Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus Celebrates Milestone & Increased Enrollment As They Prepare for Season Opener on October 22

This summer, the Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus (YOGC) completed its 30th Anniversary Season. They finished the year with their annual Summer String Camp which served 62 students – the highest number they've seen in 20 years. The weeklong intensive for local elementary, middle and high school string players is one of the organization's biggest tools for recruitment every year.

Students participate in YOGC's Summer String Camp. Image courtesy of the orchestra.

YOGC chose to celebrate their 30th Anniversary Season with a unique 30 in 30 Initiative in which students successfully performed a total of thirty events throughout the Chattahoochee Valley during the year. Members enrolled in the 2023-24 season played in venues across Columbus including the newly-renovated Columbus Museum, Columbus Botanical Gardens, Aflac Headquarters, Springer Opera House, Columbus Convention & Trade Center, Uptown Events, and more. To cap off their 30th year, YOGC held a 30th Anniversary Alumni Reunion Concert which included thirty alumni dating back to 1996 in their involvement with the organization.

For their 31st season, the orchestra's enrollment has soared past pre-pandemic levels for the first time since 2020. YOGC has 104 students enrolled this year – a huge milestone after COVID impacted student involvement in arts organizations across the nation.

"Reaching over 100 students is a huge milestone for us as we continue to grow our programming," said Executive Director, Rachel Morway. "Coming on as Executive Director during the organization’s 30th Anniversary Season allowed me to see the tremendous growth and span of influence the YOGC has had in the past. Now, as we look forward to the next thirty years, the future is bright - I see it in the eyes of each student at Monday night rehearsals.”

Scenes from YOGC's Spring Concert. Images courtesy of the orchestra.

Over the last three decades, the Youth Orchestra has expanded greatly and now serves children from across the entire Chattahoochee Valley region. This season's YOGC high school students are from Northside, Columbus, Harris Co High, Smiths Station, Rainey McCullers, Central, Shaw, Jordan, and Carver. Middle school students this year are coming from Veterans Memorial, Blackmon Rd, Richards, Aaron Cohn, Harris Co Middle, and Lee Co Middle School East. In addition to public schools, the orchestra also has students participating this year that are homeschooled or go to local private schools like Brookstone and St. Anne Pacelli.

Jim Palmer is the Music Director and Conductor for YOGC, and is known for driving to and from Atlanta each week because of his enthusiasm for the organization's approach to high quality music education. “The Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus is off to a wonderful start for our 31st Season," he said "Monday nights are filled with musical joy. We are also so excited to welcome our new Associate Conductor, Mr. Jaris Tobler! Changing lives through music, that's what YOGC is all about!”

YOGC will host its first concert of the season Tuesday, October 22nd at 7PM at Carver High School. The concert will feature the organization's String Orchestra, Symphonic Orchestra, and Chamber Ensembles. Tickets are required to attend and may be purchased here.

For more information on the Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus, visit their website at yogc.org. Stay tuned for more features on standout students and programming throughout the year. ◼️