The Zion Youth Symphony Orchestra or ZYSO has become the premier youth orchestra south of Provo, Utah. Under the direction of Ed and Kirsten Candland, Terry Moore, Amy Patterson and Robert Schmidt, ZYSO has become a musically strong, and successful organization, having performed in such places as Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, home of the Utah Symphony Orchestra.
The youth symphony was first started in 1997 when Mr and Mrs. Candland and Mr. Moore got together and decided to pursue the idea of starting an organization that would afford students the opportunity to rehearse and perform with other good musicians in a full orchestra setting, which was not happening at the time. Most if not all school orchestras in St. George and Hurricane were string orchestra only, and rather small at that. The three teachers each come from rich traditions in youth symphony orchestras; Terry Moore was a director of the Granite Youth Symphony Orchestra. Ed and Kirsten were both members of the Utah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Summerhays Youth Philharmonia in their high school and college years. They remember their youth symphony experiences with fondness and excitement; the level of improvement as a musician in such a group is very high, especially in a touring orchestra. But more importantly, the life experience and maturity one gains in a youth symphony is priceless. It was decided that it was time for students of Southern Utah to be given such opportunities. ZYSO began as the Washington County Youth Symphony Orchestra with varying degrees of success and interest. After a short haitus of two seasons, the group was reorganized and set up as a private, non-profit organization and renamed the Zion Youth Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra has enjoyed fantastic success, performing locally as well as at the Utah youth symphony festival in Salt Lake City at Abravanel Hall. Additionally, ZYSO is a touring orchestra. Each year they travel outside the state on an educational performance tour. Each tour takes the students to fun and interesting places such as Disneyland, Catalina Island, San Diego and includes performances at schools, and public places. They also participate in workshops, such as the one they did this spring at Azusa Pacific University with world renowned violinist and Suzuki instructor, Terry Durbin, and a recording studio industry workshop in the Disneyland studios.
Musicians in the Zion Youth Symphony Orchestra play a variety of music from all musical time periods encompassing a wide range of styles and difficulty levels. Students are generally between the ages of 11 and 21. Most musicians are junior high or senior high school students, but younger students who show a high level of proficiency on their instruments become members, and college students are also welcome to participate
Rehearsals are Mondays from 4pm to 6pm except holidays in the band rehearsal room at Pine View High School. See the Rehearsal schedule for specific information.
Auditions for the 2009-2010 season are on September 14, 2008 at 4pm at the Pine View High School. Report to the band rehearsal room with instrument, application and prepared materials.
Zion Youth Symphony Orchestra is mad eup of students from surrounding area schools including Desert Hills High, Desert Hills Middle, Sunrise Ridge Intermediate, Fossile Ridge Intermediate, Lava Ridge INtermediate, George Washington Acadamy, Home School, Dixie Middle, Dixie High, Pine View Middle, Pine View High, Hurricane Middle, Snow Canyon Middle, and Snow Canyon High schools, who meet once a week to rehearse and share the common bond of music.
