This 120-member string orchestra, most of whose members are in grades 6-9, studies a wide variety of repertoire. Each spring, selected wind, brass, and percussion players from Junior Wind Ensemble are invited to join the string players of the Sinfonia to make a full orchestra called the Junior Symphony Orchestra.  This ensemble performs repertoire for full symphony orchestra on the same MYSO Spring Concert as the Junior Wind Ensemble. 

Sinfonia Music Director

Steven Rindt

Mr. Rindt has worked in the MYSO program as a conductor and coach since 1985, serving as a MYSO String Orchestra music director for a number of those years. An alum of the MFY/MYSO program, Mr. Rindt received his BMusEd Degree from UW-Milwaukee and his Master's Degree in music performance/string pedagogy from UW-Madison. 2009-2010 is Mr. Rindt’s first season as the new director of the UW-Whitewater Chamber Orchestra and new Associate Director of Orchestras at New Berlin Eisenhower. 2009 marks Mr. Rindt’s retirement as director of orchestras at NathanHaleHigh School and Hoover and MadisonElementary Schools in the West AllisSchool District and post Director of Orchestra at MarquetteUniversity. Since 2000, Mr. Rindt has also served as a conductor of the Junior Orchestra and as a member of the string education faculty at the renowned Interlochen Arts Camp. In 2001, Mr. Rindt received the Music Teacher of the Year Award from the Civic Music Association of Milwaukee, and in 2006, received the Music Teacher of the Year Award from Classical Music Station WFMR. Mr. Rindt can also be heard in the Milwaukee area performing as a freelance bassist.

Coach

Ben Mather

Violinist Ben Mather was a member of MYSO for four years, graduating in 2007, and currently attends UW-Milwaukee. We are happy to have him back this year as Coach for String Orchestra-Central.