Norwalk Youth Symphony
The Norwalk Youth Symphony (NYS) is an American symphony orchestra for students in middle school and high school based in Norwalk, Connecticut. Established in 1956, the symphony includes students from Connecticut and some parts of New York. The NYS has been regarded as the best youth orchestra in the region, and has been known to perform much better than other orchestras like it, such as the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras. In Norwalk, the NYS performs at Norwalk City Hall 3 times per year. The NYS has performed at the Stamford Town Center, Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, and the United Nations. The NYS has also performed outside of the United States in such countries as the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Spain, Italy, and Germany.
The NYS consists of five orchestras, with current conductors as follows:
- Principal Orchestra: Conductor, Jonathan Yates. This is the most advanced group, performing advanced and demanding music that is not usually performed by students. They have performed works by composers such as Mahler, Berlioz, Wagner, Stravinsky, and Rimsky Korsakov.
- Concert Orchestra: Conductor, Richard Brooks. This orchestra is made up of advanced students that still need time to develop their skills prior to moving into the Principal orchestra. Their repertoire has included works by composers such as Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saëns, Borodin, Berlioz, and Beethoven.
- Philharmonia Orchestral Winds: Conductor, Mary Gardner. This is a woodwind/brass orchestra that is often the beginning level for most wind/ brass players.
- Philharmonia Orchestral Strings: Conductor, Jessica McNamara. This is a string orchestra that offers harder and more challenging music and prepares players for Concert Orchestra.
- Prelude Orchestra: Conductor, Susan Jimenez. This is a string orchestra that is often the beginning level for most string players when entering into the orchestra.
NYS also includes a Junior Strings ensemble, percussion ensemble, chamber music program, and chamber orchestra.
Past conductors/music directors have included Miguel Harth-Bedoya and Tara Simoncic.