About Us

Our goals…..

• To strive for musical excellence through the performance and in-depth study of repertoire of the highest educational and artistic quality
• To give young musicians the opportunity to reach their maximum potential
• To offer a fun, memorable and inspirational musical experience
• To provide a opportunity for all aspiring young musicians, regardless of gender, race, physical ability or economic status.
• To encourage students to develop self-esteem, leadership, responsibility, commitment, cooperation and discipline
• To support our community through free public concerts presenting the timeless beauty of classical music

Organization

North Sound Youth Symphony is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. Our board of directors consist of parents of current NSYS students, alumni of NSYS, and community members.

While our rehearsals and concerts take place at Western Washington University’s Performing Arts Center, we are a wholly independent organization.

Tuition accounts for approximately 70% of our operating budget. The remainder comes from donations from concert attendees, sponsors and businesses.

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Directors

Grant Donnellan, Symphony Director

Professor of violin and string pedagogy at Western Washington University and concertmaster of the Whatcom Symphony. Grant holds a Master of Music degree and Performance Certificate from the Yale School of Music. He has performed in European tours and on recordings as a member of the American Sinfonietta. As a conductor, he has directed the Whatcom Symphony, the WWU Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, the Ferndale Summer Pops Orchestra and numerous State Honor Orchestras. Grant is also Director of Western’s Chamber Days summer chamber music camp.

Rebekah Hood-Sava, Philharmonia Director

Rebekah Hood-Sava has over twenty-five years of experience teaching strings privately at the middle school, high school, and community college level, and eleven years of teaching orchestra in the classroom. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from The Hartt School in Connecticut and a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Longy School of Music in Massachusetts. She has performed as an orchestral and chamber musician throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, and now Washington State. In northern California, she also founded the Veridian Symphony and String Quartet, which she artistically directed for ten years. Rebekah has released two albums of original compositions of layered cello, which are available on Bandcamp or any streaming services. More info is available at rebekahhoodsava.com.

Photography Credits

Photographs in the NSYS website are taken by Thai Blair and other volunteers.