Arts and Events: Sweet Sound of Success

Some of us who suffered through music lessons remember our music teacher’s faded inspirational posters of Carnegie Hall. They reminded us to “dream big” as we struggled through our scales. For the members of the Carolina Youth Symphony, those dreams are only getting bigger as they return to Carnegie Hall for the fourth time.

“We are exceptionally proud of our young people,” said CYS director, Lee Elmore. The Carolina Youth Symphony is itself the achievement of a dream. Motivated by her love of music, Rita May Baker founded “The Little Symphony” in 1955. With the support of the Crescent Music Club and the Greenville Symphony, her group of young musicians continued to expand each year, and in 1976 became the Carolina Youth Symphony.

Over the years, the symphony has matured into a prestigious program, offering three orchestras for different skill levels. Members of CYS—fifth graders to high school seniors—come from all over both Carolinas to rehearse and perform at Furman University.

Earning a Carnegie performance requires three things: practice, practice, practice. And on March 28, the eighty-five members of the symphony orchestra will carry their instruments into Carnegie Hall, ready to create beautiful music—the sound of a dream come true.

Photograph courtesy of Carolina Youth Symphony