Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra

History:

In 1964, a music educator from the Issaquah School District named Frances Walton founded the music organization that would become Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra.

The organization was formed to fulfill local parents' desire for a full orchestra experience for their young musicians. Known at first as the Eastlake Youth Symphony, it later merged with the Highline Youth Symphony and for more than twenty years was known as the Olympic Youth Symphony. Mrs. Walton retired from her position as Music Director in 1986.

In 1993, the name was changed to Eastside Youth Symphonies and then in 1994 changed to Bellevue Eastside Youth Symphonies. In 1999, the Bellevue Eastside Youth Symphonies merged with another local youth orchestra, Youth Philharmonic Northwest.

Youth Philharmonic Northwest had been founded in 1993 by a group of parents and teachers in the Lake Washington School District and was originally called the Eastlake Community Youth Symphony Orchestras. The core group for ECYSO was the Redmond-based Sammamish Strings, founded by Linda Joyce.

After Bellevue Eastside Youth Symphonies merged with Youth Philharmonic Northwest in 1999, the new group took the name Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra (BYSO).

BYSO's current Music Director, Dr. Teresa Metzger Howe, became Music Director and Youth Symphony conductor in 2005. She had served as conductor of BYSO's Premiere Orchestra since 2001. Previous music directors include Kathleen Macferran (1991-1994), Alan Futterman (1994-2001), and Adam Stern (2001-2005).  

BYSO's current Executive Director, Trudi Jackson, joined the staff in 2013. She replaced retired Executive Director Ruth Brewster, who had served since 1993.