VYOA musicians are turning curiosity into commitment – this season’s repertoire is shaped by their voices, their passions, and their drive to grow. From beloved composers to bold new challenges, our students asked for more: more drama, more complexity, and more room to stretch. This year, we’re handing them the keys and letting them steer the ship. Each concert is helmed by a senior soloist, representing the pinnacle of artistic excellence in Vermont. Join us to celebrate these young musicians as they each discover their own path.
Vermont Youth Philharmonia
Dr. Yutaka Kono, conductor
October 18, 2025 at 5:30 PM | Elley-Long Music Center
With the addition of winds and brass players, the opportunities for orchestral repertoire expand, and this ensemble offers many young musicians their first experience playing in a full symphony orchestra. Dr. Yutaka Kono challenges these young musicians with selections that are relevant to their lives, including contemporary, diverse composers and exciting selections from movies and other media.
Trailhead
October 19, 2025 at 3:00 PM | The Flynn
Senior Lisa Zhou-Hackett starts the season with Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, Mvt. III, leading a program that honors our roots in the Green Mountains. With Mendelssohn’s powerful Reformation Symphony, Keane Southard’s “Vermont” from his Appalachian Trail Symphony, and vivid selections by Coleridge-Taylor and Rózsa, this concert reflects the heart of VYO’s musical journey.
Mendelssohn | Violin Concerto, Mvt. III
Lisa Zhou-Hackett, Senior Soloist
LOCAL COMPOSER: Keane Southard | Appalachian Trail, Mvt. 3 “Vermont”
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor | The Bamboula
Miklós Rózsa | Entrance of the Charioteers from Ben Hur
Mendelssohn | Symphony No. 5 “Reformation”
OrchestraPalooza: By Popular Demand
December 7, 2025 at 4:00 PM
We’re pulling out all of the stops for a fan favorite winter concert extravaganza! Soloist Jonathan Kafumbe fills The Flynn with golden tones of Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto, and VYP shares perennial favorites from The Nutcracker Suite. The three performing ensembles of VYOA join together for our annual holiday tradition – Sleigh Ride!
Hummel | Trumpet Concerto, Mvt. I
Jonathan Kafumbe, Senior Soloist
Featuring performances by:
Vermont Youth Strings
Vermont Youth Philharmonia
Vermont Youth Orchestra
And the return of the VYOA tradition — the Baton Auction!
Charting A Course
February 1, 2026 at 3:00 PM | The Flynn
With pianist Naomi Shpaner at the helm with Rachmaninoff’s sweeping Piano Concerto No. 2, and a brand-new premiere work from senior composer Holden Friesel, this concert showcases the passion and range of VYOA musicians. It’s a celebration of the diverse paths they carve — onstage, in rehearsal, and beyond. The orchestra sails for England with Ethel Smyth’s The Wreckers Overture, dances through Vienna with Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture, and lands in Hungary with Rózsa’s Theme, Variations and Finale.
Rachmaninoff | Piano Concerto No. 2, Mvt. II
Naomi Shpaner, Senior soloist
Ethel Smyth | The Wreckers Overture
Holden Friesel, Senior Composer | Firesong & Myth
Brahms | Academic Festival Overture
Rózsa | Theme, Variations and Finale
Vermont Youth Philharmonia
Dr. Yutaka Kono, conductor
April 12, 2026 at 5:00 PM | Elley-Long Music Center
With the addition of winds and brass players, the opportunities for orchestral repertoire expand, and this ensemble offers many young musicians their first experience playing in a full symphony orchestra. Dr. Yutaka Kono challenges these young musicians with selections that are relevant to their lives, including contemporary, diverse composers and exciting selections from movies and other media.
Vermont Youth Strings
Asiat “Ace” Ali, Conductor
April 12, 2026 at 5:00 PM | Elley-Long Music Center
Vermont Youth Strings emphasizes playing together as a primary element of music education. Our springboard ensemble, this string orchestra plays hard – in rehearsal and on the Ft. Ethan Allen playground – and young musicians develop an appreciation for their own individual contributions to orchestral playing, in harmony with the contributions of their peers.
Reaching for the Stars
Sunday, May 3, 2026 | The Flynn
Yvonne Miceler, Senior Soloist, sets her sights on George Hue’s Fantasie for Flute and Orchestra and VYO soars to meet her. This concert launches skyward, featuring Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 2 (the inspiration for the score for ET), John William’s Across the Stars from Star Wars, and Valerie Pelka’s Memorias Argentinas.
George Hue – Fantasie for flute and orchestra
Yvonne Miceler, Senior Soloist
Valeria Pelka | Memorias Argentinas
Howard Hanson | Symphony No. 2 “Romantic”
John Williams – Across the Stars
