Youth Honors Orchestra
YHO: String Orchestra and Musical Leadership Training
Contact: Hillary Harder, Program Director: yho@goshen.edu or (574) 535-7341.
Youth Honors Orchestra is a string ensemble open to students in grades 6-12. YHO consists of weekly rehearsals, 3-4 concerts per year, and a unique focus on peer mentorship and musical excellence in a collaborative, multi-age environment. *Note: students must be members of their school orchestra in order to be eligible for YHO.
YHO Internship Program: YHO members age 16-18 are eligible to be chosen as paid YHO Interns working with the ECoSistema music and youth development program at the Boys & Girls Club of Goshen. Eight strings intern positions are available each school year. See below for more information.
YHO Ensemble 2024-2025
Open to students in grades 6-12 by audition. The Youth Honors Orchestra ensemble rehearses on Tuesday nights from 6:30-7:30 pm at the Goshen College Music Center, room MC 150 (Orchestra Room). *Note: students must be members of their school orchestra in order to be eligible for YHO.
Fall 2025 Auditions
- Tuesday, August 20, 6:00-8:00 pm
- Sunday, August 25, 1:00-4:00 pm
*New YHO members must complete an audition in order to register. Continuing YHO members do not have to audition and may register now for the 2024-2025 season.
How to Audition:
- Click the Audition Sign-Up link below. Sign up for one 5-minute time block.
- Prepare for your audition by checking the audition requirements (below).
- The day of the audition, please be prepared to fill out the YHO Registration Form and bring payment (card, cash or check).
- Once you have completed and passed your audition and submitted your YHO Registration Form with payment, your registration is complete!
Audition Requirements:
- A 2-octave scale of your choice (half notes).
- Two minutes of a solo or piece from your school orchestra.
- Brief sight-reading passage provided by the director.
*See below for instructions on how to audition and interview for a paid YHO internship position.
YHO Calendar 2024-2025
ALL REHEARSALS: Tuesdays, 6:30-7:30 PM in the Orchestra Room at the Goshen College Music Center
Fall 2024
- Tuesday, August 20, 6-8 pm: Auditions
- Sunday, August 25, 1-4 pm: Auditions
- Tuesday, August 27, 6:30-7:30 pm: First fall rehearsal
- Tuesday, October 1: Fall registration deadline
- TBD October: Side-by-side performance with the Maple City Community Orchestra
- Tuesday, November 12, 7:30 pm: YHO Fall Concert – Sauder Concert Hall
Spring 2025
ALL REHEARSALS: Tuesdays, 6:30-7:30 PM in the Orchestra Room at the Goshen College Music Center
- Tuesday, January 14: First spring rehearsal
- Tuesday, February 4: Spring registration deadline
- Saturday, April 5, 7:30 pm: YHO side-by-side performance with the Goshen College Symphony Orchestra – Sauder Concert Hall
- Tuesday, April 22, 7:30 pm: YHO, ECoSistema, and Allegro Strings Spring Concert – Sauder Concert Hall
Cost
The Goshen College Community School of the Arts arranges for financial aid to any family whose income qualifies them for free or reduced lunch in the Federal School Lunch Program. We ask parents to use the “honor system” when selecting the appropriate YHO tuition.
*Students who register for the fall AND spring semesters will receive a Whole Year Discount of $20 off.
*A one-time $20 registration fee will be charged in addition to tuition.
| One Semester Only | Both Semesters with Whole Year Discount |
|---|---|
| Full Price: $100 +$20 = $120 | Full Price: $220 – $20 = $200 |
| Reduced Lunch: $70 + $20 = $90 | Reduced Lunch: $160 – $20 = $140 |
| Full Price: $50 + $20 = $70 | Full Price: $120 – $20 = $100 |
YHO Internship Program
Open to students ages 16-18, the YHO Internship Program is designed to provide hands-on musical leadership training for motivated, advanced high school musicians who are interested in making a positive impact on younger students and developing firsthand music-teaching skills.
YHO Internship Details…
- YHO Interns rehearse with the YHO Ensemble during weekly, 1-hour rehearsals.
- YHO Interns spend at least 1 additional hour a week working with ECoSistema students at the Boys & Girls Club of Goshen.
- YHO Interns are considered employees of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County: they’ll go through employee onboarding and will be on the Club’s payroll. Pay: $12/hour.
How to Become a YHO Intern…
If you’d like to apply for one of our eight YHO Intern positions for the 2023-2024 school year, the first step is to join YHO! As a prospective intern, you will need to both audition and interview. Complete the following steps:
- Click the Audition/Interview Sign-Up link below. Sign up for three 5-minute time blocks in a row (15 minutes total)
- Fill out the YHO Registration Form.
- The day of the audition and interview, please bring your completed YHO Registration Form and payment (cash, check, or card).
- Once you have completed your audition and submitted your YHO Registration Form with payment, your registration as a YHO ensemble member is complete!
- After all YHO internship candidates have auditioned and interviewed, we will announce our 8 chosen YHO interns.
Questions? Please contact CSA Program Director Hillary Harder at yho@goshen.edu or (574) 535-7341.
Nathan Berkey, YHO Conductor
Nathan Berkey is an performer, conductor, and educator recently appointed as one of the Orchestra Directors at Pierre Moran Middle School and Elkhart High School. He received his Masters degree in Music Education with concentrations in Music Administration and Conducting from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. While there, Nathan served as the viola graduate assistant, performing and teaching with the Klinder String Quartet. He previously graduated from Goshen College studying Music Education and Theater Education, where he also assisted the Youth Honors Orchestra for four years. Nathan currently enjoys performing with the Elkhart County Symphony Orchestra and various gigs around the local area.