Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestras

The mission of the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestras (KSYO) is to educate young musicians through high-quality orchestral training in a professional environment while developing new audiences for symphonic music.

Celebrating its 50th season, The Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestras (KSYO) has trained the most talented musicians in the region. Comprising six ensembles – five string orchestras and one full orchestra – the KSYO engages over 300 members each season. Our members are coached by Knoxville Symphony Orchestra musicians, providing technical and musical training during weekly rehearsals. All of our ensembles perform three yearly concerts at the Historic Tennessee Theatre.

For more information on the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestras, contact Kathy Hart

KSYO sponsors:

Winter Concert – February 19, 2024
sponsors:

Meredith Overholt

 

Spring Concert – April 22, 2024
sponsors:

Rick Fox & Ralph Cianelli

  • Ensembles

    Youth Orchestra
    Youth Orchestra serves students who have studied their instrument for a minimum of six years and have no less than five years of ensemble/orchestral experience (There are some exceptions for woodwind, brass and percussion students). All Youth Orchestra members must actively attend weekly private lessons and demonstrate advanced skills and technique, including proficient sight-reading abilities. Students must be in the 8th grade or above to participate in this ensemble. This ensemble offers a limited number of seats, making it highly competitive to enroll.
    Average Age Range: 14-18

    Chamber Orchestra
    Chamber Orchestra serves students who have studied a string instrument for a minimum of four years and have no less than three years of ensemble/orchestral experience. All Chamber Orchestra members must actively attend weekly private lessons, work on advanced string repertoire and have advanced sight-reading abilities. Students must be in the 6th grade or above to participate in this ensemble. This ensemble offers a limited number of seats, making it highly competitive to enroll.
    Average Age Range: 13-18

    Sinfonia Orchestra
    Sinfonia Orchestra serves students who have studied a string instrument for a minimum of three years and have no less than three years of ensemble/orchestral experience. All Sinfonia Orchestra members must actively attend weekly private lessons, possess a confident and effective set up, and have strong sight-reading abilities. Students must be in the 5th grade or above to participate in this ensemble.
    Average Age Range: 11-18

    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Philharmonia Orchestra serves students who have studied a string instrument a minimum of two years and have no less than one year of ensemble/orchestral experience. All Philharmonia Orchestra members are advised to take private lessons, possess a good set up and technique, and demonstrate fair sight-read abilities.

    Average Age Range: 8-16

    Preludium Orchestra
    Preludium Orchestra serves students who have studied a string instrument a minimum of two years. Some ensemble/orchestral experience is preferred, but not required. All Preludium Orchestra members are advised to take private lessons, possess a good set up and technique, and demonstrate basic sight-read abilities.

    Average Age Range: 6-14

    Junior Orchestra
    Junior Orchestra serves beginning students. No ensemble/orchestral experience is required. All Junior Orchestra members are advised to take private lessons, be able to recognize notes, and have basic set up and technique. This ensemble focuses on improving music literacy and instrumental proficiency.

    Minimum Age: 6

    For more information on the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestras, contact Kathy Hart

  • Faculty

    Erin Archer
    Erin Archer is excited to work with the Preludium for her 17th season. A Suzuki violin, viola, and early childhood music instructor, Erin has served the Knoxville area for over 20 years. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Ms. Archer has extensive Suzuki teacher training in violin, viola, and early childhood education and has maintained a private studio for over 20 years. She also led an after-school string program at Tate’s School from 2016-2020.

    Erin has held several roles in the Knoxville area: Knoxville Symphony violist, freelance musician, youth orchestra conductor, string coach, early childhood educator, Suzuki parent, and youth orchestra parent. Erin, along with her sister and fellow youth orchestra conductor Megan Kehren, teamed together and co-created a music education platform, learnwithmuze.com. Erin also regularly performs with musician, author, and songwriter Erick Baker.

    Ms. Archer has performed with the Knoxville Symphony, Oak Ridge Symphony, and various ensembles of multiple genres around the Knoxville area. She is also a member of the Knoxville Symphony Education Advisory Council and helps with the annual planning of the KSO Young People’s Concerts.

    Megan Kehren
    Megan Kehren has been a part of the KSYO since 1993 and has served as a student, coach, assistant and is now in her fifth year as conductor of the Junior Orchestra.

