ABOUT GMYS

The Green Mountain Youth Symphony provides young musicians with a stimulating, high-quality musical experience as well as instruction in orchestral technique, ensemble and musicianship.

GMYS has a program for young musicians at every level of development and offers opportunities for beginning, intermediate and advanced players in three separate orchestras – Repertory, Concert, and Senior.

Mission

The mission of the Green Mountain Youth Symphony is to create a community of young musicians from Central and Northern Vermont through the performance of great music.

History

The Green Mountain Youth Symphony was founded in 2001 as the Central Vermont Youth Orchestra, a single orchestra for local instrumental students. Ten years later, GYMS now consists of three orchestras and more than 100 participants from approximately thirty towns throughout Central and Northern Vermont. The orchestra has performed at First Night Montpelier, Farmers Night, and Montpelier's Independence Day Celebration; at the St. Johnsbury Academy, at Chandler Music Hall in Randolph, and at the Mary Granai Corrigan Auditorium in Northfield in a performance sponsored by the Paine Mountain Arts Council; in joint performances with the Vermont Philharmonic; and has been featured on WCAX TV and Vermont Notes on WCVT radio.

"We had a small dream; to establish a youth orchestra in Central Vermont. We started with the idea that if we could get a dozen or so kids together with a good conductor, we could slowly grow our program here in Montpelier. Forty-three young musicians showed up for our auditions! Within a year, we were seventy players strong! Now we can call it a dream realized!" – August Burns, Founder.

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Conductors

ROBERT BLAIS

Robert Blais, Artistic Director of the Green Mountain Youth Symphony, embarked on a conducting career when he created the Boston-based cello orchestra Blazin' Cellos. Upon arriving in Montpelier in 2001, he founded GMYS, Central Vermont's own youth orchestra.

Together, Mr. Blais and GMYS have captivated audiences at the Vermont Statehouse for Farmer's Night, for the Paine Mountain Arts Council, the Vermont Capitol Independence Day Celebration on the Capitol Steps, yearly at Montpelier's First Night celebration, in joint concerts with the Vermont Philharmonic, and regularly at the Barre Opera House. Robert Blais and the GMYS are champions of contemporary music, having commissioned and performed world premieres of orchestral works by Dennis Bathory-Kitsz, Erik Nielsen, Laura Koplewitz, Pam Marshall, and Lydia Busler-Blais, and in 2005 produced a concert comprised of music written entirely in the last twenty years by female composers.

After more than tripling the size of GMYS, Robert has expanded the orchestra's reach, starting new orchestras at the Upper Valley Music Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Robert is recently excited by GMYS' 2011 trip to Quebec City for the Eurochestries Festival, where he and the kids joined five other young ensembles from Europe and Asia. There, Blais conducted a combined orchestra comprised of students from the Youth Orchestra of the Leipzig School of Music "Johann Sebastian Bach”, the Dalian University Symphony Orchestra from China, the University of Valence (Spain) Honors Woodwind Quintet, and GMYS. Vermont Governor Shumlin honored the GMYS and Robert by proclaiming August 14-21, 2011 Green Mountain Youth Symphony Week.

In addition to his work with GMYS, Robert Blais has conducted for the Monteverdi Music Camp, the Vermont-based School for Strings Camp, the Montpelier Capitol Orchestra, the Vermont Philharmonic, the current Blazin' Cellos based in Vermont, and is a frequent guest conductor for numerous programs and festivals. He receives rave reviews for his educational outreach concerts from seasoned performers, teachers, and students alike.

Robert is also a well-known cellist and pedagogue, having been featured as a soloist with the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra, the Holyoke Symphony, the Guilford Music Festival Orchestra, and the Melrose Symphony Orchestra, as well as travelling as a chamber musician. Locally, his students play with the Vermont Philharmonic, the Green Mountain Youth Symphony, the Vermont Youth Orchestra, and the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra.

PAUL PERLEY
Paul Perley, cellist, began his musical education at age eight, studying with Elizabeth Endress, Albert Bellson and Helene Gagne, among others. Locally he has performed as a cellist with the Vermont Philharmonic, the Bartholdy Ensemble, the Gabriel Piano Trio, and is a founding member of the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra.

Mr. Perley has composed music for theater productions, chamber music ensembles, and several youth orchestras, including the GMYS. In 1999, he founded the Green Mountain Waldorf Orchestra which he conducted until the closing of the school. He has conducted for the GMYS since 2002.

Mr. Perley maintains a private teaching studio on Berlin Pond, where he lives with his wife, Melissa and their family.

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Board Members

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P.O. Box 384wMontpelier, VT 05601-0384