HILTON HEAD YOUTH ORCHESTRA STAFF

Dear Friends,

Performing in a youth orchestra is one of the greatest experiences a budding musician can have. Those first encounters with great works of music make such a deep impression and can inspire a student to a lifelong love of music. Of course, part of the excitement is getting to play with many other musicians. There is nothing like the thrill of being in the midst of an orchestra and having the sound sweep over you as everyone plays in perfect harmony. I believe there is a tremendous amount of musical talent in the young people of Hilton Head and I look forward to helping students bring that talent to its fullest measure. Together, we will make some awesome music!

Jonathan Aceto – Director of the Hilton Head Youth Orchestra

Jonathan Aceto has been appointed as the new Director of the Hilton Head Youth Orchestra. He is an active musician and teacher in Savannah and Statesboro, Georgia, where he directs the Statesboro String Program and String Ensemble. Dr. Aceto is currently on the faculty at Georgia Southern University where he teaches violin, viola, chamber music, string methods and various other classes for the Music Department.

Dr. Aceto has studied conducting with Paul Vermel, Samuel Jones, Donald Portnoy and others at the Conductor’s Institute at USC in Columbia and was the director of the Mercer/Macon Symphony Youth Orchestra. He holds degrees in Violin Performance from the Eastman School of Music and Arizona State University, where he completed a Doctor of Musical Art degree in 1998.

Dr. Aceto has been acting concertmaster for the Macon Symphony, the North Arkansas Symphony and the Augusta Opera and held the position of Principal Second for the Augusta Symphony for eight years. He has played in the Phoenix, Savannah and Greenville Symphonies and has participated in the Festival dei due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy, and its American counterpart the Spoleto Festival in Charleston. Dr. Aceto has also played in the Arizona Opera Company, where he had the unique experience of performing Wagner’s entire Ring Cycle.