GPAC YOUTH SYMPHONY PROGRAM
The GPAC Youth Symphony Program is dedicated to the highest standards of music and is open to career-oriented students as well as those who wish to study music for the pure enjoyment, inherent benefits of and appreciation for the art form. For more information please contact Emily Hefley at emily@gpacweb.com or 901-751-7665.
GPAC YOUTH SYMPHONY PROGRAM
GPAC YOUTH SYMPHONY PROGRAM
The GPAC Youth Symphony Program (GYSP) gives opportunities for young musicians across the Mid-South area to perform musical masterworks under the direction of experienced conductors and teachers, to improve upon their technique, learn basic music theory, work with an ensemble and interact with professional guest artists performing at GPAC. With four distinct ensembles, GYSP’s excellent music education fosters musical growth with an emphasis on the interconnectedness of art, music, culture, history and society. Through this program, our students are equipped with the tools to become the next generation of music advocates, educators, performers and patrons. View our past concerts on our Youtube Channel
2026-2027 Concerts
Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 4pm
Sunday, April 25, 2027 at 4pm
Chamber String Ensemble Performances
TBD
Season Partners
in the news:
MOZART STRING ENSEMBLE
The Mozart String Ensemble is for students 9-14 years of age. Mozart SE is a training group under the direction of Ms. Britta Hall with beginner to intermediate level. Student placement is based on ability, talent and skill along with their age and maturity. This group meets on Tuesdays from 4:30-5:45pm. Tuition is $410 (Spring semester only $205)
MENDELSSOHN STRING ORCHESTRA
The Mendelssohn String Orchestra is for students 12-16 years of age under the direction of Mr. Alex Perry. Mendelssohn SO is a training group with an intermediate to advanced level. Designed to hone their orchestral skills and further develop their abilities, this program prepares students to advance to the Youth Symphony Orchestra. This group meets on Tuesdays from 5:45-7pm. Tuition is $410 (Spring semester only $205)
WIND ENSEMBLE (WE)
Wind Ensemble under the direction of Ms. Susan Spain is made up of woodwind, brass and percussion students ages 12-18 from across the Mid-South. The focus is to provide a high quality musical experience for its members built on fundamentals and musicianship through the great and ever-expanding concert repertoire specifically for wind ensemble. Rehearsals are held on Saturdays from 11:30 -12:45pm. Tuition is $410 (Spring semester only $205)
GPAC YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (GYSO)
The GPAC Youth Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Schallert is a full orchestra consisting of strings, winds, brass, percussion, harp, and keyboard. Admitted by audition, GYSO musicians are advanced students from 14-19 years of age and participate in weekly orchestra rehearsals, sectional rehearsals and weekly music appreciation class. Rehearsals are held on Saturdays from 9:30-11:30am. Tuition is $560 (Spring semester only $285).
Chamber Strings Group
The Chamber Strings group, under the direction of Dr. Sheryl Lane, is open to all GYSO string players and serves as the outreach division of the GPAC Youth Symphony. Each Saturday from 11:30 - 12:30, participating students will study and rehearse string quartet repertoire. Throughout the season, students will showcase their talents at a variety of venues, including GPAC art receptions, the Germantown Fire House, the GPAC Gala, Arts in the Loop, and the Kirby Pines Lifecare Community. Those who are interested should sign up during the first two weeks of GYSO rehearsals.
*Please note that the ages listed above only the suggested range. Students are placed into groups based on their audition results.
**A T-Shirt is included in tuition for all members.
2026-2027 SCHEDULE
2026-2027 AUDITIONS
Auditions will be held on August 15, 2026 at GPAC. Note some positions may already be filled.
AUDITION & TUITION PAYMENT
Pay online
Payment Plan Agreement
FINANCIAL AID
GPAC believes that finances should not prevent a motivated and talented student from participating in our youth symphony program. The GPAC Arts Education Fund provides tuition assistance to families each season. Financial aid is awarded based on many factors including family size, annual income and extraordinary situations.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Sheryl Lane (Orchestra Manager)
gpacyso@gmail.com
901-299-7147
Proud Partner
PEANUT BUTTER AND JAM
GPAC’s celebrated Peanut Butter & Jam Family Series marks its 30th season this year. Part of our Arts Education Programming, the series introduces children ages 8 and under to a variety of genres including music, dance, and multicultural arts in an informal family concert setting. Parents and children are invited to move and groove in these highly interactive performances held on scheduled Saturdays at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. (unless otherwise noted) in the Watkins Studio Theater. Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can.
