Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras

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Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras
Youth orchestra
Youthconcert1.jpg
A Youth Orchestra performance at Hamel Music Center.
Short nameWYSO
Founded1966 (1966)
Location Madison, Wisconsin
Music directorKyle Knox [1]
Website wysomusic.org
WYSO-Horizontal-Logo.webp

Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras (WYSO) is a music education and youth orchestra organization in Madison, Wisconsin. It comprises five orchestras, several instrumental ensembles, a chamber music program, and other music programs for youth in southern Wisconsin. Since early 2024, all WYSO ensembles have rehearsed in the newly built WYSO Center for Music near downtown Madison. [2] [3]

Contents

External videos
Performances by the WYSO Youth Orchestra
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Prokofiev – Romeo and Juliet
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Rossini – Finale from the Overture to William Tell
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 4
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Dvořák – Symphony No. 8

History

WYSO was founded in 1966 by Dr. Marvin Rabin, a conductor and music pedagogue at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Initially part of its Extension Music Department, the organization then only included one youth orchestra. Rabin would conduct the Youth Orchestra for six years, after which David Nelson continued his work as director. [4] [5] [6]

In 1977, two more orchestras, Philharmonia and Concert, were founded. Thomas Buchhauser, a cellist and conductor, was invited to conduct Philharmonia. In 1985, James Smith became the new director of Youth Orchestra, taking the group on its first international tour to the British Isles in 1989. [7]

In 2013, Buchhauser retired and was succeeded by Michelle Kaebisch. In the year after James Smith's retirement in 2017, Randal Swiggum, the director of the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra in Illinois, stepped in as the interim music director of WYSO. In July 2018, conductor and clarinetist Kyle Knox began his position as the organization's new music director. In 2025, Michelle Kaebisch assumed the position of WYSO executive director after Bridget Fraser stepped away. [8] [9] [10] [11]

Programs

Orchestras

The WYSO Youth Orchestra gives a flash mob performance of Ravel's Bolero at Capitol Square. Boleroflashmob.jpg
The WYSO Youth Orchestra gives a flash mob performance of Ravel's Boléro at Capitol Square.

Ensembles

Chamber music

The WYSO chamber music program is directed by Karl Lavine, and consists of a number of student chamber music groups. These groups are coached by WYSO artistic staff. Two permanent chamber groups are:

Music Makers

Founded in 2007, Music Makers is an instrumental music education program within WYSO for underserved students. More than 100 WYSO members participate in it, learning string instruments, guitar, percussion, and music theory. Two recitals are held every year. [17] [18] [19]

Concert series

Each of the five WYSO orchestras gives three concerts a year. These concert series also often include performances by the smaller ensembles. [20]

WYSO Concert Series
ConcertMonthLocation
Evelyn Steenbock Fall Concert SeriesNovembervaries
Diane Ballweg Winterfest Concert SeriesMarchvaries
Eugenie Mayer Bolz Family Spring Concert SeriesMay Hamel Music Center
Recent Youth Orchestra Notable Repertoire [21]
YearConcertPiece
2025Spring Vaughan Williams - A London Symphony [22]
2025Winter Gershwin - An American in Paris [23]
2024Fall Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 4 in F minor [24]
2024Spring Mahler - Symphony No. 1 "Titan" [25]
2024Winter Rachmaninoff - Symphonic Dances [26]
2023Spring Shostakovich - Symphony No. 5 [27]
2022Winter Shostakovich - Symphony No. 9 [28]

Rehearsal space

WYSO's Concert Orchestra rehearses in the new WYSO Center for Music in February of 2024. WYSO Concert Orchestra rehearsal.jpg
WYSO's Concert Orchestra rehearses in the new WYSO Center for Music in February of 2024.

