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The mission of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra is:
- To teach and inspire excellence through orchestral training
- To perform in premier venues
- To cultivate audiences for classical music
The Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra:
- Was founded in 1945 for the purpose of providing educational opportunities and the finest orchestral training for young musicians in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area
- Is an independent youth orchestra in all governing, administrative and financial matters
- Has enjoyed an affiliation with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra since 1962
- Rehearses each week (Saturday afternoon) from September until May at its home, Heinz Hall
- Is comprised of approximately 90-95 musicians, whose ages are usually 12-20
- Accepts members through highly competitive auditions
- Is directed by conductor(s) from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
- Is coached by members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
- Presents concerts at Heinz Hall, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, Carnegie Music Hall and various outreach locations
- Is broadcast on WQED-FM
- Has won awards in national and international competition and was selected as one of the top six youth orchestras in the United States to participate in the 2002 National Youth Orchestra Festival
- During the European Tour of 2005, PYSO was selected as the first American orchestra and also the first youth orchestra to ever perform at the prestigious Smetanova Festival in the Czech Republic - also was selected as the one and only youth orchestra to perform at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Germany in the year 2005
- Undertook an international concert tour of China in June 2008
- Last tour was to Italy in 2011 for the Florence Youth Orchestra Festival
(photo by Dan Loh Photography)
 Resident Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic and Music Director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, Lawrence Loh is one of the most exciting young talents on the classical music scene today. He was brought to national attention in February 2004 when he substituted last minute for an ailing Charles Dutoit with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Conducting Stravinsky’s Petrouchka and Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, Loh received enthusiastic acclaim from orchestra players, audience members and critics, alike.
Since his appointment as Music Director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic in 2005, the orchestra has flourished artistically, defining its reputation as one of the finest regional orchestras in the country. His leadership has attracted such artists as André Watts, Anne Akiko Meyers, Jon Nakamatsu, Zuill Bailey and Sharon Isbin. A champion of early childhood exposure to music, Loh created a family concert series that is dedicated to the youngest of audiences. He is very active in the region as an arts leader and music advocate, and is constantly in demand as a guest speaker and clinician.
As Resident Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Lawrence Loh works closely with Music Director Manfred Honeck and conducts a wide range of concerts including classical, educational and pops. He is active in the PSO’s Community Engagement and Partnership Concerts, extending the PSO’s reach into other communities. Recent notable concerts with the Pittsburgh Symphony include performances of Dvorak’s 7th Symphony, Mendelssohn’s 4th Symphony and Beethoven’s 7th Symphony on a concert featuring violinist Sarah Chang. He made his debut on the main classical series conducting Handel’s Messiah in December 2008. As the conductor of the enormously popular Fiddlesticks Family Series “Bringing Music to the Lives of Children,” Lawrence Loh plays the part of host and conductor. In addition to his duties on the podium, he is an audience favorite in the PSO’s Concert Preludes lecture series, edits radio broadcasts, and makes many public appearances. His association with the PSO began as Assistant Conductor in 2005-2006. He was promoted to Associate Conductor in 2006-2007 and to Resident Conductor in 2007-2008.
Lawrence Loh was born in southern California of Korean parentage and raised in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He and his wife Jennifer have a son, Charlie, and a daughter, Hilary.
More biographical information on Lawrence Loh
Kimberly Jackson - President
W. David Watkin - Vice President
Timothy M. Slevin - Secretary
Melanie LaSota - Treasurer
Lawrence D. Breck
Daniel M. Catanzaro
Robert J. Chiu, M.D.
Nancy Lee Cochran
James Cunningham
Frances DeBroff
Deborah Dick
Jerry A. Gindele
John Gisleson
Natalie Hoffman
Patricia Prattis Jennings
Carole Kamin
Robert Kanters
Heather Pinson
Anita Potocar
Steven Silberman
Elizabeth Simpson
Rachel Tabachnick
Antoinette Tuma
Susan Haggerson Utech
Sharon Watkins
Michael Zeglinski
Emeritus Directors
Mrs. James P. Kinard
Advisory Board
Gary P. Hunt
Dr. Michael L. Nieland
Sylvia Robinson
Joanne B. Rogers
Mrs. Eric W. Springer
Harry A. Thompson, II
Administrative Staff
Craig W. Johnson - Executive Director
Eve Goodman - Program Coordinator, Personnel Manager & Librarian
Georgina Gutierrez - Tour Manager
The PYSO Parents' Association (PYSOPA) is a volunteer support organization that assists in promoting activities and projects to benefit the orchestra members. Activities include providing meals on concert days, student yearbook, orchestra photo, CD recording, and helping with fundraisers.
2011-12 Officers:
Cynthia Brown, President
Rhonda Miller, Vice President
Lisa Hilal, Vice President
Janet Kotcher, Secretary
Jeanne Boehmer, reasurer
MAJOR FUNDERS
List of recent and current grants to PYSO.
PYSO strives to perform works from a variety of sources, from traditional favorites to new contemporaries, celebrating the diversity of symphonic musical scores and performances. Click here for a sample of works we've performed. |
