The Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra (WCYO), formerly known as the Ridgefield Symphony Youth Orchestra, is a not-for-profit organization providing young musicians in the Fairfield County

Fairfield County, Connecticut

Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...

 and upper Westchester County areas with classical symphonic experience. The organization comprises three ensembles led by Petko Dimitrov (Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra), Suzanne Corey-Sahlin (Western Connecticut Youth String Orchestra), and Albert Montecalvo (Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra Wind Ensemble). The WCYO mission is to provide an opportunity for young musicians to develop their musical talents through education and performance, to foster an awareness and appreciation of the standard symphonic repertoire, and to provide cultural enrichment to the surrounding communities. Based in Ridgefield, Connecticut

Ridgefield, Connecticut

Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 24,638 at the 2010 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough, is defined by the U.S...

, the WCYO orchestras have toured in Sweden, Austria, and Paris, and have performed at Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....

 and Avery Fisher Hall

Avery Fisher Hall

Avery Fisher Hall is a concert hall, in New York City and is part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex. It is the home of the New York Philharmonic, with a capacity of 2,738 seats.-History:...

 at Lincoln Center. Auditions are required for selection into the orchestras.

History

The WCYO was founded by Ridgefielders Gina Wilson and Carrie Moore in 2003 as the Ridgefield Symphony Youth Orchestra. Twenty-five young musicians were selected as members of the inaugural youth orchestra, which began weekly rehearsals in January 2003. In the fall of 2005, the program grew to include a junior orchestra which allowed the organization to reach and nurture a broader range of musical talents and abilities. As part of its goal to establish greater recognition of the organization's regional focus, and in August 2008 the organization changed its name to the Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra. In 2010 the program further expanded to include the Wind Ensemble and the Junior Orchestra, renamed the String Ensemble. Together the three orchestras currently consist of ninety auditioned musicians in aged eight through eighteen, hailing from Ridgefield and nine neighboring towns.

Orchestras

• Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra -- Petko Dimitrov, Music Director
• Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra, String Ensemble -- Suzanne Corey, Conductor