Gary Wolfman, Youth Symphony conductor, is Director of Orchestras at Appleton North and West High Schools and recently was honored as "High School Educator of the Year" for the Appleton Area School District. He is a past president of the North Central Division of the National Association for Music Education (MENC), and served on its National Executive Board and Finance committee. Mr. Wolfman was president of the Wisconsin Music Educators Association and is a founding member of the Wisconsin State Coalition for the Advancement of Music Education. He chaired the Wisconsin High School State Honors Music Project and the Wisconsin Comprehensive Musicianship Through Performance Project. Locally, he was the first recipient of the Cutting Edge Award, given for outstanding creativity and excellence in teaching, and was recognized as the Teacher of the Year for Appleton East High School. Mr. Wolfman attended UW-Eau Claire for his undergraduate degree and the UW-Madison for his graduate degree, where he received the Richard C. Church Award as the outstanding student conductor. Presently, he is a columnist for the national publication "Teaching Music". Mr. Wolfman was a contributing writer to the book, "Shaping Sound Musicians."

Greg Austin, conductor of the Philharmonia Strings and Philharmonia Strings Chamber Ensemble, currently teaches orchestra at Roosevelt Middle School and Edison, Columbus, and Franklin Elementary Schools in the Appleton Area School District. Previous to working in Appleton, he taught orchestra classes at all levels in the Menasha Joint School District. He attended UW--Stevens Point and UW--Madison, where he received a bachelor's degree in instrumental music education. While at UW--Madison he received the Richard C. Church award for outstanding student in music education, as well as working for the Wisconsin Youth Symphonies as music librarian and chamber music coach. Mr. Austin serves as Assistant Principal Second Violin for the Green Bay Symphony. He has also performed as a member of the Madison Symphony and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, where he served as Principal Second Violin for many summer seasons. For three summers, Mr. Austin also directed the summer orchestra at the Lakeland College Music Camp.

• The Philharmonia Chamber Ensemble (PSCE) is for members of the Philharmonia Strings who, through the audition process, are chosen to receive an additional 30 minutes of instruction per week following the regular Philharmonia Strings rehearsal.
• The PSCE is for the top students in Philharmonia Strings who are not yet ready to advance to the Youth Symphony but are leaders in the Philharmonia Strings program.
• Greg Austin is the conductor of the PSCE and will choose one piece for the PSCE each semester. The PSCE will perform this piece along with the Philharmonia Strings and the Youth Symphony on the Fall and Spring Youth Orchestras Concerts.
• Rehearsals: The Philharmonia Strings rehearsal will take place, as usual, on Sunday afternoons from 4:30 - 6:15 pm. After the Philharmonia Strings rehearsal, a five-minute break will occur. Students in the PSCE will remain for an additional 30 minutes of instruction from 6:15 to 6:45 pm.