Akron Youth Symphony

Founded in 1955, the Akron Youth Symphony (AYS) is the pre-professional youth orchestra affiliated with the Akron Symphony. AYS is a full symphonic ensemble that performs large-scale orchestral repertoire. A rigorously structured program, the Akron Youth Symphony is a collaboration between the Akron Symphony, Akron Public Schools and the University of Akron. Akron Symphony musicians serve as coaches and are closely involved with AYS members. The orchestra includes young musicians from across Northeast Ohio, including a small minority who aspire to become professional musicians as well as the larger majority who appreciate and support the arts because of the high-caliber musicianship offered through AYS.

AYS has joined forces with youth orchestras across the country in adopting a school participation requirement in order to support and encourage public school music education. Also associated with AYS is the Akron Youth Philharmonic, a junior orchestra that trains younger musicians in their first symphonic experiences. The Akron Youth Philharmonic is led by a public school music educator (currently Douglas Bayda,) while the Associate Conductor of the Akron Symphony serves as Music Director of the Akron Youth Symphony.

AYS has toured to Carnegie Hall, and has been coached and guest conducted by Akron Symphony Music Director Christopher Wilkins and conductor, educator and speaker Benjamin Zander. Notable AYS Music Directors have included Vincent Frittelli, Keith Lockhart, John Morris Russell, Eric Benjamin, Matthew Kraemer, Christopher Lees and Levi Hammer.

Repertoire performed during Levi Hammer’s tenure includes major symphonies of Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, Haydn, Mozart, Shostakovich, Schubert and Tchaikovsky, concerti of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Saint-Saëns and Shostakovich, and symphonic works of Bach, Barber, Beethoven, Berlioz, Bernstein, Brahms, Copland, Debussy, Elgar, Fauré, Holst, Hindemith, Kodaly, Liszt, Mascagni, Mozart, Mussorgsky, Puccini, Ravel, Rossini, Johann Strauss Sr., Johann Strauss Jr., Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Verdi and Weber.

The Youth Symphony has played many concerts at Akron's E. J. Thomas Hall. Most notably however, in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the orchestra's founding, the Akron Youth Symphony played at Carnegie Hall. The orchestra has been invited by the Ohio Music Educators Association (OMEA) to play at the State Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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