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Youth Orchestras

Orchestra Opportunities for Young People
The LaGrange Symphony Youth Orchestra (LSYO)

The LaGrange Symphony Youth Orchestra (LSYO) provides rich training and performance opportunities for high-school aged musicians, while the LSYO String Ensemble and String Sprouts serve children 5 to 13 years of age. Aspiring young musicians can pursue their musical dreams with weekly rehearsals, weekly wind sectional rehearsals and monthly string sectional rehearsals.

Directed by professional musicians, we provide these young musicians with the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of performing in a symphonic group. Their progress and achievements are showcased at concerts held each fall and spring. Other performance opportunities are provided for small ensembles throughout the year.

Michael Giel
Michael Giel

Michael Giel, is the Director of the LaGrange Symphony Youth Orchestra.  He also is Director of Orchestras at Dunwoody High School, has been a high school orchestra director for 16 years and received his Bachelor of Music Performance and Bachelor of Music Education from Valdosta State University, where he was a student of Karin Addis and Matson Topper. In 2008, he completed a Master in Music Education from the University of Georgia. In addition to his extensive classroom experience, Michael is on the faculty of the Atlanta Chamber Music Festival, which provides a comprehensive chamber music-focused experience to pre-college students. Michael also served as the Orchestra Director for the Georgia Governors Honors Program at Valdosta State University from 2008 to 2014 and has been a clinician for the Dekalb, Fulton, and Cherokee county and Atlanta Public Schools orchestra festivals.

Outside of conducting in the classroom, Michael has also served as the Principal Conductor of Capitol City Opera in Atlanta, GA since 2010 and recently joined the faculty of the California Piano Concerto Festival in 2014 as the Associate Conductor.

As a violist and violinist, he has performed with several orchestras in Georgia and Florida including the Savannah Philharmonic, Gwinnett Philharmonic, Valdosta Symphony Orchestra, Ocmulgee Symphony, Gainesville (GA) Symphony, Albany (GA) Symphony, Coastal Symphony of Georgia, Rome (GA) Symphony, Atlanta Pops Orchestra, Ludwig Symphony Orchestra, Da Salo Solisti Chamber Orchestra, LaGrange Symphony, and the Central Florida Symphony. In the modern music arena, Michael has performed with and for artists such as the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Josh Groban, Il Volo, Debbie Reynolds, Barry Manilow, Michael Bolton, Evanescence, the Oprah Winfrey Show, Sarah Brightman, Lindsay Stirling, and Il Divo.

Michael is a native of Atlanta and lives in Brookhaven with his wife Catherine who is a concert pianist and the Music Director of Capitol City Opera. In his spare time, Michael is an avid tennis player and outdoor enthusiast.

LSYO String Ensemble

Sam Lee is the director of the LSYO String Ensemble. The String Ensemble is made up of younger musicians that work on performance within the orchestra group setting.  They learn important skills to help them enter the larger, more advanced LSYO. Sam also teaches violin and viola for the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra String Project.

Sam Lee

LaGrange Symphony Youth Orchestra News

The May 2023 LaGrange Symphony Youth Orchestra and String Ensemble Spring concert was a wonderful program full of impressive talent. From beginning to end, the program was very professional. Thought and care went into this concert.
Spring Concert featuring the LaGrange Symphony Youth Orchestra and String Ensemble Monday 5/8/23 at 7PM in Callaway Auditorium. Admission is FREE.
The LaGrange Symphony Youth Orchestra and String Ensemble will present their Spring Concert on Monday, May 8th, 2023 in Callaway Auditorium, LaGrange, GA. Admission is free.

Played with confidence and flair, these pieces really were larger-than-life and inspirational. The audience wanted more, which I believe is the point of the Education program.

Your Lucky Week – 3/21/23 LSO concert entitled EDUCATION with guests Lindsey Welp, Carol Cain, and our own LSYO side-by-side.

Peck’s work will be performed within the March 21st concert, also included are themes from Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, works by Edvard Grieg, Leroy Anderson, and John Phillip Sousa!

The INAUGURAL concert featuring the 2023 Troup County Middle School HONOR ORCHESTRA. 2:00 PM Saturday, February 25, 2023 at Callaway Auditorium, LaGrange, GA Chosen by…

Congratulations are in order! Announcing the winners of the LSO’s 27th annual Young Artists Competition.

A great evening of entertainment! The LSYO and String Ensemble December concert was a huge success. Read more and see photos…

If you attended the November LSO concert, you may have heard a talented group representing their Youth Orchestra in the lobby. They were great, but the full youth orchestra will SHINE on December 13th, 7PM, Callaway Auditorium.

We’re all set for a fabulous concert!

Mark your calendar for December 13th at 7:00 PM in Callaway Auditorium, LaGrange, GA for a wonderful night of entertainment for the whole family. The LaGrange Symphony Youth Orchestra (LSYO) and String Ensemble are pulling out all the stops for a fantastic concert.

LSYO and String Ensemble spring concert review and photos! Seniors honored, May 2, 2022 at First Baptist Church on the Square in LaGrange, GA.

Spring concert announced for LSYO and String Ensemble. Admission is FREE!

Congratulations are in order as four LSYO members have been selected as All-State Musicians and will attend the All-State Orchestra event in Athens this March.
Great performance by the young musicians of the LaGrange Symphony Youth Orchestra and LSYO String Ensemble.

We Have a Space for You!

We would love for you to be a part of our network of students, teachers, and volunteers.
Contact us to find out more about how our program works and how you may be able to help.  We offer lessons, concerts, camps, and more!

email us: info@lagrangesymphony.org