Staff

William C. White, Music Director — director@hpys.org

2007-2008 marks William White's third season as music director of the Hyde Park Youth Symphony. Mr. White is currently the music director of the University of Chicago Chamber Orchestra and director of choirs at the Union Church of Hinsdale, IL. He has also served as the music director of the Presbyterian Church of Barrington, IL and the Wildwood Summer Theater. While a student at the University of Chicago, he directed the first performances of several of his own compositions, and has played viola in the U of C Symphony for six years.

Dan McDonald, Intermediate Orchestra/String Coach

Mr. McDonald coaches the string sections of the Senior Orchestra and directs the Intermediate Orchestra. In his ninth year on our staff, he teaches violin and viola in Hyde Park as well as chemistry at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. He is a founding member of the University Trio and is principal violist of the DuPage Symphony.

John Tredon, Junior Strings

John Tredon is the new director of the Junior Strings. He is a professional violinist with over 30 years teaching and performing experience. John has played with the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, Tucson Symphony, Northwest Indiana Orchestra and the Illinois Philharmonic. A member of Music Teachers of Hyde Park since its inception, Mr. Tredon has been an active private teacher in the neighborhood since 1985.

Brynn Lyerly, Wind Coach

Currently in her second year of law school, Brynn has enjoyed playing the flute since elementary school. She grew up in North Carolina, where she studied with Mark Thomas. She received her bachelors degree from Northwestern University in 2005, where she was active in the music program. She is currently a member of the University Symphony Orchestra at the University of Chicago, and she studies flute with Kim Sopata.

Contact Information

Will White, Music Director - director@hpys.org or 847.651.5055

Joyce Norman, General Manager - 773.562.2369

Mary Naftzger, President Board of Directors - 773.373.7805

History

The Hyde Park Youth Symphony has its antecedents in the 1950s when the living room of Claire Depres Oppenheim (pictured here) became too small to contain the chamber ensemble of her string students. Claire, a Hyde Park resident for most of her life, began teaching string and piano lessons in the neighborhood during the 1940s. In October of 1955, Claire and a group of interested Hyde Park parents started the Children's Symphony Orchestra of Chicago, directed by Charles R. Buckley.

Always eager to give her students the best possible ensemble experiences, Claire Oppenheim founded two additional groups. First, the Hyde Park Youth Chamber Orchestra (founded in 1971) was formally incorporated in 1978. She launched a third group, the Youth String Sinfonia, in 1982. These two groups merged in 1984 to form the Hyde Park Youth Sinfonia. 'Sinfonia' was changed to 'Symphony' in 1995, a year after Claire's death at the age of 84.