By Suzanne Tucker, Georgia Symphony Orchestra
This is the third installment of our special anniversary series, published in the August 13 edition of the MDJ. As we celebrate 75 years of music, connection, and community, the MDJ is generously joining us to help share our story. Each month, this collaboration will bring you behind-the-scenes glimpses into the heart of the GSO-highlighting our history, our musicians, our music, and the exciting future ahead. We’re honored to mark this milestone with the support of our hometown paper and the community that has made it all possible.
The Georgia Symphony Orchestra has long understood that great music begins with early inspiration. Long before the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra (GYSO) was founded in 2006, the seeds of the GSO’s educational mission were planted in the form of children’s concerts and youth-focused initiatives—proof that the organization’s commitment to nurturing young musicians runs deep.
In the early 1970s, the Marietta Community Orchestra, an early iteration of what would become the GSO, launched a beloved tradition: the Lolli-Pops Concerts. “There was a definite need for a children’s concert,” recalled longtime conductor Betty Shipman Bennett. “We presented it in school gyms, at Kennesaw College, and eventually at the Civic Center.” With playful themes, sing-alongs, narration by community leaders like then-Mayor Bob Flournoy, and audience favorites like “I’m a Little Teapot,” the Lolli-Pops concerts offered young children their first experience of live orchestral music—complete with a lollipop at the end.
A variety of youth concerts for older students followed, and the GSO’s focus on youth remained steadfast. From early scholarship efforts by the Marietta Music Club to opportunities for youth orchestral students in 1966, the idea of growing young talent was always a part of the organization’s DNA.
That legacy took a major step forward in 2006 with the launch of the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra, founded by Michael Alexander at the invitation of arts philanthropist Don Dozier. “We hoped for 50 students,” Alexander recalled. “We got 200 auditions.” Successfully navigating challenges along the way, GYSO survived and thrived. Now based at Kennesaw State University and Marietta High School, the program serves nearly 300 students annually, from 17 different counties, across multiple ensembles.
As GYSO celebrates its 20th season, its impact is clear. A recent reunion of young alumni revealed how deeply the experience shaped their musical journeys. “GYSO was more than an extracurricular,” one said. “It was a community.” These former students—many of whom now study music in college or pursue it professionally—praised the high expectations of conductors like Dr. Nathaniel Parker and Dr. Timothy Verville, the joy of performing full orchestral works, and the life lessons that came from collaboration, discipline, and friendship.
Two former concertmasters, several section principals, and even a pair of concerto competition winners were among those gathered. Their stories echo a shared theme: GYSO helped them find confidence, opportunity, and belonging. “It’s what you make of it,” one said. “The more you put in, the more you get out.”
Today, GYSO offers students the rare chance to perform original symphonic works in a full orchestra setting—something many youth programs lack. From early training in groups like the String Symposium, the elite Honors String Quartet, and Symphony, students find their musical voices and make lifelong connections.
And the advice from alumni to the next generation? Practice. Show up early. Make friends. Take auditions seriously. And remember that the music—and the memories—stay with you.
With its roots in humble children’s concerts and its branches now reaching hundreds of students each year, the GSO’s investment in youth is more than a program—it’s a legacy. One that, 20 years after GYSO’s founding, continues to inspire the next generation of musicians across Georgia.
For more information about GYSO auditions visit gyso.org. And it you’re a GYSO alum who would like to reconnect during this special anniversary season, sign up for communication at https://www.georgiasymphony.org/reconnect-remember-reimagine/
