Mission The Fox Valley Symphony Youth Orchestra Program (YO) provides young people with quality ensemble music education, ensemble performance opportunities with high standards, and encourages personal discipline and dedication, advancing the critical links among music study, academic achievement and positive growth and development.
Youth Orchestra: The Showcase Symphony Our full orchestra was founded in 1974 and serves 90 students on average. Students in this orchestra are already highly accomplished musicians and are now ready to focus primarily on the nuances of music. They play professional-level music and enter with a strong drive to play orchestral music with discipline and a high-level of musicality. It is open to string, woodwind brass and percussion students and the suggested level is 9-12th grade by September 1st of the new school year. Applicants should have several years of band or orchestra experience and perform individually at an advanced high school or pre-college level. Students receive regular sectional coaching by professional musicians.
Knowledge of tenor clef and acquaintance with treble clef
String Bass:
Facility in half-thumb position
Knowledge of tenor clef
Seong-Kyung Graham, a native of Korea, received her Bachelor of Music degree from Sungshin Women's University in Seoul before moving to the United States in 1989. After earning her Master of Music degree at the University of North Texas, she pursued additional graduate studies in conducting at the University of Illinois and the College Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati.
Ms. Graham has a wide range of conducting experience with orchestras, chamber ensembles, and choral groups. Currently, she is the music director of Civic Symphony of Green Bay and the Chancel Choir Director at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Green Bay and a Visiting Instructor of Music at Ripon College. She was previously a music director of the Bradley Chamber Orchestra at Bradley University and the Ripon College Orchestra and the assistant conductor of the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra at Lawrence University. Other ensembles she has guest-conducted include Lawrence Symphony Chamber Orchestra, All Star Symphony Orchestra in Appleton, WI, Concert Orchestra at University of Cincinnati, Starling Showcase Orchestra in Cincinnati, and Illini Orchestra at University of Illinois.
Concert Orchestra: The Growth Orchestra Students are stretched to grow further as musicians. They continue to work on discipline, commitment and increasingly difficult repertoire. It is open to string students and the suggested level is 8-12th grade by September 1st of the new school year. Concert Orchestra performs orchestral literature at the standard to upper high school level and members receive regular sectional coaching on the repertoire. Applicants should have three or more years of orchestral experience and perform individually at an advanced high school level.
Greg Austin, conductor of Concert Orchestra and former longtime conductor of Philharmonia, 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.
Philharmonia: The Beginning Orchestra Students are introduced to the orchestral experience and repertoire. They learn to come together and work on a level of classical repertoire that is supplementary to the school setting. It is open to string students and the suggested level is 7-10th grade by September 1st of the new school year. Philharmonia performs music for string orchestra at the high school and advanced middle school level. The members receive regular sectional coaching on the repertoire. Applicants should have two years of orchestra experience and perform individually at a standard high school or advanced middle school level. We recommend that students first participate in the ASTRO string ensemble through the Lawrence Academy of Music.
Produce a clean, clear sounds with a centered pitch
Solid tone production-beginning vibrato or readiness to begin vibrato
Control of bow in different articulation styles (staccato, spiccato, legato, etc.)
Facility in 3rd position is required (up to 5th for 1st violins)
Adam Brown, currently teaches orchestra at Sabish and Woodworth Middle Schools in the Fond du Lac School District. He has been a cello section coach for the Fox Valley Symphony Youth and Concert Orchestras over the past six years. Mr. Brown received his Bachelors degree from Lawrence University, and his Masters degree from Northwestern University, both in music education. He has played cello in the Fox Valley Symphony, Green Bay Symphony, Oshkosh Symphony, and Beaver Dam Area Orchestras, where he was principal cellist and a guest conductor for three years. Currently, Mr. Brown plays cello in the Civic Symphony of Green Bay and the Heritage String Quartet. He has been an adjudicator for numerous Solo/Ensemble Festivals around the state, as well as for the Middle Level Honors Project, and recently completed a three-year term as section coach for the High School State Honors Orchestra. Mr. Brown lives in Appleton with his wife Julie, and their son Sebastian.
Tuition and Fees Annual tuition is $365 for Youth Orchestra, $330 for Concert Orchestra and $265 for Philharmonia. Financial assistance is available.
