of The American Prize competition, 2013. Gioacchino Longobardi is the music director for SSYO.
The orchestra was selected from applications reviewed this summer from all across the United States. The American Prize is a series of new, non-profit, competitions unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, ensembles and composers in the United States based on submitted recordings. The American Prize was founded in 2009 and is awarded annually in many areas of the performing arts.
The Saratoga Springs Youth Orchestra is small string ensemble dedicated to fostering excellence in musical arts through structured rehearsal and community performances throughout the Saratoga region of upstate New York. Founded in 1999, SSYO began with the single vision of developing a world-class youth orchestra. SSYO works to expand the artistic and cultural horizons of young musicians, ages 13 to 25 years, through advanced training, peer collaboration and mentorship.
Conductor,Maestro Longobardi, with diplomas in Piano, Conducting and Composition from the Conservatorio San Pietro a Majella, in Naples, Italy, brings a European perspective to a new world endeavor. He has introduced SSYO to a unique and challenging repertoire comprised primarily of early Baroque and Romantic period pieces.
The SSYO program offers young musicians the opportunity to perform orchestral masterworks directed by a professional musician/conductor, while pursuing their own personal aspirations and a lifelong love for music.
