Our History

History of the Carolina Youth Symphony to the present 

CYS had its beginnings in 1955 when Greenville music-lover Miss Rita May Baker founded what she called “The Little Symphony,” a group of young musicians supported by the Crescent Music Club and the Greenville Symphony Orchestra. The group expanded each year, both in numbers and performances, until 1976 when Crescent Youth Symphony became Carolina Youth Symphony, an independent, non-profit regional youth orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Robert Chesebro, Daniel Professor of Music at Furman University and Principal Clarinetist for the Greenville Symphony. Dr. Chesebro conducted the CYS for 25 years, followed by recently retired Daniel Professor of Music at Furman, Dr. Leslie Hicken.  In June of 2023, Dr. Hicken stepped down from his position as CYS Artistic Director and Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra in June 2023.  Under his 24 years of leadership, Dr. Hicken led CYS through 8 spectacular performances in Carnegie Hall in NYC.

In July of 2023, Professor Simón Gollo, Furman Professor of Violin, joined the Carolina Youth Symphony staff as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra.

In the past 68 years, CYS has matured into three orchestra levels made up of students representing over 80 schools, 40 different cities, and 2 states. The organization has grown into a conducting and administrative staff of 11 including sectional coaches for all orchestras (5 Furman University student interns), 220 member musicians, over 300 parent volunteers, and a 13-member Board of Directors.

The 66^th season proved to be an interesting year.  In an ordinary year, we would perform at the Peace Concert Hall, host two concerts at McAlister Auditorium of Furman University, perform at The Gunter Theatre of the Peace Center, and finally end our season as guest artists for Furman University’s Lakeside Concert series. There, we would combine our orchestras and have 180+ young musicians entertain more than 5,000 people with patriotic music and large symphonic selections. However, due to the COVID pandemic, CYS had to completely change its schedule as well as rehearsal and performance spaces.

Rehearsing in an Airnasium and Church Gymnasium, CYS continued to rehearse masked and separated for the 2020-2021 season, performing in the Airnasium of the Church of God on November 8, 2020, April 18^th, and June 6^th.

CYS is incredibly proud to have been one of the only youth orchestras in the country to be able to continue rehearsing and performing as a full orchestral ensemble during the year of the Pandemic.

On April 23, 2023, the Carolina Youth Symphony returned to New York for an unprecedented 8^th performance in legendary Carnegie Hall in New York City.