Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra History

In September 1994, Mary Anne Fairlie and Tracey Sherry, perceiving the need in the greater New Orleans area for a high-quality, full orchestra for school-age musicians, began discussing the possibility of establishing such a program.  This idea was brought up in a meeting of local Suzuki music teachers who enthusiastically endorsed the concept, sketching an outline of a plan for a regional youth orchestra program consisting of a beginning string orchestra and an advanced full orchestra.  A group of interested Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra musicians, local music teachers and parents* was then formed to lay the groundwork for what was to become the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra (GNOYO).  This group, GNOYO's first Board of Directors, elected officers and met throughout Fall 1994.  In December, the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra announced its first auditions for two orchestras:  The Sinfonia, an intermediate level string orchestra (for school-age string players at Suzuki Book II-IV level) and the Philharmonia, a full orchestra for more advanced students on all orchestral instruments.  Beginning and intermediate level Suzuki Flute students were also eligible to participate in the Sinfonia due to a lack of ensemble playing opportunities for them.  (This practice was discontinued after two seasons.)

Under the baton of Carrie Telthorst (with assistance from John Fairlie), sixty-five students began rehearsing in mid-January 1995 at the University of New Orleans Performing Arts Center.  GNOYO's premier performance in May 1995 received standing ovations from a packed hall.  In July 1995, John Fairlie was appointed Conductor of the Philharmonia, and Marta Jurjevich named Assistant Conductor of the Philharmonia and Conductor of the Sinfonia.  In the fall of 1995, GNOYO became the "official youth orchestra" of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, accepted 75 students for its second season, and performed concerts to enthusiastic audiences, packed halls and standing ovations in January and May 1996. GNOYO hosted and performed a joint concert with the Midwest Young Artists Senior Orchestra from Chicago in March 1996, a concert that also featured over 100 additional young string players from the greater New Orleans area performing with the orchestras.

Having initially operated under the financial umbrella of the Greater New Orleans Suzuki Forum, GNOYO legally incorporated on February 26, 1996 as an independent non-profit arts organization in the State of Louisiana and, on April 26 of that year, achieved tax-exempt status as a 501(c) 3 organization.  It received its first foundation grant approval in April of that year, held its first general membership meeting for the purpose of electing the board of directors in May, and the Board held their first retreats in June and September.  In July '96, GNOYO hired John Fairlie as its first Executive Director.  Auditions for the third season in September 1996 increased the size of GNOYO to one hundred participants, drawing students from as far away as Cut Off and Houma, Louisiana and Biloxi, Mississippi.  February 1997 saw the first side-by-side performances of the Philharmonia with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at the Orpheum Theatre for over 3400 school-children as part of the LPO's Young Peoples' Concerts Series. (The side-by-side concerts are now an annual event.) GNOYO's Instrument/Scholarship Program, an ambitious outreach program for aspiring young musicians of need, began teaching students in April 1997.  In June 1997, GNOYO performed its first Northshore concert. 

GNOYO collaborated with the New Orleans Ballet in a production of "Peter & the Wolf" in March 1998.  In January 1999 GNOYO's Northshore Sinfonia began rehearsing in Covington under the direction of Kent Jensen, serving the young string players on the Northshore.  GNOYO's first Summer Festival (now an annual event), featuring a string orchestra for students aged 8 to 12 and a full orchestra for students aged 12 to 19, took place in June 1999.  A staff of nineteen professional musicians led 93 students in daily sectionals and pedagogy classes and performed with the students at all rehearsals and the performance.  In September 1999 a new advanced full orchestra, the "GNOYO Symphony", was added to the ensembles rehearsing in New Orleans, under the direction of John Fairlie.  Marta Jurjevich and Kent Jensen took over the direction of the Philharmonia and Sinfonia, respectfully.  The New Orleans-based GNOYO orchestras moved their rehearsal location to the new facilities at NOCCA|Riverfront in January 2000, beginning a relationship with that institution.  In June 2001 GNOYO and NOCCA|Riverfront formed a new partnership, in which the GNOYO Symphony, Philharmonia, and Sinfonia became resident youth orchestras of NOCCA|Riverfront, functioning as an adjunct component of their Saturday classes.  The Northshore Philharmonia, under the direction of Marta Jurjevich, and a chamber music program, coached by Stanislas de Monredon, began rehearsing in September 2002.  Kristen Jensen became the new director of the Philharmonia at that time.  Now in its tenth season, GNOYO's 200+ participants perform five stand-alone concerts annually, (in addition to collaborations) reaching over 7,000 audience members.

In Spring of 2005, GNOYO once again collaborated with a local nonprofit, this time the Jefferson Performing Arts Society Youth Chorus.  By the end of the 2004-2005 season, GNOYO was experiencing record participation, serving over 250 young people and performing to standing room only audiences.

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina drastically changed the lives of GNOYO’s participants.  At that point, GNOYO realized just how necessary its programs were to the recovery of the community.  GNOYO resumed activities in October, 2005-providing a routine and stable creative outlet for the young people of the Gulf Coast.  Over 120 musicians participated in GNOYO’s programs post-Katrina and the numbers continue to grow as families return to the area.  Also in 2005-2006, GNOYO debuted Michael Rihner's composition "New Orleans Suite."  Through multiple movements, Rihner created musical pictures of New Orleans favorites-the street car, the bayou, and a second line parade.

To recognize GNOYO’s relevance post-Katrina, GNOYO is the 2006 recipient of the Governor's Arts Award in the Arts Organization/Education Catoegory and 1 of 50  semi-finalists in the 2006 Coming Up Taller Awards presented by the President’s Committee for the Arts and Humanities.