The Shenandoah Youth Wind Orchestra

The main purpose of the SYWO is to provide a unique larger

performing ensemble where instrumental music students from every middle and high school, as well as home-schooled students, may come together, not to compete, but to learn and work together for the production of beautiful music.

The Shenandoah Youth Wind Orchestra is envisioned as a “community band for kids”, generally for band students in middle school and high school, with the predominate grades projected as 7th, 8th, and 9th. In a unique instrumentation format, string players (violin, viola, cello, bass) are also invited to join, and will be provided appropriate parts to play. The merging of the traditional “band” and the traditional “orchestra” students into one ensemble will provide a uniquely blended sound, as well as a larger community ensemble, which will be more stimulating and exciting for the students, their families, and the community in general.  Rehearsals are held once weekly, in the afternoon between school and dinner time. Ideally, we project rehearsals being held at Maury River Middle School, which has a larger band room and adjacent facilities for sectionals. Rehearsals are two hours in length. The first 45 minutes will consist of sectional rehearsals (woodwinds, brass, percussion, etc), which will include rhythmic drills and excercises. There will then be a 15-minute refreshment and socializing break, followed by the full Wind Orchestra rehearsal for the remaining hour. If the group attains the size of 30 or more members, there will be one or two Section Specialists, who will run group sectionals, supervise the break, and assist the Conductor in the full rehearsal.

Peter Del Vecchio – Artistic Director

Peter Del Vecchio holds a Masters degree in Music Performancefrom Montclair State University (NJ) and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from Rutgers University. He is currently the Director of Bands at Southern Virginia University in Buena Vista, VA, and is a founding member of The Lexington Brass Quintet. Mr. Del Vecchio is the founding conductor of The Rutgers University Alumni Wind Symphony (1983) and the Ramsey (NJ) Wind Symphony (1986), among others. In 2006 he established a similar youth group:

The New Jersey Youth Wind Symphony, which was very successful. He was also recognized as a Distinguished Teacher of Chamber Music by The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in 1994. In addition, he was appointed by the mayor and served as Chairman of the Ramsey Fine Arts Council, a municipal government commission in Ramsey, NJ, from 2003 through 2006.