    Megan earned her degrees from Southern Methodist University and the University of Colorado at Boulder where she served as the teaching assistant for the viola studio. Her studies have awarded her great opportunities including working with the Takacs quartet on a regular basis in chamber music as well as receiving invaluable guidance from her teachers, Erika Eckert and Barbara Sudweeks.

    Professionally, Megan has performed with many orchestras and was assistant principal viola of the Boulder Philharmonic (Colorado) before moving to Knoxville and joining the Knoxville Symphony in 2012. Megan’s passion is teaching and she has a robust studio of violists and violinists of all ages. She also serves as the adjunct violin and viola professor for Maryville College. Since 2020 she has been working closely with her sister, Erin Archer (Preludium conductor) in creating an online music teaching platform called Muze (learnwithmuze.com).

    In her spare time Megan enjoys studying and practicing the art of ceramics as well as exploring the world and climbing its many mountains with her husband, Frank.

    Cynthia Wright
    Mrs. Cynthia Wright is in her ninth season working with the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra Association and is currently the conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra. She is the Orchestra Director at Montgomery Ridge Intermediate School in Maryville, where she teaches 5th-7th grade. Mrs. Wright attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and received Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees, both in music education. In 2004, she began her teaching career at Karns High School and West Valley Middle School. After two years teaching in Knox County, Mrs. Wright moved to Wilmington, NC where she taught Orchestra at Roland-Grise Middle School for 8 years. She returned to Knoxville and resumed teaching in Knox County Schools in 2014. She spent five years as the director at Bearden High School and West Valley Middle School. Mrs. Wright is currently the Orchestra Chair of both ETSBOA and TMEA, as well as a member of NAfME and ASTA. During her 19 years in education, Mrs. Wright has served as a mentor teacher, clinician, presenter and adjudicator. She lives in Clinton with her husband, Wes, and their two children, Carson and Elaina.

    Kathy Hart
    This is Kathy Hart’s twenty-seventh season conducting the Sinfonia Orchestra. She is also the General Manager for the Youth Orchestra Association. During her tenure, the ensembles have grown from three orchestras serving 120 students to six orchestras serving over 300 students. As a high school student, she was a violinist in the KSYO when her family moved to Knoxville in the 1980’s.

    Kathy began her music connection with the Suzuki Method in Western New York State. Her environment was filled with a great deal of love and support from family and teachers. She graduated from the University of Tennessee with a concentration in Suzuki Pedagogy. Hart-Strings, her private violin studio has over 50 students ages 3-18 who perform several times in the community each year. Many Hart-Strings violinists are KSYO members.

    She created the youth orchestra’s annual music camp program with 15 string students and one assistant. Music Camp has served over 3600 students since 1994.

    Kathy is an adjunct lecturer at the University of Tennessee where she teaches the String Methods courses and assists string education majors in field experience and observation. She has volunteered with several school string programs, and was instrumental in bringing the orchestra program back to Bearden High School in 1998. Kathy has also been a guest conductor for ETSBOA, had students selected in the National Youth Orchestra of the USA and has been recognized eight times with an Outstanding Teacher Award from the state of Tennessee Governor’s School of the Arts. In 2020, she was honored as a finalist in the YWCA’s Tribute to Women.

    Katie Liaw
    Katie Liaw graduated from The University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education. She later attended The Hartt School at the University of Hartford to earn a Master of Music Education in String Pedagogy. Katie has worked with students for 15 years through private cello lessons, school orchestra teaching, and conducting with the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra.

    During her time at UT, Katie became involved with the KSYO as a rehearsal assistant. Over the years, she has served the organization in other capacities as assistant conductor, stage manager, and building host for Monday rehearsals and string camp. She is thrilled to begin her 2nd season as conductor of the Youth Chamber Orchestra.

    James Fellenbaum
    James Fellenbaum is in his thirteenth year as the Music Director and Conductor of the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra. He joined the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra during the 2006- 2007 season as a Guest Conductor, before becoming Resident Conductor in 2008. His duties with the KSO include serving as cover conductor for the KSO’s subscription series, and conducting Outreach, Pops and Young People’s Concerts. Also, Maestro Fellenbaum has been the Director of Orchestras at the University of Tennessee since the Fall of 2003. The UT Orchestra Program includes the Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra (founded in 2004), Opera Orchestra, Studio Orchestra and the Contemporary Music Ensemble (founded in 2006).

