Academy of Music

From the youngest students to adults the Academy of Music has something for everyone! Call 724.837.1850 for more information.

The Westmoreland Youth Symphony Orchestra (WYSO) was founded in 1981 to provide area music students with a high-quality experience in playing and appreciating orchestral music. Since that time, the program has expanded to include the Philharmonic for high school students, the Philharmonia for middle school students, and the String Ensemble for elementary students.

For more information please contact Morrie Brand at [email protected]

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WYSO Philharmonic consists of auditioned high school and advanced middle school musicians, who rehearse on Wednesday evenings and perform concerts each fall and spring. The Philharmonic also provides a Concerto Competition for members to compete to perform a concerto with the orchestra. The competition is held every January, with a spring semester performance. A WYSO Solo and Ensemble Night is offered each May, featuring individuals and small ensembles from the Philharmonic. More info

WYSO Philharmonia is an intermediate-level orchestra and is likely to be the first experience for young musicians to play in an ensemble of woodwinds, brass, and strings. Applicants should have a solid knowledge of note values, dynamics, key signatures, and be able to play major scales up to 3 sharps and 3 flats. Members should be taking privates lessons. Winds and brass are encouraged to audition. For strings, an audition is optional, but doing so allows for better chair placement. At a minimum, we need a recommendation from a private teacher or band director. String players need to be in the equivalent of Suzuki books III-IV.

WYSO String Ensemble is a training group for elementary school string players, including violins, violas and cellos. While no audition is necessary for participation, most members are taking private lessons. String Ensemble meets each fall and spring, with a public performance at the end of each semester. A shorter summer session is offered every June-July. More Info