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We’re Not Hiring—Right Now

Thank you for your interest in joining the Youth Symphony of Kansas City! At this time, we have no active job openings, and the Development Officer role listed previously has been filled.

We encourage you to check back periodically—new opportunities may arise as our programs evolve.

If you’d like to stay informed about future openings, please consider signing up for our newsletter or following us on social media. We truly appreciate your support and enthusiasm for YSKC’s mission to challenge, educate, and inspire young musicians in our community.

YSKC employees enjoy a flexible and fast-paced work environment, with a mix of remote and in-office hours, located in Midtown Kansas City.

Ready to jump in? Apply here!

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“On the night of April, 19, 1958, at a meeting extending into the small hours of April 20th, our Youth Symphony was born.”

– the opening of a synopsis of the Youth Symphony’s history written by Ruth Cady Austin in 1963

Our History

Our Beginnings

The Youth Symphony of Kansas City was founded as “The Youth Symphony of the Heart of America” by conductor Leo Scheer in 1958. The organization initially consisted of one orchestra of 80 musicians. Incorporated on July 31, 1958, the organization has endured a long and interesting history as the musical home to young musicians in the Kansas City metro area.

The first concert was held on September 6, 1958 at which time Mayor H. Roe Bartle proclaimed the week as “Youth Symphony Week”.

In 1959, Conductor Scheer resigned and was replaced by Richard Cormier, a member of the then-Kansas City Philharmonic (now Kansas City Symphony) and faculty member at Park College (now University). In 1964, the organization added a younger junior orchestra in Kansas City known as the “Junior Youth Symphony” due to increased demand.

Finding Our Rhythm

The Youth Symphony toured Chicago, Washington D.C. and New York, performing at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. In 1961, Conductor Cormier resigned and was replaced by Jack Herriman, associate conductor of the Kansas City Philharmonic. In the same year, the organization changed its name to “Youth Symphony of Kansas City” and also joined the American Symphony Orchestra League – now known as the League of American Orchestras. The Symphony also recorded a concert for New York radio station WNYC. In 1978, Conductor Herriman resigned and was replaced by Michael Krajewski. Conductor Krajewski served until 1983, at which point Conductor Glenn Block was hired.

Continuing to Grow

In 1990, the Youth Symphony began a long association with the American Royal – performing live for its Concert of Champions. Also in 1990, the Youth Symphony toured to Chicago to participate in the Midwest Band and Orchestra Convention.

In 1991, a third junior orchestra in Kansas City was formed to accommodate the growing number of talented young musicians. The orchestras were renamed to Senior, Middle and Junior Orchestra. In 1995, these names were again changed to Symphony, Philharmonic and Symphonette, respectively.

In 1997, the Symphony toured New York and performed at Carnegie Hall in June.

Mr. Block served as Music Director of the Symphony Orchestra until 2007, at which point current conductor Steven D. Davis was hired.

Where We Are Now

Today, the Youth Symphony of Kansas City is comprised of four large ensembles. More than 450 young musicians participate annually. In June 2016, the Youth Symphony toured Ireland — its first international tour in a decade. June 2018 brought the Youth Symphony’s second recent international tour, this time to Austria. Performances took place in Salzburg and Vienna. Following 20 years of musical contributions as a conductor within the Youth Symphony, conductor Russell E. Berlin retired in 2017-2018.

The YSKC Academy was introduced for the 2021-2022 season, providing chamber music instruction soon followed by elective course opportunities for students, featuring teaching, conducting, music theory, performance psychology, and other classes.

A partial list of conducting staff throughout our history: Leo Scheer, Richard Cormier, Jack Herriman, Michael Krajewski, Larry Williams, Dennis Herron, David E. Circle, George C. Alter, Jim Funkhouser, Glenn Block, Jeff Jacobsen, Jonathan Lane, Jeffrey Bishop, Mary Lou Jones, Joseph Keeney, Scott Kuhlman, Carrie Turner, Russell E. Berlin and Kirt Mosier.

The Mission of YSKC

The mission of the Youth Symphony of Kansas City is to challenge, educate and inspire students through meaningful and enriching musical experiences.

Our Goals as an Organization

Filling a Void

YSKC is the only comprehensive junior orchestra project of its kind in the greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area. While many schools offer music programs, most do not provide a full orchestra experience at multiple grade and ability levels. Students regularly convey that their experience with YSKC has directly enhanced their overall musicianship skills. YSKC experiences positively impact homeschool music programs and foster positive relationships with our enrolled students and their peers.

Distinctive Performances

Students perform distinctive concerts throughout Kansas City in formal and informal settings at venues such as Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and Yardley Hall at Johnson County Community College. We set the standard for junior orchestras around the Kansas City metropolitan area and beyond.

Access

Student participants and their families get inside access to the arts in Kansas City and routinely receive offers for discounted tickets to concerts and additional experiences from community partners. Area arts organizations recognize the value in engaging with YSKC, as our students are the future audience members, patrons and performers essential to long-term sustainability of the arts.

Inclusivity

Due to a number of variables, many school music programs within underserved communities are minimal or non-existent, thereby highlighting a need for enrichment programs such as YSKC. Our goal is to practice inclusivity by addressing music program access and financial need within underserved schools.