Project Based Learning Electives provided by the Berrien Springs Virtual Academy
South Bend Youth Symphony Orchestras Spring 2026
All students are required to do a project for this class. Speak with your mentor for instructions.
South Bend Youth Symphony Orchestras (SBYSO)’s mission statement is “Educating, inspiring, and enriching young musicians and our community through music since 1968.” Our program consists of two orchestras: Concert Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra.
SBYSO Contact info:
Diane Economakis, Executive Director
email: sbyso@sbyso.org
text/call: 574-302-5900
Website: https://sbyso.org
*Additional online registration and audition are required for all partnership students.
Grades: 6-12
Rehearsal Dates: begin January 4th, 2026 and continues until early May. (For our 2025-26 season, our final concert is on May 3, 2026.) There is no rehearsal on Easter Sunday.
Audition Deadline: December 1st, 2025
Required Audition Info: All partnership students are required to audition in person or online regardless of previous participation. Students can submit a video audition - details at https://sbyso.org/join.
Rehearsal Location: Indiana University-South Bend campus in the Education & Arts building, Room 1103.
Concert Orchestra (intermediate ensemble)
Zac Coudret, conductor (coudretsbyso@gmail.com)
- Rehearses Sundays from 12:15-2:45pm
- Typically this ensemble is for upper elementary or middle school students who have played their instrument for at least two years and can read music.
Symphony Orchestra (advanced ensemble)
Dr. Robert Boardman, Music Director & conductor (robertwboardman@gmail.com)
- Rehearses Sundays from 3:00-6:00pm
- Typically this ensemble is for students who have already had orchestral experience and have several years of experience playing their instrument.
Join South Bend Youth Symphony Orchestras for the second and third concert cycles of our 2025-26 season. Our February 2026 concert will feature world-renowned violinst, Midori, who will lead a five-day residency with SBYSO from February 18-22, 2026. It will culminate with Midori performing with SBYSO on February 22, 2026 at 4pm at the Sauder Music Hall at Goshen College. Our May 3, 2026 concert will be a World Premiere of a Symphonic Rock concert, taking place on May 3, 2026 at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center at Notre Dame
Students are allowed 2 excused absences per concert cycle are expected to practice outside of rehearsal time.
*Please note: it is important to make as informed a decision as possible when choosing your student's Community Resource classes. Most locations will allow a student to drop a class after one meeting, at no charge if it wasn't a good fit for the student, but not all. Some classes plan ahead based on the number that have signed up and have purchased materials, hired teachers, etc. and there might be a fee for class time or materials given to the student if the student drops after one or two meetings. The school cannot pay for classes that students do not complete, so choose wisely; if you do not take the class off of your student's schedule by the deadline, you may be asked to pay for the class time incurred prior to dropping the class.
Teacher of Record: Mandy Jankoviak
