About the Orchestras

The Huntsville Youth Orchestra offers six levels of musical opportunities with strings classes ranging from beginner to very advanced, and ensembles for wind and percussion students with as little as a year of playing experience to very advanced full orchestra.

The ensembles of the HYO include:

Novice Strings – Will not be meeting this year due to Covid19.
Intermezzo Orchestra – For string players with 1-2 years of experience.
Concert Orchestra – For intermediate level string players with at least 2-3 years of experience.
Philharmonia – For intermediate plus level string players with at least 2-3 years of playing experience (returning wind and percussion players will be moved to Sinfonia this year due to Covid19). Auditions required for new members.
Sinfonia – For advanced string players, and wind and percussion players with at least 2-3 years of playing experience. Auditions will be required for new members.
Huntsville Youth Symphony – For advanced string, wind, and percussion players. Auditions will be required for new members.

 

Registration for the 2020-2021 Season

Online registration is now available!  Register Now and then Pay Here!

 

Audition Results 2020-2021

• Concert Orchestra
• Philharmonia
• Sinfonia
• Huntsville Youth Symphony

 

Huntsville Youth Orchestra Audition Information 2020-2021

(For Philharmonia, Sinfonia, or Huntsville Youth Symphony)

 General Information:  Students are required to pay a $15 audition fee ($10 for additional children within a family).  Audition fee will be refunded ONLY to students not admitted to the Huntsville Youth Orchestra program. You may pay this fee by mailing a check to HYO PO Box 2532 Huntsville, AL 35804. Or you may go to our donation page to make your payment. If you choose to mail a check, please mail it in time to arrive no later than August 10th.

Auditions will be submitted via video this year. Send Stacey Bagwell and Deborah Brown the link to the unlisted YouTube video no later than 6:00 pm, Wednesday August 12th, 2020 at hyoassistance@gmail.com and hyo.exdir@gmail.com.

The order of the audition video will be as follows: lower orchestra scales, lower orchestra prepared piece, upper orchestra scales, upper orchestra prepared piece. The student should announce what they are playing before they play it and record everything in one non-stop recording, no editing or pausing.

 

Students auditioning for Huntsville Youth Symphony

If you are already a member of the Huntsville Youth Symphony, you will not need to submit a video. Mr. Lee will hold chair auditions when rehearsals resume in person. You will play the audition excerpt for this chair audition.

1:  Scale Requirements

Scale requirements are listed at the top of the excerpt sheet. 

2:  Orchestral Excerpt(s) (prepared piece)

Students must play the excerpt(s) provided.  If the prepared piece is an orchestral excerpt or excerpt from a solo work, students are encouraged to listen to several recordings (available free online) so that it may be played with the correct style.  If a student has never been accepted to the Huntsville Youth Symphony, s/he must perform both the Sinfonia and Huntsville Youth Symphony excerpts.  

• HYS_Audition_Excerpts

Students auditioning for Sinfonia

If you are already a member of the Sinfonia Orchestra and wish to remain in this orchestra, you will not need to submit a video. Mr. Lee will hold chair auditions when rehearsals resume in person. You will play the audition excerpt for this chair audition. 

1:  Scale Requirements

Scale requirements are listed at the top of the excerpt sheet. 

2:  Orchestral Excerpt(s) (prepared piece)

Students must play the excerpt(s) provided. If the prepared piece is an orchestral excerpt or excerpt from a solo work, students are encouraged to listen to several recordings (available free online) so that it may be played with the correct style. If a student is a string player and has not been a member of Sinfonia, s/he must play both the Sinfonia and Philharmonia excerpts.  

• Sinfonia_Audition_Excerpts

 

Students auditioning for Philharmonia:

1:  Scale Requirements

Scale requirements are listed at the top of the excerpt sheet.  

2:  Orchestral Excerpt(s)

Students will perform the excerpts(s) provided. 

• Philharmonia_Audition_Excerpts

For additional inquiries, please contact Stacey Bagwell at (256) 714-0794 or hyoassistance@gmail.com.

HYO’s Chamber Music Program presents a fantastic opportunity for our musicians to take their talent and love of music out into the community for all to enjoy.  In the program, HYO students form small ensembles that are able to play in smaller groups and therefore represent the Youth Orchestra at community events, Guild Functions, Corporate Functions, Christmas Galas and weddings.

The Chamber Music Program is a very important arm of the Huntsville Youth Orchestra, and an integral part of each student’s musical education.  All students from the Philharmonia, Sinfonia, and Huntsville Youth Symphony are invited and encouraged to participate in the program.

