Atlanta Youth Symphony

The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, commonly known as the ASYO, is an organization featuring Atlanta's young instrumentalists, created in 1974. Every September, about 650 middle to high school instrumentalists go through one or more auditions for places in the ASYO (the minimum age requirement is 13, though exceptions are made). Only about 120 will be selected to participate in the season.

In 1974, the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra was created as a subsidiary of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, a practice that is relatively rare for American orchestras. However, this arrangement worked for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since it began as a youth ensemble itself, the Atlanta Youth Symphony of 1944-47.

Thirty years after the start of the Atlanta Youth Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra was formed, first directed under Michael Palmer, Associate Conductor of the ASO. Sung Kwak was successor after Michael Palmer as conductor of the Youth Orchestra for two years. From 1979-2014, Jere Flint has been the ASYO's Conductor. From 2014 to the present, Joseph Young has been the conductor.

Part of many Saturday or Sunday rehearsals is devoted to coaching sessions by players from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. This program has been in effect since Youth Orchestra was founded. More than 50 ASO players have served as ASYO coaches.

Each season, the Youth Orchestra performs at least three subscription concerts, in addition to annual Kids' Holiday concerts and a Family Concert. At least one concert each season features Youth Orchestra soloists selected through an annual Concerto Competition. Another annual competition, the Scholarship Auditions, reward the winners with scholarships which are used to further musical studies at summer camps, colleges and conservatories.

The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra promotes the arts and arts education in the Atlanta community, and it performs an annual concert for the Atlanta Ministry with International Students. Occasionally, the Youth Orchestra performs large symphonic-choral works in concerts with local high school chorus members as a part of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra Chorus. As of the 2006-2007 season, the last time this occurred was May 2002. The ASYO also commissions works by local and national composers.

The ASYO has hosted or exchanged visits with youth orchestras from Great Britain, Australia, and Berlin, Germany.

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