Youth Orchestra Program

Calling all young musicians! Our Youth Orchestra Program will be holding mid-season auditions to fill vacancies in our ensembles, including string, woodwind, and brass instruments. All auditions will take place virtually and are due no later than 11:59pm on Sunday, October 18. To see a full list of instruments we are accepting and learn more,

Registration is still open for String Sinfonietta, the entry-level ensemble in our Youth Orchestra Program. In Sinfonietta, young violinists, violists, cellists, and double bassists will learn the basics of playing in an orchestra alongside conductor Christie-Jo Adams. To learn more, email us at education@richmondsymphony.com. Students must be registered by the end of the day on Friday,

Spread the word—it’s audition season at the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program! Whether you’re new to the program or a current student hoping to move up to a new ensemble, this is your chance to be a part of our 2026–27 season! Students will have the option to audition in person or virtually, with in-person

Congratulations to our Youth Orchestra Program students selected to participate in this year’s prestigious All-Virginia Band, Chorus, and Orchestra event! All-Virginia ensembles bring together the top student musicians from across the state, and this year’s event will culminate in an afternoon of performances on Saturday, April 18. The following students will represent the Richmond Symphony

The Richmond Symphony is pleased to announce composer Joe Jaxson as its next Composer-in-Residence starting in the 2026–27 season. As part of his work with the Richmond Symphony, Jaxson will work with the Richmond Symphony School of Music’s educational initiatives, including the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program, Young Composers Seminar, and more. We are beyond

Two of our Honors chamber groups recently performed at Pathways to Purpose and Prosperity in Virginia Schools, an event hosted at the Library of Virginia that featured prominent policy makers, employers, and education innovators discussing the importance of career-based learning. A number of Virginia state officials were in attendance, including Governor of Virginia Abigail Spanberger.

The Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra recently made its podcast debut! At our November 2025 All YOP Ensembles Showcase, the string musicians of RSYO performed the world premiere of Pastoral, which was composed by Claudia Andrade Ayala and was inspired by a poem by Hannah Bonner. RSYO’s performance of Pastoral was included at the end of the Blackbird Literary

This February was full of fun for the Richmond Symphony School of Music! A couple of weeks after the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra’s Side-by-Side with the Richmond Symphony at the start of the month, nearly forty different school groups filled the Carpenter Theatre for our Hopkins-Eggleston Discovery Concerts: Carnival of the Animals. Students from all over

The Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra’s next concert is just around the corner—and it’s one you won’t want to miss! RSYO will come together with the Richmond Symphony on Tuesday, February 3 for their first side-by-side concert since February 2020, weaving youth orchestra students together with professional musicians in each section of the orchestra. Repertoire will

This season, we’re branching out our social media platforms and the RSSoM newsletter to include stories from our YOP community, both past and present. Whether you played in our program for one year or ten and whether you work in the performing arts or another industry, we’d love to highlight you and your experiences in