Fifty Years in the Making
The Lakeland Youth Symphony was founded 1957 by parents, music teachers and friends who wished to broaden the string ensemble opportunities for young musicians in the Lakeland, now Morris County, area. The Lakeland Youth Symphony began with a string ensemble of a few high school students. Today, the Lakeland Youth Symphony has expanded to offer programs to over 160 children ranging in age from five to eighteen. This once small, single orchestra, has grown into four progressive levels of orchestras, as well as a unique modified Suzuki program for beginners as young as five.
The modified Suzuki program, developed by Lakeland's own music director, sets the Lakeland Youth Symphony apart from other youth orchestral programs. It is a great opportunity for young students to start their music instruction in a nurturing and interactive environment between the student, teacher and parent.
The Lakeland Youth Symphony’s Orchestral Program provides an unparalleled opportunity for string students in grades one through twelve to develop orchestral techniques, musicianship and knowledge of string orchestra and full orchestra literature. Comprised of four groups, Prelude, Junior, Intermediate, and Senior, the orchestras allow students of violin, viola, cello, and string bass an extraordinary opportunity to perform traditional contemporary orchestral music and study varied techniques, styles and periods of music. The progressive nature of these four groups allows a student to advance at his or her own pace through increasingly more challenging levels.
