STRATHAM – Under the direction of maestro Joanna Cyrus, the Great Bay Youth Orchestra is expanding to a full symphony orchestra open to advanced young musicians from elementary through high school. The GBYO expansion project is funded in part by a generous grant from the Fuller Foundation.

For beginning string players, the GBYO offers the String Orchestra. The GBYO is proud to announce that Christopher Hill (Director of Orchestra, University of New Hampshire; Summer Youth Music School (SYMS); Music Director, Portsmouth Symphony) will be guest conducting the String Orchestra for the fall season.

Auditions will be held on Wed., September 3, from 4:00-5:30 p.m., at the Cooperative Middle School in Stratham. Rehearsals are on Wednesday afternoons from 5:00-6:30 p.m., beginning September 10. Please visit www.greatbayyouthorchestra.org for more details about audition requirements, and to learn more about the GBYO.

Founded in 2001, the Great Bay Youth Orchestra performs two community concerts a year, and at other events and in-school programs. The GBYO also offers chamber music and coaching programs to their students. Tuition assistance, funded in part by a grant from the Exeter Giving Circle and The Women’s Fund of New Hampshire, is available. The Great Bay Youth Orchestra is a Not-for-Profit 501(c)3.