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Educational outreach is one of the major but less known of the orchestra’s functions.  This year’s programs reflect several new partnerships.

Hilton Head Youth Orchestra

Hilton Head Youth Orchestra has a new conductor. Mr. Jonathan Aceto will lead our middle and high school auditioned orchestra players this year. Mr. Aceto hold performance degrees from the Eastman School of Music and Arizona State University, where he completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 1998. He has studied violin with Eric Rosenblith, Ronald Copes, and Catherine Tait, and chamber music with members of the Juilliard and Fine Arts String Quartets.

School Ambassador Program

The Hilton Head International Piano Competition contestants and HHSO guest artists will once again travel across the county to area schools to perform. These performers seem to benefit as much from this opportunity as do the thousands of students who see these guest artists.

Concerto Competition

Since 2000, the HHYO has sponsored this competition which is run under the auspices of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra. It is open to students in grade 12 and below as of the date of the live audition.  Winning competitors have the opportunity to perform with the HHSO or the HHYO

After School Programs

In conjunction with local elementary schools and the Boys and Girls Club we offer an after school program that is modeled after the famous El Sistema program of Venezuela that has now spread throughout the world. In this program students receive instrument instruction several times a week and will begin participation in a young youth orchestra. We are looking for support to assist with the collection and purchase of instruments and for funds to pay for teachers. Our elementary schools are very limited in the amount of strings instruction that they can provide. They are participating in a federal grant that supports enrichment and remediation services at the Boys and Girls Club. We are very pleased to become a part of that partnership.

Fall Music Camp

Partnering with public schools, we offer a week-long program during school break the first week of November. Students will receive daily instruction in music and dance. These 3 hour classes will be offered at the HH International Baccalauerate Elementary School.

Click here for fun music links for kids