The WYSO orchestras originally rehearsed in a large space in the University of Wisconsin–Madison's humanities building. However, in 2019, the university could no longer support WYSO's rehearsals in that location. The orchestra planned for rehearsals would to be held at McFarland High School going forward, but the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures made this impossible. [2] [29]

Between 2020 and 2024, WYSO groups rehearsed in a variety of locations, including the Madison Country Day School cafeteria, classrooms, and under an outdoor tent. In 2021, the organization began plans for a new WYSO building on East Washington Avenue, near the location of Madison's Youth Arts building. In late 2021, a plan for the building was released, featuring a curvy design inspired by the shape of a sideways-laying cello. [2] [29] [30]

By mid-January 2024, the new WYSO Center for Music opened and all of WYSO's ensembles moved in. The 40,085 square foot building includes three orchestra rehearsal halls, eight studios, nine individual instrument practice rooms, office space, a music library, as well as a lobby and meeting spaces. [31] [32]

International tours

WYSO's Youth Orchestra has historically toured internationally every two years. During the summer between rehearsal seasons, the group travels for 1–2 weeks, playing 3–4 concerts in various cities and venues. [33] [34]

Youth Orchestra International Tours
YearCountry [33] VenuesConductorRepertoire
1989United KingdomJames Smith
1992Japan, TaiwanJames Smith
1995France, SpainJames Smith
1998JapanJames Smith
2000CanadaJames Smith
2005Czech Republic, Austria, HungaryJames Smith
2012Czech Republic, Austria, HungaryJames Smith
2014Argentina [35] James Smith
2016Italy [36] James Smith
2018Peru [37] [38] James Smith
2025Portugal, Spain [39] [40] [41] Kyle Knox

Notable alumni

See also

References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 Huynh, Kayla (April 18, 2024). "'Nothing short of a miracle' as Wisconsin Youth Orchestra opens site". The Cap Times. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  3. "Our Programs". WYSO - Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  4. "About WYSO". WYSO - Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  5. "Rabin, popular Wis. music conductor, dies at 97". AP News. December 10, 2013. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  6. "Lifetime Achievement Award – Marvin Rabin". Wisconsin Foundation For School Music. February 9, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Orchestras". WYSO - Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  8. "Classical Music: Award-winning conductor and music educator Tom Buchhauser of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras will retire at the end of this season". The Well-Tempered Ear. September 21, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  9. Journal, Gayle Worland | Wisconsin State (May 15, 2017). "WYSO leader, UW-Madison conductor James Smith to retire". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  10. Journal, Gayle Worland | Wisconsin State (June 28, 2018). "Madison Symphony names Kyle Knox associate conductor". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
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  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra". Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin. May 19, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
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  19. Journal, PAMELA COTANT For the State (August 1, 2022). "Residency programs aim to expose more Madison students to the arts". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
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  21. "Concerts & Events". WYSO - Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras. August 14, 2025. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
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  24. "Evelyn Steenbock Fall Concert Series: Youth Orchestra". WYSO - Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  25. "Eugenie Mayer Bolz Family Spring Concerts: Youth Orchestra". WYSO - Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
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  27. "WYSO & MSO Present The Eugenie Mayer Bolz Family Concerts: Youth Orchestra". The Madison Symphony Orchestra. September 19, 2025. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  28. "Diane Ballweg Winterfest Concerts: Youth Orchestra". WYSO - Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  29. 1 2 Journal, Gayle Worland | Wisconsin State (June 15, 2021). "Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras to build new home on East Washington Avenue". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  30. Journal, Dean Mosiman | Wisconsin State (December 6, 2021). "Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras offers glassy, curvy design for $29 million music center". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  31. Journal, Gayle Worland | Wisconsin State (January 31, 2024). "Take a look inside that unusual new building going up on Madison's Near East Side". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  32. "Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras: Designing for the Arts". Crimson Sun Studios. November 13, 2024. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
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  35. BFC (July 21, 2014). "Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras to tour Argentina in late July". Symphony. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
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  37. Web (June 19, 2018). "International Tour Takes WYSO Students To Peruvian Highlands And More". WYSO - Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  38. "WYSO Peru Tour 2018". WYSO Peru Tour 2018. July 12, 2018. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  39. "tickentradas". tickentradas.com (in Spanish). Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  40. "WYSO embarking on national tour". Channel3000.com. July 2, 2025. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  41. "Evento FEX 2025. Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra II 2025". www.granadafestival.org. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
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