Akron Youth Symphony
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Founded in 1955, the Akron Youth Symphony (AYS) is the pre-professional youth orchestra affiliated with the Akron Symphony. AYS is a full symphonic ensemble that performs large-scale orchestral repertoire.
The Akron Youth Philharmonic is led by a public school music educator (currently Douglas Bayda,) while the associate conductor of the Akron Symphony serves as music director of the Akron Youth Symphony.
AYS has toured to Carnegie Hall, and has been coached and guest conducted by Akron Symphony Music Director Christopher Wilkins and conductor, educator and speaker Benjamin Zander. Notable AYS music directors have included Vincent Frittelli, Keith Lockhart and John Morris Russell.
Repertoire performed during Levi Hammer’s tenure includes major symphonies of Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, Haydn, Mozart, Shostakovich, Schubert and Tchaikovsky, concerti of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Saint-Saëns and Shostakovich, and symphonic works of Bach, Barber, Beethoven, Berlioz, Bernstein, Brahms, Copland, Debussy, Elgar, Fauré, Holst, Hindemith, Kodaly, Liszt, Mascagni, Mozart, Mussorgsky, Puccini, Ravel, Rossini, Johann Strauss Sr., Johann Strauss Jr., Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Verdi and Weber.
