ABOUT UYS
our mission
To educate and inspire young musicians through exceptional ensemble training and performance opportunities in classical music.
Seek Beauty
Gifted UYS musicians, professional conductors, and professional musician/coaches strive for beauty, integrity, and artistic excellence through musical expression and performance opportunities.
Create Harmony
Gifted UYS musicians, professional conductors, and professional musician/coaches strive for beauty, integrity, and artistic excellence through musical expression and performance opportunities.
Scatter Joy
UYS enhances lives by contributing to an enduring legacy of joyful, passionate, musical distinction and music appreciation across all generations, especially among future generations of musicians, audiences, and patrons of the arts.
Our conductors
Barbara Scowcroft
Music Director & Conductor, UYPhil and UYSO
Barbara Scowcroft has been a member of the Utah Symphony Orchestra violin section since 1982.
Dan Rich
Conductor, UYJunior Symphony
Dan Rich has been the conductor of the Utah Youth Junior Symphony Orchestra since its inception in the late 1970s.
Our values
We encourage personal development, creativity, self-discipline, and working well with others.
We aspire to a culture of fairness and mutual respect.
We value the special relationship between our musicians and their audiences.
We expect a strong commitment from all members of the UYS community – musicians, teachers, staff, and Trustees.
All UYS programs, procedures, and policies are applied equally to everyone without regard to race, religion, ethnic origin, national origin, disability, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation.
No one is to be excluded on the basis of ability to pay.
We value performances in prominent venues.
We strive to be an inclusive organization reflecting the diversity of, and actively reaching out to, the greater Salt Lake area and community.
Our history
1957
Utah Youth Symphony is founded by Robert Lentz at the University of Utah.
1986
Barbara Scowcroft becomes Music Director and Conductor of Utah Youth Symphony Orchestra.
2002
UYS participates in the 2002 Cultural Olympiad for the month of February. Music Director Barbara Scowcroft brings 135 UYSO musicians together with thirty-six youth musicians from around the world for concerts in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. February 18 is declared Utah Youth Symphony Orchestra Day by Governor Michael Leavitt.
2008
Formation of the Utah Youth Philharmonic
2009
UYS musicians are featured as the orchestra in Disney’s major motion picture, High School Musical 3.
2012
The United States Air Force Academy Band (Rampart Winds) perform with Utah Youth Orchestras
today
Be a part of what makes Utah Youth Orchestras great by submitting your audition today!
Our board & Staff
Barbara Scowcroft
Music Director & Conductor, Board President
Marty McMillan
Board Chair
Lissa Stolz
Board Secretary
Jennifer Perry
Business and Operations Manager
Paul Dorgan
Board Member
Elaine Ellis
Board Member
Susan Schramm
Board Member
Trudy Simmons
Board Member