PEANUT BUTTER AND JAM
GPAC’s celebrated Peanut Butter & Jam Family Series marks its 30th season this year. Part of our arts education programming, the series introduces children ages 8 and under to a variety of genres including music, dance, and multicultural arts in an informal concert setting
Proud Partner
Peanut Butter & Jam Series Sponsor
Jazz Set
Jazz Set
JOIN THE GPAC JAZZ SET!
"Gloria and I encourage you to become a member of “THE JAZZ SET.” Your support reinforces GPAC’s Jazz in the Box program and our commitment to continue presenting some of the world’s finest musicians, in the most exciting jazz venue in the Mid-South."
~Jack N. Schaffer
2026-2027 GPAC JAZZ SET MEMBERS:
Sheila & Carlton Anderson
Susan & Bob Baker
Dr. Neal & Joey Beckford
Sheila Betts
David & Patti Bradford
Honorable George H. Brown, Jr.
Mike & Dotty Carter
Thomas Chu, M.D.
Diane Foner Coons & John Coons
Preston H. Dorsett
Tim and Cathy Dalfiume
Patti & Lew Ellis
Brian & Sherri Flax
Sondra & Bill Fondren
Mary & Ricky Fortin
Dr. John & Casey Gleysteen
Sharon & Lee Grinspan
David & Margo Holt
Elaine & Paul Hoover
Julia Howell
Chuck Irwin & Saundra Messinger
Mary & Mark Jenkins
Fred & Dorothy Johnson
Steve & Pam Johnson
Jolana & Hubert Jordan
Syd & Lauren Lerner
Allan & Connie Long
Glenda Mace
Phyliss Massey
Debbie & Robert Meyers
Linda Milbradt
Joyce & Bill Miles
Dr. Frank & Sarah Ognibene
Frances & Gary Paulson
Alyce & Tom Price
Jack & Gloria Schaffer
Joel Schaffer & Dr. Kristin Hall
Mr. & Mrs. Joe Warren
Jocelyn Dan Wurzburg
Dr. Lisa & Kevin Young
Arts-based Community Development
Big news for GPAC and the City of Germantown!
Arts-based Community Development
National Endowment for the Arts Acting Chairman Mary Anne Carter announced 57 awards totaling $4.1 million supporting projects across the nation through the Arts Endowment’s Our Town program. The City of Germantown is one of the recommended organizations for a grant amount of $50,000 to support community design workshops and the creation of a public art master plan. The project is titled ArtsLaunch Germantown and will be led by Germantown Performing Arts Center Executive Director Paul Chandler and the City’s Public Arts Commission.
“These awards made to organizations across the United States are a testament to the artistic richness and diversity in our country,” said Mary Anne Carter, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “Organizations such as the City of Germantown are giving people in their community the opportunity to learn, create, and be inspired.”
“Our stakeholders are expressing an overwhelming interest in public art in our city,” said Germantown Mayor Mike Palazzolo. “While the City has a plan for every other facet of governance from small district business plans to a parks master plan, the missing piece is a public art master plan.”
ArtsLaunch Germantown will not simply borrow or copy what has been done elsewhere, but will instead look to the community’s assets and needs in order to develop a process for creating place-based strategies to transform spaces into unique places. The plan will be led by an experienced consultant and employ local artists to create and facilitate a variety of community engagement/visioning tools to generate comprehensive and inclusive conversations about how public art will live in Germantown. Partners include the City, the Public Arts Commission and the Germantown Performing Arts Center.
Announcing the 2018-2019 GPAC Season!
GPAC Season 18-19 subscriptions are on sale starting February 16 ! Save up to 30% and have first choice of seats!
Announcing the 2018-2019 GPAC Season!
GPAC Season 18-19 subscriptions are on sale starting February 16 ! Save up to 30% and have first choice of seats! All series subscriptions are available for purchase online or by calling the box office at 751-7500. Flex Passes allow you to choose 4 or more shows and save 20%. These are only available by calling the box office.
Building on the momentum and excitement of our 23rd anniversary year, GPAC is pleased to present the 2018-2019 season of performances to be held in the Duncan-Williams Performance Hall. If you are a valued subscriber, your seats are on hold. Please contact the Box Office at 751-7500 to renew your subscription. Single tickets will go on sale to the public on April 11.
