Union Symphony Youth Orchestra
Overview
A program of Union Symphony Society, Inc. for music students of the greater Union County area of North Carolina interested in the study and performance of orchestral repertoire.
Our mission is to:
- Provide the youth of the greater Union County area a quality orchestral music education through the performance of classical music,
- Educate the community as to the importance of artistic expression in today’s youth and the appreciation of classical music’s positive influence on culture and
- Work in cooperation with the Union Symphony Orchestra to enrich the artistic future of Union County and its citizens.
Support Us
As a non-profit organization, we rely on the generous support of our donors to continue bringing music to audiences in the Charlotte Metro Region. Your contribution helps us to fund our events, support aspiring musicians, bring in guest performers, and offer educational programs for young people. Donate today and help us to continue sharing the magic of symphonic music locally.
Sabrina Howard, Music Director
A violinist and veteran teacher, Sabrina E. Howard is the director of orchestras at Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte, NC, where she teaches students in the fifth though twelfth grades. She also currently serves on the faculty of Wingate University as an adjunct educator, teaching string methods classes and studio lessons. She is currently in her twelfth season as the music/educational director for the Union Symphony Youth Orchestra. This orchestra is for high school students across the Charlotte metro/Union County area looking for an additional full orchestra experience. Mrs. Howard previously served as the director of orchestras at Mt. Tabor High School and Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Winston-Salem. She also taught at Independence High School and South Charlotte Middle School in Charlotte and at Eastside High School, Greenville Middle School and Northwood Middle School in Greenville, SC. During her thirty-six-year career, Mrs. Howard’s orchestras have received superior ratings at both state and regional competitions, and they have performed in Atlanta, Chicago, Orlando, Williamsburg, Washington D.C., and Toronto, Canada.
Mrs. Howard earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1989 and the Master of Music Education degree from the University of South Carolina in 1994. She has served as the chair of the Orchestra Division for the North Carolina Music Educators Association, served as chairperson for the Western Region Orchestra from 2006-2016 and in 2005 achieved National Board Certification. In 2007, she was named North Carolina’s Western Regional Orchestra Director of the Year.
In 2012, she was selected as the Charlotte Latin School’s Flemm award winner for outstanding teaching and in 2022 she was recognized by the NC Music Educators Association with a Lifetime Achievement Award. She also has served as guest clinician/conductor and adjudicator in both North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia for All-County, All-District and Regional orchestras. Her professional memberships include the National Association for Music Education and the American Strings Teachers Association. As a professional musician, Mrs. Howard has performed with the Meridian Symphony (Mississippi); Port City Symphony (Mobile, Alabama); Greenville Symphony (South Carolina); Asheville Symphony (North Carolina); and the Union Symphony Orchestra (Monroe, North Carolina). Mrs. Howard resides in Matthews, NC and has one son, a collie and a very grumpy cat.
Jonathan Sullivan, First Violin Coach
Mr. Sullivan, a graduate of the University of South Carolina, moved to Charlotte in 1995 where he began working at West Mecklenburg High School and Coulwood STEM Academy. And 29 years later, he is still teaching at the same schools. Mr. Sullivan has taught many students during that time. His goal for his students is for them to become lifelong lovers of music where music will always be a part of their lives.
Before coming to Charlotte, Mr. Sullivan taught in Greenville, South Carolina his hometown. When he arrived in Charlotte in 1995, not only did he start teaching in the public school system, Mr. Sullivan also started playing in regional symphonies. Some of the symphonies or orchestras in the region that he participated in includes the Charlotte Philharmonic Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony, Western Piedmont Symphony, Asheville Symphony and Union Symphony Orchestra.
In addition, Mr. Sullivan has served as guest orchestra clinician in both North and South Carolina. In Charlotte, he was a guest clinician at Northwest School of the Arts and East Mecklenburg High School. He was also selected by CMS orchestra teachers to be the conductor of the CMS Middle School Honors Orchestra Festival in 2022. Mr. Sullivan said that he likes the adrenalin rush of being in a new environment with unfamiliar students working together creating and making music where many people become one.
Over the years, Mr. Sullivan has had many students who have participated in auditioned orchestras like the CMS Honors Orchestra and Junior/Senior Western Regional Orchestras. Currently, Mr. Sullivan is the 1st violin coach for the Union Symphony Youth Orchestra (USYO). A post he has held for 10 years.
In his Leisure, Mr. Sullivan enjoys watching movies, sports, and reading. He also loves fishing, but the one of the things that he loves the most of all is the opportunity relax and take it easy because it seems to be a rarity these days.