Vermont Youth Orchestra Association

10/19/2026

Are you planning to join us for our next Rug Concert on November 14?

If so, explore and sing along with “The Hello Song” and “The Goodbye Song,” which we will sing together at the concert!

Visit www.vyo.org/rugconcerts/ to find a link to the songs and tickets to the event!

10/15/2026

Reaching Higher, From the First Note

Don't miss our October Concert – Tickets Available Now!
www.flynnvt.org/see-and-do/vyoa-fall-concert/

The Vermont Youth Orchestra opens its season by climbing a mountain. Gershwin's An American in Paris is a whirlwind of taxi horns, bustling boulevards, and bluesy longing, and it asks every section of the orchestra to bring both precision and swagger. If you think you know what a youth orchestra sounds like, listen again.

October 18, 2026 at 3:00 pm | The Flynn

10/13/2026

From a Galaxy Far, Far Away

In Vermont Youth Philharmonia, young strings, winds, brass, and percussion musicians go beyond the expected. With conductor Dr. Yutaka Kono, they push the boundaries of orchestral music exploring contemporary selections, diverse composers, and music from popular media. This concert features selections from Star Wars along with music by Carol Brittin Chambers. It’s more than a concert - it’s what happens when young musicians are challenged to go further!

Buy your tickets now: https://vyo.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F54698

ELLEY-LONG MUSIC SERIES
Vermont Youth Philharmonia
October 17 at 5:30 pm | Elley-Long Music Center

10/10/2026

Thank you to Vermont Public for airing this interview with Senior Soloist Arlo Bolles. Make sure to check out the interview in the link below!

Burlington High School senior Arlo Bolles will perform Johann Nepomuk Hummel's Op. 94 Fantasia for viola and orchestra with the Vermont Youth Orchestra on Sunday, October 18 at 3 p.m. at The Flynn Theatre in Burlington.

10/08/2026

Don’t Miss our Elley-Long Music Series: Fall Concert!
Vermont Youth Philharmonia
October 17, 2026 at 5:30 pm

Tickets at https://www.vyo.org/events/

With strings, winds, and brass playing together, young musicians go beyond the expected—discovering new sounds, tackling new challenges, and experiencing the thrill of performing as a full symphony orchestra. Under the direction of Dr. Yutaka Kono, they explore music that pushes beyond traditional orchestral boundaries, from works by contemporary, diverse composers to exciting selections from movies and other media. It’s more than a concert. It’s a chance to hear what happens when young musicians are challenged to go further.

10/07/2026

On DAF Day, October 8, you can use your DAF to support VYOA and be part of a nationwide wave of giving. 🧡

10/05/2026

“The bassoon is one of the most unique and interesting instruments in the winds - and the people who play them typically are too! What I love about playing the bassoon is the versatility it has in range and role in an orchestra - one minute you're playing the bass line with the tuba, and two seconds later you're playing the main theme with the flutes! The cool thing about the bassoon is that it adds color and texture to an ensemble that no other instrument can replicate - bassoon has the earth-iest, reed-iest, grain-iest sound of all the instruments!" Molly Finkel, VYOA Lesson Program Bassoon Instructor

10/01/2026

You may have noticed that our home, Elley-Long Music Center, has had a recent glow-up! A tremendous thank you to Dan Liptak at Mad River Painting for adding life and color back to the front of this beautiful building.

It was a labor of love and we couldn't have picked a better person to manage it as we enter our 25th year here. Thanks so much, Dan!

10/01/2026

Now is the time to get your tickets for the first Vermont Youth Orchestra concert at The Flynn

Two hundred and fifty years of American history have produced a soundtrack as varied and unexpected as the nation itself. This program journeys across centuries and musical traditions—from a military march recently discovered in Vermont to the cinematic sounds of Hollywood. At the heart of the program, the VYO takes on the incredible energy and musical mastery of Gershwin’s beloved An American in Paris—a thrilling celebration of the influences, ideas, and sounds that have shaped American music.

October 18, 2026 at 3:00 pm

Tickets at www.flynnvt.org/see-and-do/vyoa-fall-concert/

09/30/2026

Meet Yutaka Kono, Conductor of Vermont Youth Philharmonia

Dr. Yutaka Kono is a versatile conductor, composer, performer, and music educator. He serves as Director of Orchestra and Professor of Music at the University of Vermont and Conductor of Vermont Youth Philharmonia.

An accomplished conductor with experience in professional, university, and youth orchestras, Dr. Kono has led ensembles throughout the U.S. and internationally. He is also an accomplished tuba soloist and performer, with musical experience spanning classical, jazz, rock, Dixieland, and Klezmer.

A passionate advocate for music education, Dr. Kono has taught hundreds of students and led countless clinics and masterclasses. He brings his extensive experience and his love of music to the young musicians of Vermont Youth Philharmonia.

PS: We’ll showcase Dr. Kono’s composition Amaterasu on our spring concert this year – May 2, 2027 at The Flynn!