Chamber Music Participants:

• Participate weekly in a chamber group rehearsal (quartet, quintet, etc) with peers.
• Explore a body of repertoire specifically designed for chamber ensembles.
• Participate in HYO sponsored performances as schedules permit.
• Are encouraged to play at community events for service or for donations.
• Become stronger musicians through the study and performance of chamber music.
• Work with professional musicians as coaches in the small group setting

For information on participation in an HYO chamber ensemble, or to book a group for an event, please contact Deborah Brown at hyo.exdir@gmail.com or (256) 880-0622.

Competitions

HYO hosts two competitions of its own:

• Annual Marjorie Smith Concerto Competition
• Gerhart Scholarship Competition

In addition, HYO assists student members in the participation of others and helps them prepare for other opportunities such as the Alabama All-State Orchestra Festival.

Harold J. Wilson Music Educator of the Year Award

HYO is pleased to announce the return of Harold J. Wilson Music Educator of the Year award for 2021. The winner of this award is chosen based on community nominations to recognize music educators who contribute significantly to the development of young musicians.

• Eligible Nominees: Music Educators within Madison County. Educators may be private instructors, elementary, secondary, or collegiate instructors, public or private.
• Nominations may be made by students, parents, colleagues, organizations, business and community members, or a combination.
• Nominations should be submitted on the Nomination Form.
• At least two additional letters of support from persons other than the nominator shall be included with the Nomination Form.
• A music educator may only win this award once.
• It is recommended that at least one of the supporting letters or the nomination be from a student or parent.
• Forms must be postmarked no later than April 6, 2021.
• For additional information, please email Deborah Brown, hyo.exdir@gmail.com
• The award will be presented on May 16, at the Huntsville Youth Orchestra Spring Concert.
• Please mail completed application packet to:
  Huntsville Youth Orchestra
  ATTN: Selection Committee
  P.O. Box 2532
  Huntsville, AL, 35804

Nominating Form for 2021

Past Winners

• 1993 – Vivienne Atkins – Lee High School Choral Director
• 1994 – Debbie Hutson – Sparkman High School Band Director
• 1997 – Barbara Poularikas – Private Violin and Viola Instructor
• 1999 – Ginger Beazley – Voice and Vocal performance teacher and director of Ars Nova School of the Arts
• 2001 – Leona Cotruvo – Private violin teacher and conductor with the HYO
• 2003 – Hunter Thomas – Bassoon Instructor
• 2005 – Don Adams – Huntsville Middle School Band
• 2006 – Frances Schwemmer – Piano Instructor
• 2007 – James Kendrick – Columbia High School Choral Director
• 2008 – Jeff Dortch – Private Violin Instructor
• 2009 – Gene Swanner – Hampton Cove Middle School Band Director
• 2010 – Lea Hoppe – Conductor for Huntsville Community Chorus Children’s Choir
• 2011 – Randall Fields – Bob Jones High School Choir Director
• 2012 – Diana A. Petit – Piano Instructor
• 2013 – William David Spencer – Huntsville High School Band Director
• 2014 – Joseph Lee – Huntsville Youth Orchestra Music Director
• 2020 – Billy Bargetzi – UAH, Huntsville Symphony, private trombone instructor

For information about HYO competitions and awards, please contact Deborah Brown at hyo.exdir@gmail.com or (256) 880-0622.

Hunter Thomas Legacy Chair

Hunter Thomas was a huge part of the musical community in Huntsville and also our HYO program throughout his life. As an extremely prolific and respected teacher, Hunter encouraged countless bassoon students to participate in HYO. He was an HYO chamber coach for many years, taught at the HYO summer music festival, and was an HYO board member. In fact, Hunter was even an HYO Alumnus and joined the orchestra sometime before 1970.

In honor of his memory and service to HYO, the Principal Bassoon chair in HYS has been given the title of “Hunter Thomas Legacy Chair.”

In addition, a scholarship has been set up in his name for this chair. As long as scholarship funds are available the HYO will provide the current member of this chair a scholarship towards attendance at the Tennessee Valley Music Festival.

In order to keep this scholarship available for young musicians for years to come, please consider donating to this scholarship fund.

The HYO is always looking for new community sponsors to help support these upcoming musicians. Please contact Deborah Brown at (256) 880-0622 or hyo.exdir@gmail.com to sponsor a concert, a musician chair, a scholarship, or the orchestra as a whole.