    In May 2018, Maestro Fellenbaum was named Artistic Director and Conductor of the Brevard Philharmonic (NC), with his first season occurring during the 2018-2019 season. He has conducted orchestras nationally and internationally, including recent guest conducting engagements with the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic (PA), Springfield Symphony (MA), Asheville Symphony (NC), Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Orange County Symphony, American Youth Philharmonic, the Symphony of the Mountains, the Satu-Mare State Philharmonic and Sinfonia Bucharest Orchestra of Romania, and the Russe Philharmonic and Vidin Philharmonic of Bulgaria. Maestro Fellenbaum was invited to the 2006 First International Gennady Rozhdestvensky Conductors Competition, where he was a top 5 Finalist out of 112 conductors from 26 countries around the world.

    Maestro Fellenbaum holds a Bachelor of Music degree in violoncello performance from James Madison University in Virginia, and holds a double Master of Music degree in violoncello performance and orchestral conducting from Northwestern University.

  • Calendar, Rehearsal Schedule, & Location

    KSYO ensembles rehearse on Monday nights at Bearden Middle School. Rehearsal times range from 5:20 to 9:00 p.m.

    Bearden Middle School,
    1000 Francis Rd, Knoxville, TN 37909

    Click here for 2023-24 Season Calendar

    2023-24 Rehearsal Schedule
    Junior Orchestra: 5:20 – 6:00 PM
    Preludium Orchestra: 5:30 – 6:30 PM
    Philharmonia Orchestra: 5:45-6:45 PM
    Sinfonia Orchestra: 7:10-8:20 PM
    Chamber Orchestra: 6:30-8:30 PM
    Youth Orchestra: 7:00-9:00 PM

    Dress Rehearsal Schedule:

    Junior Orchestra
    Check in: 1:30 – 1:50 PM
    Rehearsal: 1:50 – 2:30 PM

    Preludium Orchestra
    Check in: 1:40 – 2:00 PM
    Rehearsal: 2:00 – 2:50 PM

    Philharmonia Orchestra
    Check in: 1:50 – 2:10 PM
    Rehearsal: 2:10 – 3:10 PM

    Sinfonia Orchestra
    Check in: 3:10 – 3:30 PM
    Rehearsal: 3:30 – 4:40 PM

    Chamber Orchestra
    Check in: 2:40 – 3:10 PM
    Rehearsal: 3:00 – 5:00 PM

    Youth Orchestra
    Check in: 3:10 – 3:30 PM
    Rehearsal: 3:30 – 5:30 PM

    For more information on the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestras, contact Kathy Hart

  • Auditions/Application

    AUDITIONS for 2023-24 Season
    Audition Fee: $20
    Membership Fee: $275
    Retreat Fee: TBD (for members selected to participate in the Youth Orchestra ensemble)

    August 24 – 28, 2023

    Applications are closed for the 2023-2024 Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestras season.

    Click on your instrument for audition information and requirements.

    Note: String candidates may be placed in any of the five ensembles the audition committee feels best fit the student’s technical ability and experience level. 

    2023-24 audition excerpts are for candidates auditioning for Youth Orchestra or Chamber Orchestra ONLY

    Violin
    Viola
    Cello
    Double Bass
    Flute
    Clarinet
    Oboe
    Bassoon
    Trumpet
    Horn
    Trombone
    Bass Trombone
    Tuba
    Percussion

    Scales for Winds and Brass
    Scales will include all major keys and a chromatic scale from lowest note to highest note.

    Scales for Strings
    Scales will include all major keys
    ♩=100 for all scales
    ♩=80 for scales demonstrating four spiccato strokes (off-string, bouncing) per quarter

    Sinfonia, Philharmonia, Preludium, and Junior Orchestras Audition Requirements (Strings Only):
    – Demonstration of a prepared scale – student’s choice (20%)
    – Approximately one minute of a prepared solo that demonstrates the player’s most advanced level of technical and musical development (40%)
    – Sight-reading (40%)