Superstar Bobby McFerrin, the man who has inspired generations of a capella singers, beatboxers and vocalists of all genres, opens the 2018-2019 Season and American Music Series September 15. Take Me to the River New Orleans on October 20 celebrates the musical history, heritage and legacy of one of our most unique cultural jewels. This show features the modern day brass band pioneers The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and is packed with a multi-generational line up of some of the City's greatest talent. On November 2, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain, three masterful genre-benders and the leading virtuosos of their instruments take the stage. Individually, they're world-class masters of the banjo, the bass fiddle and the tabla, respectively. Celebrate a night of bluegrass on January 11 with legends Bluegrass Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver with Flatt Lonesome. This is a young, new group of pickers fresh to the scene. While deeply-rooted in bluegrass music's historic classics, they also have an energetic flair for country sounds, progressive jams, and soul-stirring gospel music. Three-time Grammy Award winner Shawn Colvin closes the American Music Series March 1 with her inimitable voice and matchless guitar stylings.
The widely popular Jazz Series returns September 28 with saxophonist and Memphian Charles Lloyd &The Marvels reunited for his 80th Birthday Tour. Fellow octogenarian and arguably jazz's greatest patriarch Ellis Marsalis performs with his quintet on November 10. Innovative jazz pianist and composer Fred Hersch performs with his Pocket Orchestra January 12 and jazz singer Jazzmeia Horn, winner of both the Thelonious Monk Institute Competition and Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition takes the stage February 2. The Jazz Series closes on March 30 with the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour. The 60th Anniversary of the festival will feature performances by featuring Cécile McLorin Salvant, Christian Sands, Jamison Ross, Melissa Aldana, Bria Skonberg and more.
New this season is our Center Stage Series that shines a spotlight on artists that don't necessarily fit into a one genre series, but are equally compelling and relevant. We hope this series will attract an audience that is interested in experiencing something a little more outside of their box. The genre defying Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan opens the series October 5 with a mesmerizing, spectacular, fabulous show of poets, troubadours, musicians, dancers and fakir (fire eater) from the country of Maharajas. On November 4, the 43 member Soweto Gospel Choir, under the direction of Beverly Bryer, will share their joy of faith through music with the GPAC audience. The iconic dance troupe Dorrance Dance led by 2015 MacArthur Fellow Michelle Dorrance pushes the artistic boundaries of tap as both dance and music January 26.
The series concludes with Ballet Memphis and a performance of Midsummer Night's Dream combining comedy, theatrics and dance on May 4.
Season and series subscriptions for the 2018-2019 are on sale February 16. GPAC subscribers enjoy big discounts and first choice in great seats before the general public can purchase single tickets on April 11. Series subscriptions are available for purchase online or by calling the box office at 751-7500.
GPAC 2018-2019 Season
September 15, 2018 Bobby McFerrin
September 28, 2018 Charles Lloyd & The Marvels
October 5, 2018 Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan
October 20, 2018 Take Me to the River: New Orleans
November 2, 2018 Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussein
November 4, 2018 Soweto Gospel Choir
November 10, 2018 Ellis Marsalis Quintet
January 11, 2019 Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver with Flatt Lonesome
January 12, 2019 Fred Hersch Pocket Orchestra
January 26, 2019 Dorrance Dance
February 2, 2019 Jazzmeia Horn
March 30, 2019 Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour
March 1, 2019 Shawn Colvin
May 4, 2019 Ballet Memphis: Midsummer Night's Dream
A line-up packed with incredible artists in a variety of series, this is one season you do not want to miss! For additional ticket information, personal assistance and questions, please contact the GPAC Box Office at (901) 751-7500.
GPAC Honors Black History Month
We are excited to bring back Artistic Director Ronald K. Brown and his company EVIDENCE to the GPAC stage after last presenting the dancers in 2011. Mr. Brown is one of the most important and iconic voices in dance today blending traditional African dance with contemporary choreography...
GPAC Honors Black History Month
GPAC HONORS BLACK HISTORY MONTH
We are excited to bring back Artistic Director Ronald K. Brown and his company EVIDENCE to the GPAC stage after last presenting the dancers in 2011. Mr. Brown is one of the most important and iconic voices in dance today blending traditional African dance with contemporary choreography. Mr. Brown uses movement and storytelling as a way to reinforce community and beauty in African American culture. EVIDENCE’s mission is to promote understanding of the human experience in the African Diaspora with authenticity and artistry, which directly aligns with GPAC’s mission to educate, engage and transform all audiences. It is our hope that these events recognize and celebrate the many achievements of African Americans in our city and beyond.
