For more information about the RYSO, please contact our Education Director at 540.343.6221 ext. 231 or email liz.lochbrunner@rso.com.

The RYSO is sponsored by MemberOne Federal Credit Union.

The RYSO is comprised of 65 student musicians, ages 12-18, who rehearse weekly and perform symphonic repertoire in public concerts throughout the school year. Additionally, the RYSO performs annual Discovery Concerts in collaboration with the Roanoke Youth Symphony String Ensemble. The Discovery Concerts take place during the school day and are attended by area school children. Led by RSO Associate Concertmaster James Glazebrook, the RYSO is the only professional orchestral training for young people in southwestern Virginia. The young musicians gain membership through auditions held annually each spring and fall and may perform with the RYSO through their high school graduation. The RYSO rehearses on Sunday afternoons in Roanoke.

In addition to the RYSO, Mr. Glazebrook conducts the New River Valley Symphony Orchestra, an ensemble comprised of both community members and students of Virginia Tech. Also at Virginia Tech, Mr. Glazebrook teaches violin and viola, strings methods, and conducting.

Participation in the RYSO enables access to competitions and scholarships specifically for members. On Saturday, February 23, 2013, the Young Artists Awards (YAA), sponsored by the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra for members of the Roanoke Youth Symphony Orchestra will be held at St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church in Roanoke. The YAA were initiated in 1983 by a gift from Mr. Eldon C. Grover, a former RSO Board member and patron. This generous gift enabled the formation of the Eldon C. Grover Fund, specifically for education scholarships. A portion of the Fund's proceeds finance the YAA. Three financial awards, in the amounts of $300.00, $200.00, and $100.00, are awarded to the first, second, and third place winners respectively. The first place recipient is invited to perform as a soloist with RYSO during the following school year. Read more about the Young Artists Awards.

The Anne Jett Rogers Scholarship Program is designed to further the musical education or training of talented and promising young musicians. This collegiate scholarship, offered through the RSO, is available to current and alumni members of the RYS. Current members must be graduating seniors who demonstrate an intention to study music at the collegiate level, and alumni must currently study music as their primary focus at the undergraduate level in order to be eligible to apply. The Scholarship is awarded based on various factors, including musical merit, financial need, academic performance, and recommendation from a current music teacher. Since its inception in 1989, the Anne Jett Rogers Scholarship Program has awarded over $6500.00 in scholarships to 21 winners. The Anne Jett Rogers Scholarship Program is funded by the Anne Jett Rogers Endowment Fund. The Rogers family, along with matching funds from the then-active Roanoke Symphony Volunteer Association, established the Fund in 1989 in honor of the late Anne Jett Rogers, an active volunteer and friend of the RSO. The earnings from the Endowment are used to fund the Scholarship. These earnings are combined with some of the earnings from the Eldon C. Grover Fund to enable a yearly award $2000.00 to the scholarship recipient, to be awarded in $1000.00 semesterly increments. Read more about the Anne Jett Rogers Scholarship Program.

For more information about the RYSO, please contact Education Director Liz Lochbrunner by e-mail at liz.lochbrunner@rso.com or by phone at (540) 343-6221 x.231