedication. To ensure a comprehensive evaluation, we request that applicants prepare the following components for their audition:
- Solo Performance: Please prepare one movement of a standard work for your instrument, or any piece you believe best showcases your abilities. This solo piece should demonstrate your technical proficiency, musicality, and expressiveness.
- Sight-Reading: At your audition, you will be provided with a piece of music to sight-read. This segment allows us to assess your ability to interpret and perform music on the spot, an essential skill for orchestral musicians.
- Scales: Demonstrate your mastery of scales by performing the following:
- For string instruments: Major and minor scales spanning two flats to four sharps.
- For wind instruments: Major and minor scales ranging from four flats to two sharps.
Preparing these components will enable us to evaluate your musical skills thoroughly and ensure a fair and comprehensive audition process. We look forward to hearing your audition and welcoming you to the WSYO family!
Email [email protected] to schedule an audition!
2024-2025 Schedule
Concert: Sunday, November 10, 2024, 4:00pm at the Community Arts Center
Fall Semeter Rehearsal Schedule:
Sunday, September 8, 2024
Sunday, September 15, 2024
Sunday, September 22, 2024
Sunday, September 29, 2024
Sunday, October 6, 2024
Sunday, October 13, 2024 - OFF
Sunday, October 20, 2024
Sunday, October 27, 2024
Sunday, November 3, 2024
Rehearsals are 4:00p-6:00pm at Trachte Music Center, Lycoming College
Concert: Sunday, May 4, 2025, 4:00pm at the Community Arts Center
Spring Semeter Rehearsal Schedule:
Sunday, March 2, 2025
Sunday, March 9, 2025 - rehearsal location TBD
Sunday, March 16, 2025
Sunday, March 23, 2025
Sunday, March 30, 2025
Sunday, April 6, 2025
Sunday, April 13, 2025
Sunday, April 20 - OFF
Sunday, April 27, 2025
Rehearsals are 4:00p-6:00pm at Trachte Music Center, Lycoming College
Meet WSYO Music Director, Dr. David Tedford
Dr. David Tedford - Winner of the 2019 International Conductors Workshop & Competition, Tedford currently holds the position of Conductor of the Bloomsburg University Community Orchestra. In addition, he is an Assistant Professor of Music at Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. David Tedford seeks to engage musicians and audience members of multiple generations through well-crafted performances each concert season.
As conductor of the Bloomsburg University Community Orchestra, Tedford directs the orchestra in their four-concert season, which includes two classical concerts, a Concerto Competition Winners' Concert, and a Young Person's Concert. The Young Person's Concerts reach around 1,200 students annually and have focused on educating young students on specific elements of music using a variety of styles including classical music, pop music, and movie music, as well deepening their understanding for the orchestral art form.
He enjoys exploring the newest trends in music, believing that the key to future generations of concert-goers is to perform music of contemporary society. His research interests include programming of contemporary music in the collegiate setting and is a proponent of promoting compositions by living composers. Dedicated to serving arts communities beyond the podium, Tedford is co-founder and contributor to The Adore Project (https://theadoreproject.org/), which is a resource for promoting composers of underrepresented demographics. He is also involved with the Orchestra division of And We Were Heard (https://www.andwewereheard.org/), another organization helping to promote orchestra music written by underrepresented demographics. Additionally, Tedford serves on the board of directors of the Harmony Arts Foundation in Bloomsburg, PA, a non-profit organization that is oriented towards the advancement of music education through lessons for all ages.
An avid educator, he has been a guest conductor for numerous high school orchestra festivals and workshops throughout the east coast and Midwest. He has also initiated multiple performing outlets for students at Bloomsburg University, including a Concerto Competition and a chamber music course. He also coordinates multiple educational outreach initiatives, such as Stringposium, an educational outreach for area string players, and multiple pre-audition workshops for local high school musicians.
Tedford holds degrees from Grove City College, Ohio University, and the University of Iowa. He has worked with conductors such as Steven Huang, William LaRue Jones, Kenneth Kiesler, Stuart Malina, Dwight Oltman, Robert Page, and Markand Thakar.
WSYO Sponsors
Williamsport Symphony Youth Orchestra Application 2024-2025