About GPYO

The Mission of the GREATER PRINCETON YOUTH ORCHESTRA is to provide exciting and unique educational opportunities for many of our community's young musicians. Through their involvement with the orchestra, gifted young musicians from across central New Jersey and Pennsylvania hone their skills as performers in a large orchestral group, as well as in chamber and quartet ensembles. They learn to work with others in pursuing common goals, and enrich all of our lives through public performances of classical music.

The GPYO is proud to be celebrating forty-five years of delighting audiences. Made up of over 75 high school / college students and 40 middle school students from Central New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania, entrance is by competitive audition.  GYPO is organized into several ensembles:

• Symphonic Orchestra, advanced musicians from grade 9 through college.  By invitation, several of these musicians also participate in the select Chamber Orchestra, Wind Octet and String Quartet.
• Concert Orchestra, grades 8-12.  This ensemble is especially suited to musicians not ready for the Symphonic Orchestra.
• Middle School String Ensemble, grades 5-9.  Learn more.
• Middle School Wind Ensemble.  Learn more.

All divisions of GPYO perform challenging concerts and recitals throughout the year.

The GPYO is a participating orchestra in the New Jersey Performing Arts Center Youth Orchestra Festival since the opening of NJPAC and the inception of the festival. The GPYO's performance in Prudential Hall in January of 1999 for the festival was received with great acclaim. In 2006, the orchestra performed by invitation in Isaac Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall.  The GPYO also boasts a chamber music program with many performances throughout the Mercer County area each season, as well as a preparatory strings and winds ensembles for middle schoolers.

The orchestra is supported in part by the Mercer County Cultural & Heritage Commission through the State/County Partnership Block Grant of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Department of State. Additional sponsorship by Kinko's, Stark and Stark, CFI, Hamilton Township, St. Paul's Church, Montgomery Township Board of Education, Pharos Studios, Inc., "Dorothea's House," The TIMES, and the Princeton-Pettoranello Foundation.

GPYO History

The Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra was founded in 1961. It was originally formed as a feeder orchestra for the Greater Trenton Symphony Orchestra. At that time, it was known as the Mercer County Symphonic Orchestra, later re-established as the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra. Its founders recognized the need for an extension of the school curriculum in the form of this excellent youth orchestra.

The GPYO Experience

Today, the GPYO specializes in developing and training young musicians in the field of orchestral and chamber music. Under the expert direction of a quality, professional music director/conductor, GPYO Symphonic Orchestra performs to large audiences with critical acclaim. The size and proficiency of the member orchestra, drawn from over 25 high schools in the Delaware Valley area, enables them to play many of the great symphonic masterpieces.

Opportunities for performance by talented young soloists are provided by the annual GPYO solo/Concerto Competition. The competition winner is a highly qualified high school soloist and is featured in at least one concert each session. The Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra admits qualified, dedicated students from 8th through college. Members of the Chamber Orchestra and Wind Octet are selected from the Symphony Orchestra.  The GPYO Middle School Strings and Middle School Winds Ensembles admit students in grades 5th through 9th grades. Members of the GPYO String Quartet are orchestra section leaders who excel to the highest level of performance. They have performed at The Governor's Residence, as well as other prestigious venues. Master sectional classes are routinely given. Opportunities for financial aid based scholarships are available. Performance venues include the illustrious Richardson Auditorium at Princeton University, as well as European tours.

See the audition information and rehearsal schedule pages for more information, including costs.