Utah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra was established in 1960. Directed by passionate music educators, the Utah Valley Youth Symphony is dedicated to serving youth musicians through the performance of music from the standard orchestral repertoire at a potentially professional level. The organization is a self-funding, non-profit corporation. It’s conductors have been Dr. A. Harold Goodman, Dr. Terry Hill, Dr. Cheung Chau (current Artistic Director), Shauna Smith, Matthew Wendell, Gavin Fulwider, Dr. Marcel Bowman, Dr. Blanka Bednarz, and others. See current directors tab https://uvyso.org/conductors-and-musicians/

The UVYSO was awarded “Best of Provo” in 2022. It was also featured in Stroll: River Bottoms feature story by Elizabeth Call, “Young Musicians” in June 2025, and in “What’s up in Utah” in 2025. https://symphony.org/features/whats-up-in-utah-the-view-from-the-board/

Our mission is “To support aesthetic, social, and intellectual development of our youth and community through music.”

Our rehearsal sessions also include guided listening, analysis, music theory and ear training and more. In fall 2020 we launched our chamber music program. The chamber ensembles perform at the end of Fall and at the end of Spring semester.

Professional musicians are featured as soloists in November and April concerts (see https://uvyso.org/concerts-current-and-past-seasons/). Guests in 2026-2027 are Joanna Kurkowicz, violin https://joannakurkowicz.com/ Jassen Todorov, violin https://jassentodorov.com/ , Dr. Jared Pierce, piano https://www.jaredpiercemusic.com/

Student winners of the Annual UVYSO Concerto Competition are soloists in the February concert. We also perform in the Youth Symphony Festival at the Abravanel Hall.

Rehearsal Location:

3410 N. Canyon Rd, Provo (Aspen Senior Day Center)

Weekly Rehearsal Schedule:

Regular weekly rehearsals: Orchestra: Saturdays, 8:30 -11:30 am (arrive 8:15 am)

Chamber music: Saturdays, 11:30 am- 12:30 pm.

Calendar of rehearsals and concerts– go to https://uvyso.org/rehearsal-concert-schedule/

Details of dress rehearsals and concerts are communicated every week through Google Classroom.