Reaching and Inspiring Youth through Music: To enrich the current
and future lives of Conejo Valley youth, of all ages, aspirations
and levels, through a unique musical experience, while also developing
key life skills in a setting of mutual respect, learning and fun.
CVYO
Board of Directors
| CVYO Staff
Bill Benson
Artistic Director/Conductor
In addition
to his responsibilities as Artistic Director and Conductor for the
Conejo Valley Youth Orchestras, Bill Benson is a member of the applied
music faculty at Moorpark College, freelance musician (double bassist),
teacher, adjudicator and conductor throughout Southern California.
He is a 1976 graduate of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana
and holds a degree in Music Education with Master’s credit
in conducting with Jackson Wiley, Butler University, Indianapolis,
Indiana and Elizabeth Green, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Mr. Benson has been conducting youth orchestras since 1974 and has
held numerous positions as youth orchestra conductor throughout
the Midwest. His youth orchestra work began in southern California
in 1992 as coach for the Conejo Youth Symphony where, after the
transition to the Conejo Valley Youth Orchestra, he created a string-feeder
program. Upon the retirement of Mrs. Carol Alexander in 1999, Maestro
Benson accepted the position of Artistic Director/Conductor of the
Conejo Valley Youth Orchestras. In June 2002, Mr. Benson was honored
to receive the Encore Statue Award representing Excellence in the
Arts, from the Thousand Oaks Arts Commission.
bb@cvyo.com
Bill Benson
Karen Sanchez
Youth Strings Director & Associate Conductor
Mrs. Sanchez
is a graduate of the California State University, Long Beach where
she majored in viola. She works as a freelance musician and teacher
throughout Southern California. Mrs. Sanchez is in her 6th year
as Youth Strings Director and is an extremely important asset to
the youth orchestra program. She has a special ability to motivate
and train young string players. Her kind and caring approach to
young musicians produces a very high quality of music education.
Her students excel and strive for excellence while learning and
having fun. Karen is the wife of a California firefighter, has two
sons and a daughter and resides in Newbury Park.
ks@cvyo.com
Karen Sanchez
The Orchestras
The Conejo Valley Youth Orchestra
was founded in 1961 by Betty Bowen, at California Lutheran
University, Thousand Oaks, California. Since 1961, changes in
public school funding and philosophy, regarding music education,
have changed dramatically. Very few schools now offer an orchestra
as part of their music curriculum.
Our program continues to develop
and enhance the music education of local students and to provide
symphonic orchestral music experience as a supplement to music
education in the schools. We collaborate with like organizations
such as the Conejo Civic Ballet, the Los Robles Children’s Choir
and the Moorpark College Jazz Ensemble to promote performing arts
for young people and present performance opportunities which are
generally not available to music students in our community. Over
the years, many of our students have gone on to pursue music
career goals at some of the premier music schools in the country.
In addition to our long-time
support from CLU, CVYO has now also forged a new relationship with
Westminster Presbyterian Church in Westlake Village, California.
The Church graciously provides its beautiful facilities to CVYO
for our rehearsals and meetings. Through the generous support of
WPC we have been able to accommodate the significant growth that
has occurred in the organization over the past few years. CVYO now
enrolls over 250 students within our orchestral programs. Students
range in age from 5 to 21, representing communities from Ventura
and Los Angeles counties. There are currently 3 levels available:
Conejo Valley Youth Strings, Conejo Valley Preparatory Youth
Orchestra and Conejo Valley Youth Orchestra. The orchestras
rehearse weekly from September through June.
Conejo
Valley Youth Strings
This is our entry level program.
Designed to develop basics, such as technique, listening skills,
following a conductor and learning to perform with an ensemble.
Generally 85 to 100 students.
Conejo
Valley Preparatory Youth Orchestra
This is the intermediate level
group. Music with a higher degree of technical demands is selected
and adds woodwinds, brass and percussion.
Generally 75 to 100 students.
Conejo
Valley Youth Orchestra
This orchestra is comprised of
our most advanced musicians. They perform major, original scores
by such masters as Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Bach. A selected
group of musicians from this orchestra will also perform with the
Chamber Orchestra. Generally 90 to 100 students.
Intern Program
The intern program provides
part-time employment opportunity for music career-bound high
school seniors and college students to gain practical, teaching
and administrative skills in all aspects of developing and
maintaining a symphony orchestra.
The Conejo Valley Youth
Orchestras have experienced incredible growth in the last 7 years
and have nearly tripled in size. It continues to be self-directed
and funded as a non-profit organization. Financial support comes
from student tuition, fundraisers, donations, corporate/municipal
foundation grants, ticket sales and in kind.
The Conejo Valley Youth
Orchestras is a DBA ("doing business as"). We are a
non-profit organization operating under the corporate name "CONEJO
OAKS SYMPHONY INC". If you need further information
regarding our IRS status please call Bill Benson at 805-523-8045.
