Where we were: BNYS History

In 1989, the formation of the Bloomington Normal Youth Symphony was made possible by the desire, knowledge, and skill of Dr. Howard H. Rye, as well as a considerable donation from the Amateur Musical Club, which phased out of existence at that time. The Amateur Musical Club had an impressive 100-year history of procuring world-class musicians to perform in Bloomington-Normal solo recitals and with the Bloomington Normal Symphony. The legacy of community enhancement through musical performance continues on today in the spirit and mission of the Bloomington Normal Youth Symphony.

The first youth symphony grew out of many ensembles that Dr. Rye coached in his home, beginning with string groups and gradually adding wind players. The need for a full orchestra became evident and BNYS was formed, performing its first concert in November of 1989. Sponsored solely by the Amateur Musical Club, the first five BNYS concerts were organized by Dr. Rye, with input from several key members of that club. He served as the conductor until 1994 when Deanne Bryant was approached and asked to take on the role. Mrs. Bryant accepted and continued to develop the youth symphony, adding a Board of Directors that same year.

After serving the youth orchestra and elevating its standard of excellence for two decades, Deanne Bryant entrusted the next chapter of BNYS’ life to Logan Campbell, Director of the School of Music and Director of Large Instrumental Ensembles at Illinois Wesleyan University. He began at IWU in January of 2023 and assumed the position of Music Director with BNYS in August at the start of the 2023-2024 season.

Where we are: BNYS Today

The Bloomington Normal Youth Symphony continues to thrive through musical exploration, community engagement, and fostering a passion for orchestral music in young people. Here is our mission statement:

Mission Statement:

The mission of the Bloomington Normal Youth Symphony is to enhance our members’ musical education, cultivate a love for music, and encourage them to achieve artistic excellence that will foster lifelong relationships with music. Further, it is our goal to inspire and shape future leaders on and off stage through collaboration, discipline, cultural appreciation, and compassion for others. We offer practice and performance of orchestral compositions by traditional and diverse composers, community outreach, collaboration with professional and collegiate musicians, scholarship opportunities, and an annual concerto competition to empower each musician on their musical journey.

Fast Facts:

• The group rehearses on Monday evenings from 7:00-9:00 pm at Illinois Wesleyan University in their School of Music (Presser Hall).

• Membership is contingent on an audition at either the beginning of ending of a season. Audition information may be found on our Auditions tab. Once admitted, there is a membership fee of $200 per student. We do offer a multi-student discount for families with multiple musicians. Scholarships are also available. Information on all things membership may be explored on our Membership tab.

• We have roughly 60 student participants each season, but are always eager to welcome new musicians!

• The season runs from late August through early May with a break from mid-December until February.

• There are two masterwork concerts; Fall and Spring. We also join the Illinois Symphony Orchestra for a holiday pops concert in December. All concerts and projects can be found under our Events tab.

• Part of the BNYS mission is to provide “opportunities for students to study, learn, and perform music of important classical composers.” All concerts contain works from the great masters of orchestral music, along with modern composers, composers of color, and composers of various gender expressions. It is a priority to provide a well-rounded performance experience for our students and our community.