South Bend Youth Symphony

The South Bend Youth Symphony Orchestras were founded as a joint venture between Robert Demaree, Dean of IUSB’s School of the Arts; Kenneth Geoffroy, Fine Arts Coordinator of the South Bend Community School Corporation; and Rocco Germano, also of the SBCSC, in 1968. Mr. Germano was the very first conductor of the SBYSO. The program began with just one orchestra, and expanded to two in the late 1990s. In the late 1960s, the schools were teaching strings and winds separately in an effort to give students a strong foundation. The Mission of the SBYSO was to complement these programs by also providing students the opportunity to work together in a full orchestra from early on in their musical education.