Symphony Orchestra fall semester rehearsals for the AYO 2008-09 season will begin on Monday, September 15 in the Stephen F. Austin High School Orchestra Hall, 1715 West Cesar Chavez, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Refer to the “Announcements” section of the AYO website for additional details.

Chair tests for placement in the violin, viola, cello, and bass sections of the Symphony Orchestra will be held during rehearsal on Monday, September 22. Music excerpts for the chair tests are the cuts for the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Region 26 Orchestra auditions, which can be accessed via the link to the TMEA Region 26 website provided below:

String_Cuts

Symphony Orchestra Handbook

     James Edwards is in his tenth year as the Orchestra Director at Westlake High School in the Eanes Independent School District (ISD) in Austin, Texas. Prior to Westlake High School, he was the Orchestra Director at A.S. Johnston High School in Austin ISD for five years and was the Orchestra and Band Director at Amarillo High School in Amarillo ISD for seven years. Mr. Edwards was a founding co-conductor of the Austin Youth Sinfonietta Orchestra from 1994-1996. He is currently co-conductor of the Austin Youth Symphony Orchestra, a position he previously held from 1998-2003. In addition, he has been a guest conductor for the Austin Civic Orchestra and has taught for the music departments of Texas State University in San Marcos and Amarillo College.

  Mr. Edwards currently serves as Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) State Orchestra Chair and Vice-President and has served as TMEA Region Chairman in both Amarillo and Austin. He has also held the offices of Texas Music Adjudicators Association Orchestra Vice-President and President. In 1991, Mr. Edwards was awarded the Texas Excellence Award for Outstanding High School Teachers. In 2005, he was included in “Who’s Who Among American High School Teachers” and was named the first “Distinguished Music Educator” by Texas Tech University.

  Mr. Edwards holds the Bachelor of Music, the Bachelor of Music Education, and the Master of Music degrees from Texas Tech University and has pursued additional musical studies at Arizona State University. In 2002, the Westlake Orchestra was selected as the TMEA Honor Full Orchestra Runner-up, and in 2003 was selected as the TMEA Honor Full Orchestra.

  Kay Vanlandingham was appointed as Administrative Director for the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) in 2007. Prior to the assuming this role, she dedicated thirty-one years of her life to nurture and inspire orchestra, choir, and band students. In each one of her assignments, Ms. Vanlandingham built music programs not only numerically, but in excellence.

  Ms. Vanlandingham served the Round Rock Independent School District as Fine Arts Facilitator, orchestra liaison for the district, department chair, and various district- and campus-wide committees too numerous to mention. She was co-conductor of the Austin Youth Philharmonic Orchestra from 1996-2000 and has been the co-conductor of the Austin Youth Symphony Orchestra since 2004. Ms. Vanlandingham has received national recognition by the WalMart Corporation as Outstanding Teacher of the Year. She holds memberships and affiliations with TMEA, the Texas Orchestra Directors Association (TODA), Mu Omicron, the Texas Music Adjudicators Association, and has served on the Committee on Standards of Adjudication and Performance Practice as well as the University Interscholastic League Prescribed Music List Committee. Ms. Vanlandingham has conducted the Longhorn Music Camp’s Philharmonic Orchestra since 2005. She is a Past President of TODA and frequently serves as a judge and clinician across the state. Ms. Vanlandingham has been listed in “Who’s Who in American Teachers” numerous times, and, in addition to her activities as a violinist and teacher, she also performs as a soprano soloist in her community.

Each Symphony Orchestra member is required to perform concerts in proper attire. The formal concert attire is as follows:

Males - Black tuxedo with black cummerbund, white long-sleeved shirt, black bow tie, black socks, and black dress shoes (no sneakers).

Females - Floor-length modestly-cut black dress/skirt with black top or full-length black dress slacks with black top (no black jeans), black hose, and black dress shoes (no sneakers or flip flops).

Failure to comply with the concert attire requirements will result in the student not being allowed to perform in the concert.

Alpha Music Center
611 West 29th St.
Austin, TX 78705
Telephone - 477-5009
www.alphamusicaustin.com

Austin Symphony Orchestra
Present the AYO Symphony Orchestra ID card at the box office 
no earlier than 7:30 pm to receive two (2) free tickets 
to each Classical Season Concert, excluding special events.
(Free tickets to Classical Season Concerts are subject to availability.)
www.austinsymphony.org

Blackerby Violin Shop
1111 W. Anderson Ln.
Austin, TX 78775
Telephone - 469-9343
www.violinshop.com

Fiddlestick Bow Shop
1403 Alameda Dr.
Austin, TX 78704
Telephone - 440-8579
By Appointment Only

Gott Music
2047 West Stassney Lane, Suite 430 
Austin, TX 78745
Telephone - 442-8100
www.gottmusic.net

Sam Bass Music
802 Brandi Lane, #B
Round Rock , TX 78681
Telephone - 246-9845
www.sambassmusic.com

Strait Music Company
South Location: 
2428 West Ben White Blvd.
Austin, TX 78704 
Telephone - 476-6927
North Location:
13945 Hwy. 183 North
Cedar Park, TX 78613 
Telephone - 918-3743
www.straitmusic.com

Violins, Etc.
8620 Burnet Rd. #132
Austin, TX 78757
Telephone - 452-5617
www.violinsetc.com

Westbank String Shop
6301 Manchaca Rd.
Austin, TX 78745
Telephone - 326-4898
www.westbankstringshop.com

The AYO program and members of the Symphony Orchestra are grateful for the contributions and offerings provided by the Austin area music organizations and businesses listed above. Patrons of AYO are encouraged to frequent these establishments and express your appreciation for their support.