DECATUR, Ill. – The Decatur Youth Symphony Orchestra (DYSO) and a chamber orchestra of musicians from the Millikin Decatur Symphony Orchestra (MDSO) will be teaming up to present a concert of exciting symphonic music titled “Side by Side” at the Decatur Civic Center on Sunday, April 26th at 2 p.m.
The performance will include the “Suite from Pulcinella” by Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland’s popular “Variations on a Shaker Melody,” “Symphony Concertante” by Chevalier de St. George, and more. The concert is free and open to the public.
The concert is the culmination of the 2025-26 season of the DYSO, and students have had the opportunity to work with the professional musicians of the MDSO throughout the process
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our DYSO musicians to work with professional players and something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time,” said Dr. Neal Smith, Millikin Associate Professor of Winds & Music Education and DYSO Music Director.
The concert will follow a series of rehearsals during which the DYSO students will have the chance to work on the music alongside the MDSO musicians.
“There’s no better way to get better as a musician than by sitting next to an experienced performer and absorbing their sound and technique,” Smith said.
The DYSO Program is an extracurricular opportunity for young musicians to come together and develop their skills in a collaborative, multifaceted musical environment under the guidance of experienced music educators.
The program is offered through the Millikin Preparatory Department and includes students in grades 6-12 from 20 schools in the Decatur area. Students are selected by audition and meet at Millikin’s Kirkland Fine Arts Center on Monday evenings.
The DYSO is supported by the Symphony Orchestra Guild of Decatur and Millikin University.
For more information about the Decatur Youth Symphony Program or the performance, contact Dr. Neal Smith at (217) 424-6358, nsmith@millikin.edu.
