2025-2026 Concert Season

Courtney Yeates

Guest Conducting the Prescott Symphony & Youth Orchestras

Courtney Yeates is a dynamic music educator, conductor, and multi-instrumentalist with over two decades of experience. A Grammy-nominated educator and two-time Teacher of the Year, she has taught more than 3,000 students and led ensembles to national recognition, including an invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall in 2020.

Classically trained yet creatively forward-thinking, Courtney has performed internationally and collaborated with Grammy- and Emmy-winning artists, creating meaningful opportunities for her students to engage in high-level, real-world musical experiences. She is deeply committed to building community through orchestral education, private instruction, and collaborative music-making.

She currently serves as Music Director and Conductor of the Prescott Pops Youth Orchestra and Co-Founder and Co-Conductor of the Sedona Community & Youth Orchestra. In addition to her leadership roles, she maintains an active private studio and performs regularly as a violinist with the Prescott Pops Orchestra and as a cellist with the Sedona Symphony.

Prescott Youth Orchestra

Performing “Apocalyptic” by Anton Bruckner and “Dance of the Tumblers (from Snow Maiden)” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

The PYO is a string orchestra for students in grades 4-12 who want to learn, or who already play, violin, viola, cello or bass. The goal is to support local schools in their endeavor to create thriving music programs by providing the opportunity for students to play together after school. The PYO students receive teaching and mentorship from members of the Prescott Symphony Orchestra organization.

Students are encouraged to support their school orchestras.  Exceptional PYO high schoolers can also continue on to play in the Prescott Pops Symphony, where they will continue to receive mentorship from professional musicians. The dream is to make the Prescott area a haven for string players of all ages.

Antonin Dvořák

Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”

Our performance of Symphony #9 “From the New World” is in celebration of 250 years of American Liberty.

Born on September 9, 1841 near Prague in what is now the Czech Republic, Antonin Dvořák was the first of 14 children. After studying violin at an early age, he also learned piano and organ.  Although he began composing in his twenties, he remained unknown outside of Prague for many years. His international recognition began in 1877, when he won the Austrian State Prize competition for composition.  One of the judges was Johannes Brahms, who admired Dvořák’s music and helped promote his career.  Soon afterwards, Dvořák composed his hugely successful Slavonic Dances which were modeled after Brahms’ Hungarian Dances.

The symphony is in four movements. Each has its own distinctive character:
 First movement – fast, but quite serious and dramatic
Second movement – slow and expressive
Third movement – a dance
Fourth movement – fast and lively