Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra

• Stanley H. Levin (1945–1948) • Karl Kritz (1954–1962) • Herbert Grossman (1962–1963) • Haig Yaghjian (1963–1965) • Ronald Ondrejka (1965–1966) • Phillip Spurgeon (1966–1969) • Michael Semanitzky (1969–1976) • Thomas Michalak (1976–1978) • Victoria Bond (1978–1980) • Michael Lankester (1980–1986) • Andreas Delfs (1986–1988) • Stephan Lano (1988–1991) • Barbara Yahr (1991–1994) • Arthur Post (1994–1997) • Edward Cumming (1997–2002) • Daniel Meyer (2002–2009) • Lawrence Loh (2009–2015) • Francesco Lecce-Chong (2015–2018) • Earl Lee (2018–2021) • Jacob Joyce (2022–present) In recent years, the music director has been the associate conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. ==World Premieres==

World Premieres have included John Anthony Lennon’s “Suite of Fables” (1991), Morton Gould’s “The Jogger and the Dinosaur” (1993), Morton Gould’s “Hosedown” (1995), David Stock’s “Clarinet Concerto” (2005), and John Harbison’s “Mary Lou” in 2009. PYSO has presented the Pittsburgh premieres of Samuel Coleridge Taylor's Ballade for Orchestra, and Pavel Haas's Scherzo Triste, Jennifer Higdon's Teton Range from All Things Majestic. They also presented the Pittsburgh Premiere of Mothership by Mason Bates, with a musician dressed up as an alien to play the electronics. ==Soloists==

International soloists who have appeared with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra include Richard Stoltzman (2005) and Roberta Peters (1977). PYSO holds an annual concerto competition where winners perform their concerto with the orchestra. Previous winners include cellist Albert Dong, playing Dvorak Cello Concerto, harpist Sophia Jho, playing Ravel's Introduction and Allegro, violinist Jeongwoo Cheon playing Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso by Saint-Saëns, and concertmaster Karin Hoppo playing Violin Concerto (Sibelius). ==Prominent Alumni==

Many PYSO alumni have won positions in major symphony orchestras, including those in orchestras of Boston, New York, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Others have gone on to solo and chamber music careers, as well as teaching positions at colleges, universities, public and private schools, and private studios. Prominent alumni include: Dale Clevenger (principal horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Joshua Gindele (cellist in the Miro Quartet), Todd Phillips and Daniel Phillips (violinists in the Orion String Quartet), Jesse Rosen (trombone player and Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the League of American Orchestras), and David Stock (trumpet player and composer). ==Festivals and Touring==

PYSO has participated in numerous festivals and tours. These include: • World’s Fair in New York City (1964) • World’s Fair in Knoxville (1982) • Expo ’67 in Montreal (1967) • Bicentennial River Tour (1975) • Three Rivers Arts Festival • Aberdeen International Youth Orchestra Festival in Scotland (1987) • International Youth Orchestra Festivals in Austria (1977) and Switzerland (1972) • National Youth Orchestra Festival in Sarasota, Fla. (2002), Interlochen, Mich. (1998), and Washington, D.C. (1977) • International Tour of Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic, and Germany (2005) • National Festival of States, Washington, D.C. (2006) • Concert Tour of China (2008) • Concert Tour of Italy as part of the Florence Youth Orchestra Festival and the Festival Ultrapadum (2011) • Concert Tour of Austria, Czech Republic, and Slovakia (2014) • Concert Tour Portugal (2023) PYSO's next tour will be of Greece in the summer of 2026, playing in Athens, Thessaloniki, Ioannina, and Patras. Anticipated repertoire includes Pines of Rome, Don Juan (Strauss),Isle of the Dead (Rachmaninoff) and Three Dances from On The Town by Leonard Bernstein. ==References==