The Walla Walla Symphony Youth Orchestra (WWSYO) provides an unique opportunity to rehearse and perform in a full symphonic ensemble with strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.  Musicians rehearse weekly with director Bruce Walker and perform 2 concerts each year - one in the Fall, and one in the Spring.

WWSYO includes two complementary ensembles, designed to give students the opportunity to rehearse at the level best suited to their musical growth:

• WWSYO Crescendo — a youth orchestra for developing musicians.For players with at least one year of experience on their instruments, ready to grow their skills, build confidence, and deepen their ensemble fundamentals.
  
  
• WWSYO Virtuoso — a youth orchestra for advanced musicians.For students with strong technical ability and multiple years of ensemble experience, ready for more challenging repertoire and leadership opportunities.

All students register through this form; auditions will be used to determine placement. A link to submit a virtual audition will be provided in the confirmation email after completing this registration form. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please let us know at emily@wwsymphony.org. 

Rehearsal/Concert Schedule

• The majority of rehearsals are held on Wednesday evenings.
• A few rehearsals are held on Monday evenings instead of Wednesdays (including the Fall Concert on December 7) due to scheduling conflicts
• Fall Session: August 31 - December 7
• Spring Session: TBA - stay tuned!
• Rehearsal Timing:
          Crescendo: 5:00-6:00
          Virtuoso: 6:30-8:15
• You can Subscribe to the WWSYO Google Calendar for a full list of rehearsals and concerts, or view our Printable Program Calendar if that format is easier for you than the Google Calendar.

Location

• Rehearsals will be held at Pioneer Middle School in the orchestra room. (Special thanks to Ms. Woods for hosting us in this space, and to Ms. Jillson for use of the percussion instruments!)
• Dress Rehearsals and Concerts will be held at the WWCC Performing Arts Center. (Special thanks to Rodney Outlaw for hosting us in this space!)

Eligibility

• Designed for musicians in grades 8–12; exceptions can be made for younger students ready for the challenge of an advanced ensemble!
• To participate in WWSYO, students must also be enrolled in their school’s music ensemble, if one is offered. If instruction on your primary instrument is not available at your school, we encourage you to participate in another ensemble within your school’s music program.
• Students who are homeschooled full-time, or who are enrolled full-time in Running Start, the Opportunity Program, or online school (and do not participate in any other school programs), are strongly encouraged—but not required—to participate in a school music program.
• Participants must attend all rehearsals. Two excused absences are permitted per Session. Students missing more than two rehearsals may be asked to demonstrate their handle on materials and/or have a conversation with Mr. Walker about their future availability.
• Please contact us if you’re unsure about your eligibility.

Auditions

• Auditions are a crucial part of the split of WWSYO into two ensembles. Director Bruce Walker uses the auditions to learn more about each musician’s skill set and to assist with assigning each musician to an ensemble best suited to their level, as well as helping determine part assignments when there is more than one part per instrument.
• Audition Materials can be viewed here.
• All students, including returning members, must audition each year. 
• After registering for WWSYO on this site, a confirmation email will be sent to the email on file with a link to upload the audition video in a Google Form.

Communication

• We send weekly emails to all participants and their parents/guardians with rehearsal details, extra musical opportunities, free tickets to Walla Walla Symphony events, and other announcements.
• Please provide a working email address when you register. If you’d like to add additional email addresses to the weekly email list, please email sara@wwsymphony.org.

Questions

• Please direct all questions, as well as any schedule conflicts or absences, to emily@wwsymphony.org or sara@wwsymphony.org

SPARK! is a free online composition course geared toward brand new through advanced young composers in grades 3-12.

The Fall 2026 Session will take place from September 27 - November 13, 2026.

Throughout each session, participants will meet via Zoom for private lessons with Kristin Vining to develop an individual project. Participants will also meet in groups once each month to explore improvisational and compositional techniques together. By the end of the course, the participants will have an original musical composition ready to share at an online music showcase. 

The Course will consist of the following elements, all conducted online:

• ONLINE ORIENTATION (September 27, 4:00 pm PST)
  An introductory meeting with all participants to go over the different elements of the course, and give composers a head start on brainstorming their composition.
• PRIVATE LESSONS (flexible scheduling)
  Study music composition with Kristin Vining. In your lessons Kristin provides individual attention to help you start, develop, and complete your project. Schedule lessons at your convenience using an online Calendly sign-up form.
• GROUP CLASS & COMPOSERS WORKSHOP (October 4 and November 1, 4:00pm PST)
  Both events are encouraged but optional for all participants. Meet other young composers, build your composer toolbox, study music theory & explore composition techniques, and workshop your compositions-in-progress.
• ONLINE SHOWCASE (November 13, 5:00 pm PST, 4:30 call time)
  Share your new work! Friends and family are invited to join. Present a PDF and computer-generated sound file of your new composition. Hear an excerpt of your piece performed live by a WWS musician! This event is recorded and the recording is shared with all participants. 

You will receive an email confirmation once you complete registration, containing links to the Orientation, Group Classes, and Private Lesson Sign-Up Calendar. Please email emily@wwsymphony.org if you don't receive this confirmation after completing your registration - or read on to learn more about the commonly missed "Submit Order" button!

"SUBMIT ORDER" Button

A common mistake when registering through our CourseStorm software is missing the final step - the "Submit Order" button. After updating all of the fields and clicking "Update Info," please be sure to ALSO click "Submit Order" in order to complete the registration process!