The flagship Symphony Orchestra is ESYO’s most advanced orchestra, made up of students with a high level of technical skill, musical curiosity, and commitment. Members work closely with professional musicians through regular coaching and perform on some of the world’s most inspiring stages, including Troy Savings Bank Music Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Every three years, the Symphony Orchestra tours internationally, giving students the chance to perform abroad and experience music in a global context. The orchestra also appears each year on Melodies of Christmas, CBS’s nationally broadcast holiday concert, which has raised more than $8 million for The Melodies Center for Childhood Cancers & Blood Disorders at Albany Medical Center. Other highlights include collaborating with the Albany Symphony and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Orchestra, performing at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), and taking part in hands-on creativity workshops.
Students explore a wide range of repertoire, from major symphonic works by composers such as Mahler, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven to new music by today’s leading composers. Recent composer collaborations have included works by Jacob Fanto, Missy Mazzoli, Christopher Theofanidis, Clint Needam, and Carlos Ágreda.
Beyond rehearsals and concerts, Symphony Orchestra is about connection and growth. Students build lasting friendships at the annual fall retreat at Frost Valley YMCA in the Catskills, perform for audiences of all ages through a Young People’s Concert and a free community concert for senior citizens, and can compete as soloists in the Lois Lyman Concerto Competition.