Karl Kritz, Assistant Conductor with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, became Music Director.
PYSO made its home at Heinz Hall, at which it gives four free concerts a year, but it also undertakes international tours.
[3][4] Music Directors of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra were Stanley H. Levin (1945–1948), Karl Kritz (1954–1962), Herbert Grossman (1962–1963), Haig Yaghjian (1963–1965), Ronald Ondrejka (1965–1966), Phillip Spurgeon (1966–1969), Michael Semanitzky (1969–1976), Thomas Michalak (1976–1978), Victoria Bond (1978–1980), Michael Lankester (1980–1986), Andreas Delfs (1986–1988), Stephan Lano (1988–1991), Barbara Yahr (1991–1994), Arthur Post (1994–1997), Edward Cumming (1997–2002), Daniel Meyer (2002–2009), Lawrence Loh (2009–2015), Francesco Lecce-Chong (2015–2018), Earl Lee (2018-2021), and Jacob Joyce(2022-present).
[6] World Premieres have included John Anthony Lennon’s “Suite of Fables” (1991), Morton Gould’s “The Jogger and the Dinosaur” (1993), Morton Gould’s “Hosedown” (1995), David Stock’s “Clarinet Concerto” (2005), and John Harbison’s “Mary Lou” in 2009.
Prominent alumni include: Dale Clevenger (principal horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Joshua Gindele (cellist in the Miro Quartet), Todd Phillips and Daniel Phillips (violinists in the Orion String Quartet), Jesse Rosen (trombone player and Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the League of American Orchestras), and David Stock (trumpet player and composer).