The Young Artist Orchestra

Dr. Gary A. Robinson, Conductor and Music Director


The Young Artist Orchestra, the most advanced ensemble of the five Greenville County Youth Orchestras, is comprised of the most skilled, talented, and experienced student musicians in the Upstate. It is also the Orchestra-In-Residence at Greenville’s Fine Arts Center. Though most members are high school aged, the YAO will also admit exceptional middle school musicians. Each year the orchestra performs three Young Artist Concerts at the Peace Center’s Dorothy Gunter Theatre.  Repertoire includes standard orchestral masterworks as well as contemporary composition.  The YAO’s additional concerts include the Winter Orchestras Concert (January) and the Spring Orchestras Concert (April).

Students in YAO come from Greenville's public and private high schools, as well as home school settings. YAO is a credit-bearing course of the Fine Arts Center in advanced orchestral performance. Members of YAO receive a full unit of honors-level credit. YAO rehearses at the Fine Arts Center each Tuesday from 6:30 until 9:30. 

GCYO's Young Artist Orchestra members:

  • Are fequently high school sophomores through seniors, or are younger students with exceptional talent and ability on their instruments.
  • Are Capable of learning orchestral repertoire Grade V-VI in difficulty, as well as less "difficult" repertoire whose performance requires musical maturity and subtlety.
  • Are string players who are skilled in the upper positions of their instruments and in the application of détaché, martelé, brush and spiccato, louré and other bow styles.
  • Are winds & brass players have a comprehensive command of the style, articulation, tone production, and expression associated with their individual instrument. 
  • Have been in school strings or band classes since the sixth grade.
  • Have taken private studio lessons for three and often more years.
  • Have auditioned successfully into Junior or Senior Region Orchestra or Band and often All-State Orchestra or Band.
  • Many attend or have attended the Fine Arts Center.

Membership Fees:

2011-2012 Young Artist Orchestra Concert Fee: $150.00

Concert Fees are payable to the GCYO Association at the beginning of the school year. These funds help to defray the many costs associated with providing the exceptional orchestral education experienced by our students.  To "ease the financial burden", students are given the opportunity to "earn" their concert fee by selling program ads for our season program booklet.  Inability to pay the fee due to financial difficulties will not prohibit a student from participating.  Please contact executive director Holly Caprell at holly.gcyo@gmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any concerns.

In addition to the concert fee, students who do not reside in Greenville County will be required to pay tuition of $368.00 to the Greenville County School District