PB&J: Anansi and the Sky God (for kids)
with new ballet ensemble
2/17/18 at 9:30 and 10:30 am (in the GPAC Black Box Theater)
This classic West African folk tale is brought to colorful life by New Ballet Ensemble. A soundtrack of African drums and melodies accompanies a dramatic narrator who tells the story of Anansi’s quest to possess all the stories known in the world, though they are owned by the seemingly all-powerful Sky God. Throughout Anansi’s action-packed odyssey, each character has their own style of movement, from the Sky God’s traditional West African dance, to a ballerina Fairy, the Python’s modern dance, and a Hip Hop Hornet! Come ready to laugh!
Starting in February we will also be taking this performance to four elementary schools through our PB&J On Tour Program.
TICKETS $8 (includes one child and up to two adults)
Sponsor: Drs. Dwight and Brooke Dishmon
ArtSavvy: Celebrate Black History Month through Dance (panel discussion)
2/20/18 at 7pm (FREE and open to public)
This panel discussion will highlight African American dance artists creating and performing in the Mid South. We will talk current aspirations, challenges and how choreographers like Ronald K. Brown have changed the landscape of dance in America. Panelists include Wayne Smith, N’Seeka MacPherson and Daphne Lee.
In School Master Class
2/23/18 at 1:15pm
Arcell Cabuag (Associate Artistic Director of RKB) will teach a Master Class for students at Overton High School for the Creative and Performing Arts on Friday, February 23. GPAC has a well-established partnership with Overton, connecting their CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts) students with visiting dance, music, and performing artist through master classes, clinics, school matinees, and open sound checks.
This class will begin with meditation and floor work that includes stretching and mind-body centering exercises. Center floor work or barre work will include alignment and the introduction of the various dance techniques that are incorporated in the vocabulary of Ronald K. Brown/ EVIDENCE. Phrases across the floor will use influences from the western modern dance as well as traditional and social dances from West Africa, the Caribbean, and the U.S.
Students and teachers from Overton High School for the Creative and Performing Arts will receive a voucher for a FREE ticket to the public performance.
Community Master Class
2/23/18 at 6pm (FREE and open to public)
Ronald K. Brown will teach a Community Master Class on Friday, February 23 at 6pm in the Communication and Fine Arts Building Room 124 at The University of Memphis.
Designed for intergenerational participants, RKB's Community Master Classes can accommodate students of various skill levels, from those with a wide range of dance experience to those with none at all. Classes begin center floor with an emphasis on alignment, rhythm, and using the body to express ideas and themes: strength, prayer, and celebration. The class will continue with center floor work and dance phrases across the floor.
Master Class participants can receive a $10 ticket to the Ron K. Brown/ EVIDENCE performance at GPAC. Please give the box office your name when purchasing your ticket.
Cocktails & Conversations
2/24/18 6:30-7:30pm (FREE and open to the public)
Come early before the Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE dance performance, relax and mingle with new and old friends during this special pre-show event. Guests can enjoy happy hour, hors d'oeuvres and live music.
Free and open to the public.
Hosted by:
Memphis Music Initiative &
Memphis Urban League Young Professionals
Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE
2/24/18 at 8pm (Ticketed event)
Founded by Ronald K. Brown in 1985 and based in Brooklyn, New York, Evidence, A Dance Company focuses on the seamless integration of traditional African dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word. Through its work, Evidence provides a unique view of human struggles, tragedies, and triumphs. Brown uses movement as a way to reinforce the importance of community in African-American culture and to acquaint audiences with the beauty of traditional African forms and rhythms. He is an advocate for the growth of the African-American dance community and is instrumental in encouraging young dancers to choreograph and to develop careers in dance.
Post Show Q&A
2/24/18 (FREE to RKB ticket buyers)
GPAC will host a post performance question and answer session with Ronald K. Brown directly following the show. This discussion will allow audience members to ask questions of the company and learn more about the choreography being presented.
Show Sponsor:
Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE residency is sponsored in part by South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Tennessee Arts Commission.
2017-2018 GPAC Season Subscriptions Now on Sale!
GPAC Season 17-18 subscriptions are now on sale! Save up to 30% and have first choice of seats!
2017-2018 GPAC Season Subscriptions Now on Sale!
GPAC Season 17-18 subscriptions are now on sale! Save up to 30% and have first choice of seats! All series subscriptions are available for purchase online or by calling the box office at 751-7500. Flex Passes allow you to choose 4 or more shows and save 20%. These are only available by calling the box office.
Single tickets are now on sale.
VIEW the 17-18 GPAC Season Brochure.
