Lynchburg Symphony Youth Orchestra

08/06/2026

Fall auditions will be here soon, and we have noticed a shocking (shocking, we say!) lack of violas on the roster. Violas, we need you! Let your alto clef flag fly and join LSYO this fall: contact LSYO (dot) Coordinator (at) lynchburgsymphony (dot) org for more information.

Fall auditions will be August 18 and 22, and the first rehearsal will be August 25.

08/05/2026

étude workshops: our Nordic fiddle tour finished with a visit to the Shetland Islands! The group listened to jigs and reels, learned a tune, and got to try playing a mandolin. Thank you to all who joined our summer jam sessions!

07/28/2026

Practice makes progress: tonight’s étude workshop was an opportunity to prepare for the upcoming LSYO fall auditions, with coaching by Ms. DiCarlo and Axel Laurence. Auditions will be August 18 and 22; contact the LSYO Coordinator for more information. Keep calm and keep practicing, everyone! 🎶

07/22/2026

Our étude summer program featured a workshop about studying music in college, led by Dr Emily Yap Chua of Randolph College - we’ll be offering this workshop again in the fall. Tonight’s workshop was the second Nordic fiddle jam: musicians learned a Swedish slangpolska, an 18th century Danish minuet, and got to try playing a Hardanger fiddle, the national instrument of Norway.

07/08/2026

Tonight’s étude workshop, led by Mr. Greg Childress (principal viola of the LSO), was a thought-provoking discussion of the following questions and more:

Is a career in music the right fit for me?
What excites me about a career in music?
What are my fears around pursuing a career in music?
Why do I love music?
What part of music gives me the most energy?
What could success in music look like for me?

Thank you to Mr. Childress for sharing his experiences and giving our student musicians the opportunity to reflect. It was an inspiring evening!

06/30/2026

Our étude summer program continues with a workshop teaching students how to tune their string instruments. Ms. DiCarlo taught the group how to recognize and correct their tuning (we did not take video of all the wrong notes intentionally being played; you’re welcome) and they can apply this skill to their home practice and school as well as LSYO rehearsals. Tuning games and snacks helped keep it fun!

There will be a second tuning workshop in August - don’t miss out!

06/25/2026

06/23/2026

Our new Étude summer program started today with a Nordic fiddle jam session led by LSYO alumnus Axel: students learned a march from Denmark and a waltz from Finland. Over the summer, we’ll be learning more Nordic tunes and explore blues, jazz, and more!