Contact YC² Manager Alyssa Hensley for more information: alyssa@youthchamberconnection.org

Youth Chamber Connection (YC²) offers chamber music education, enrichment, and community-service performance opportunities for members of Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras (TRYPO), the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra (PYSO), and other interested young musicians. YC² is administrated by TRYPO staff. All musicians (approx. ages 8-19) are welcome to apply, regardless of your music program affiliation.

Scroll down for information about the YC² school-year program!

What is chamber music: Chamber music is a form of classical music composed for a small group of musicians, each with their own part to play. The name comes from centuries ago when small groups of musicians were hired to fit a palace "chamber." It is "the music of friends," and is often described as a "musical conversation," often played just for fun when musicians gather. Playing chamber music requires special skills, musical and socially, which differ from those required to play solo or in an orchestra including:  

Collaboration: Chamber Music involves working together equally, sharing opinions and striving to come together to make something beautiful. Each individual voice is important, and so is the collaboration of the voices together.

Leadership: There is no conductor! Each member of the group has to be the leader at different times to help the group come together.

Responsibility: When there is only one student to a part, there is no ability to hide and each student must be responsible for learning his or her music! With such a small ensemble, attendance and punctuality also become very important; students must be responsible for regular, faithful attendance and being on time for rehearsals and/or coachings.

Intonation: In small ensembles, students must focus and learn the skill of playing in tune.

Performance Skills: The ability to perform in front of an audience is another skill that is honed in chamber music. Control of performance nerves translates to auditions, interviews, presentations, and any type of public speaking.

And… it’s FUN!: Chamber Music is a great combination of playing music and spending time with friends!

  • We make every effort to place all interested musicians in a suitable chamber group (most often quartets and quintets), provided there are other interested students of a similar age, playing level, schedule availability, and appropriate instrumentation. Most years, we are able to place 97-100% of students who register during our prime enrollment period, July - September. Space is available until all chamber groups are complete, as well as more opportunities to join during our Spring Semester. For best chance of placement in our school-year season, please register by September 6, 2024.

    Pre-Formed ensembles who wish to join YC² as a group are welcome – groups may self-form; may be returning from a previous year, through a school, orchestra, or elsewhere. Groups formed within a high-school music program are encouraged to remain together as a YC² group. Each member of the group should register individually and note your involvement in a pre-formed group in the comments section on the registration form.

    For the 2024 - 25 season, all members of a self-formed group must be individually registered by September 6, 2024. After that date, YC² will complete any partially-formed ensembles with a qualified, registered student on our waiting list.

    Additionally, please have one member email Alyssa Hensley at staff@youthchamberconnection.org to discuss your schedule. 

  • YC² welcomes young musicians at all playing levels who have adequate skills for ensemble work. Students are asked to complete the registration form and submit a placement video.

    ALL musicians* (even members of our partner orchestras, and members in pre-formed groups), need to send a 1-3 minute video showing you playing:

    • one (1) scale of your/teacher's choice (at least one octave)

    • one (1) solo which best demonstrates your playing level.

    (*If you are new to TRYPO's YPO, Wind Symphony, or Symphonette and just submitted an audition video to TRYPO in Spring/Summer 2023, we have your video on file and are happy to use that video!)

    A casual, home-video recorded with your phone is all we need, no accompaniment necessary. Ensure lighting is adequate and the students' arms and instrument are in view (i.e. no music stand blocking). Videos enable our staff to put groups together and for coaches to choose repertoire. Please send the video as soon as possible after completing your registration.

    Video Submission: please upload the video as an “unlisted” YouTube video and send the link to staff@youthchamberconnection.org with the student’s name and instrument in the subject line.

    Remember: This is NOT an acceptance video - all eligible-age musicians are accepted - it is for our coaches to assess if we have a spot with other students of a similar age, similar playing level, and the same schedule availability; and for your assigned coach to carefully choose repertoire.

  • Registration Opens: July 2024. Registrations received by the September 6, 2024 have the best chance of being matched in a chamber ensemble. Later registrations are still welcome, and we will work hard to try to find a match for you.

    Group Confirmation: Mid - September 2023. Most students will be confirmed in a chamber group via email during this period.

    No Cancellation after Confirmation: Matching more than 80 students each year into a suitable ensemble is a very complicated puzzle. If your application is active when we begin forming groups in August/September, we expect each student we place to honor their commitment to join the group they are placed in. Cancellations made after groups are formed can have a domino effect and negatively impact multiple students and multiple groups.

    Rehearsals Begin October 5, 2024. Most groups will receive their first rehearsal date, time, and location the last week of September and will begin meeting the first week of October. Some exceptions may apply if we are still recruiting to complete a group.

    YC² Rehearsal Season: October 2024 through April 2025. Weekly meetings with your group and coaches to prepare for recitals and community performances!

  • Weekly Rehearsals: Each group is assigned their own coach to work with all year. Groups meet 45 minutes with their coach 20 times throughout the season. Most groups also rehearse up to an additional 45 minutes on their own every week, strengthening their skills in leadership, listening, cooperation, and learning to make their own musical decisions.

    YC² coachings/rehearsals are scheduled based on the schedule availability students provide when registering. Students with a variety of availability in their weekly schedule have the best chance of being well-matched into a chamber group.

    Attendance: In chamber music, the individual player has a more dynamic role than in large ensembles as each student has their own unique part, which requires faithful attendance by all members. The groups who have the most fun, make a great team, and have the most success are those that have consistent attendance and communicate with each other, their coach, and YC² staff about possible conflicts ahead of time.

    Understandably, individuals will have a conflict from time to time; however, YC² groups will still meet at their regularly scheduled time, provided at least two group members are able to attend.

    Before planning events which will cause your student to miss rehearsal, please consult the YC² calendar in case optional activities can be scheduled on weeks we are on hiatus.

  • Students pay annual tuition for participation in YC². Tuition covers only a portion of our expenses, and TRYPO and PYSO engage in annual fund-raising to cover the balance.

    2024 - 25 Full Season tuition rate: $550

    HOUSEHOLD/ENSEMBLE DISCOUNT: Households that have a child registered in PYSO or in a TRYPO large ensemble for 2023-24, may be eligible for a $100 household discount ($50 per semester).

    Tuition balance will be added to your TRYPO invoice after student's placement in a chamber group is confirmed in September. Families can opt to pay their tuition balance in full or via multiple automatic payments.

    TUITION ASSISTANCE: We offer a financial aid and scholarship program to assist deserving, eligible students. Financial aid and scholarship assistance are always available and it is easier than ever to ask for what you need. Families should not be discouraged from applying to YC² due to financial limitations. YC² is administrated by TRYPO, in partnership with PYSO. Both are 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations committed to keeping costs as low as possible without diminishing the quality or depth of programming, and ensuring that no deserving young musician be denied participation based on financial means.

    Visit our Tuition Assistance page for more information about scholarships.