Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO) is a group of 100 young musicians, selected from over 45 cities across Ohio and Pennsylvania. Activities. The members rehearse weekly at Severance Hall and are regularly coached by members of the Cleveland Orchestra. The orchestra's Music Director is currently Vinay Parameswaran, assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra. COYO also has the opportunity to work with many of the famous guest conductors that visit to work with the Cleveland Orchestra. COYO performs three subscription concerts per season at Severance Hall. Additionally, they perform at least three "outreach concerts", performances  in the greater Cleveland area. One of COYO's subscription performances includes a performance with the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus. History. Directors. COYO is in its 31st season (2016–17) since it began in 1986 under the direction of Music Director Jahja Ling. National Youth Orchestra Festival. In 1998, COYO participated in the second National Youth Orchestra Festival sponsored by the American Symphony Orchestra League. COYO was one of five youth orchestras that were selected to participate out of a pool of orchestras across the nation. Past concerts. COYO is in its 31st season. It typically performs three subscription concerts each  season. Subscription concerts are usually held at Severance Hall. COYO also plays "community outreach" concerts, in which the group travels to a nearby venue to perform. Many of these outreach concerts are held at schools and universities. Additionally, COYO performs at the annual MLK Community Open House at Severance Hall. The Open House is a day of concerts in remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr. Premieres. COYO has had the opportunity to host world premieres of several modern works throughout the years and has commissioned pieces, as well. The most recent piece commissioned is Roger Briggs' Fountain of Youth, which  was premiered on November 18, 2016. Repertoire. COYO typically performs classical works. In the past, the group has performed pieces by Stravinsky, Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Shostakovich, Sibelius, Wagner, Mozart, and many others. Orchestration. COYO is a full symphonic orchestra ensemble. The group typically consists of violins, violas, cellos, string bass, flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, French horns, trumpets, trombones, tuba, and percussion. Auxiliary instruments are used according to the instrumentation of the concert repertoire. Common auxiliary instruments are harp, piccolo, E-flat clarinet and bass clarinet, English horn, and organ. Tours. COYO has participated in tours, extending their outreach  from the greater Cleveland area to the world. Past tours have included: COYO performed in Vienna, Prague, and Salzburg in June 2012. In June 2015, COYO performed in its first tour of China, making its first appearance in Asia; they played in major concert halls Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Ningbo. In June 2019, COYO performed in Sankt Florian, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. Auditions. Auditions take place annually for each season. Auditions are open to all middle-high school students who study privately. COYO auditions are live and typically take place at Severance Hall. Rehearsals. COYO rehearses weekly at Severance Hall  for four hours including breaks. Dress rehearsals are also scheduled immediately preceding a concert. Coachings. Members of COYO have the unique opportunity to study with members of the Cleveland Orchestra. Coachings take place during one of the orchestra's rehearsals. Coaching groups are usually divided by Woodwinds, Brass, and Strings. Additional coachings are sometimes scheduled for smaller groups (i.e. specifically Cellos, Trumpets, Flutes, etc.).