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Our History
For Howard Pence, a Lexington area music teacher, the dream began in 1947
with 14 local high school string players. Pence was hoping to
 provide
quality learning and performance opportunities for talented young musicians
and, in turn, to bring cultural enrichment to audiences throughout the state
and country. With the help of Thornton Scott, Chester Travelstead and eleven
other dedicated citizens, Howard Pence realized his dream as his 14 string
players grew to 49 players and a full Youth Symphony Orchestra in 1949. By
following his dream, Pence created one of the oldest, independently
chartered youth orchestras in the United States.
With each passing decade this dream has continued to flourish and grow, as
the Youth Music Society of Central Kentucky became the Central Kentucky
Youth Orchestras, today consisting of four orchestras and over 310 talented
young people. For CKYO, the many young musicians who have been its members and the community who has steadfastly supported it the last 61 years
represent a journey of incredible experiences and spectacular achievements.
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Among the
milestones reached by CKYO over the last 61 years:
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2008 Spain/Portugal
Tour
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2005
Central Europe Tour
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2002
Italy Tour, Rome, Lucca, Teatro Verdi, Cortona
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1999
Performance Tour, 11 days in Paris, Brugge, Dunkerque and London
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1996
Performance, Kentucky Music Educators Association Conference,
Louisville, Kentucky
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1993
Performance, Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic,
Chicago, Illinois
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1979
Performance Tour, three weeks throughout the Soviet Union and
Romania at the invitation of the Friendship Ambassadors
Foundation
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1972
Performance, Mid East Instrumental Music Conference, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania
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1970
Performance, Memorial Arts Center, Atlanta, Georgia
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1968
Performance, State Department Concert Series, Washington, D.C.
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1963
Performance, Youth Concerts for Young People, White House Lawn
(April 22)
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1958
Performance, Silver Anniversary conference, Violin and Cello
Teachers' Guild, Carnegie Hall
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1957
Exhibits and recordings sent to represent U.S. youth at Brussels
World Fair
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1953
Performance, American String Teachers Association conference,
Cincinnati, Ohio
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