South Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra

History

The South Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra (SSYO) began in the fall of 1976 under the leadership of Ernest Kassian. Kassian had led the Suzuki program in Regina since 1970 and was looking for an outlet for musicians graduating from that program.

Kassian began the SSYO at the Central Collegiate with 26 musicians. The orchestra later moved to Balfour Collegiate. The Orchestra expanded to 55 musicians by 1981 when it made its first major trip, traveling to Banff for the Canadian Festival of Youth Orchestras.

Dr. Howard Leyton-Brown was asked to take over the conducting role in 1983. Derek Inouye conducted both the Regina Symphony Orchestra and the SSYO from 1985-86, taking the SSYO to Japan and China in 1986. Kathryn Laurin succeeded Inouye as conductor from 1987-89.

The SSYO entered a new era in 1989 when Alan Denike became Conductor and Music Director. Under his leadership, the Orchestra has grown from 45 to as many as 80 musicians. He has led the Orchestra to Gold Medal performances at Festivals in Orlando (1991), Montréal (1995) and Chicago (2002). In August 2000, the SSYO was selected as the Host Orchestra for the Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Aberdeen, Scotland.

In May 2004 the SSYO participated on the Canadian Youth Orchestra Festival in Ottawa and in 2006, the SSYO traveled to Vienna, Austria for the International Youth Music Festival, where they earned a third place. From 2009-2019, the SSYO was regularly invited to the Youth Orchestra Symposium in Banff, Alberta, joining the Edmonton and Calgary Youth Orchestras.

In 2001, the SSYO added the expertise of Rudolf Sternadel as Assistant Music Director and Librarian. He became the music director as of the 2023-2024 season. In 2024, Rudolf Sternadel took the group on a tour of Spain and, as part of the Edeta Music Festival, the students had the opportunity to rehearse and perform with youth wind musicians from the Lliria Conservatory and youth string performers from Musica Temprana.

Membership in the SSYO is by audition. Many SSYO members have gone on to join the Regina Symphony Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and other professional orchestras across the country.

Over the years, the SSYO Directors have been:

Founding Director, Ernest Kassian 1977 - 1983
Dr. Howard Leyton-Brown 1983 - 1985
Derek Inouye 1985 - 1987
Kathryn Laurin 1987 - 1989
Alan Denike 1989 - 2023
Rudolf Sternadel 2023 - present

Donations

We know you have a lot of choices when it comes to donating, and we are so grateful that you chose to donate to our cause. We promise to be responsible stewards of both your donation and your trust.

If you wish to donate via Interac e-Transfer, please do the following:

Go to your online banking site and click on the link for sending an Interac e-Transfer.
Add "South Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra" as new recipient. Recipient's email is info@ssyo.com
To get a donation receipt, please provide your full name, address, phone number and email address, and indicate this is a donation in the space of a message.

Music Director - Rudolf Sterndel

Born in Prague, Rudolf Sternadel started violin lessons at the age of five. He completed his Bachelor of Music at the University of Toronto in 1991 under Prof. David Zafer. He then enrolled at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, where he studied violin with Prof. Václav Snítil and chamber music with Prof. Lubomír Kostecký of the Smetana Quartet.

During his stay in Europe, Rudolf also toured Germany and Italy as a member of the RIAS Jugendorchester, Berlin, and participated in several chamber music seminars.

Upon returning to Canada in 1993, he enrolled at the University of Toronto, completing his Master of Music degree in September 1994 under the tutelage of Prof. Loránd Fenyves. Until October 2000, he was involved in numerous freelance and chamber music activities in Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo.

Upon his moving to Regina in 2000, Rudolf was appointed the head of the Child / Parent String Program at the University of Regina Conservatory of Performing Arts, a role in which he served until 2015. His professional development includes Fall and Winter residencies at the Banff centre under the direction of Henk Guittart (2012), and the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute (June 2021).Rudolf has been a member of the Saskatchewan-based ensembles the Amati String Quartet (2012-2017), and the per Sonatori Baroque Ensemble (2008-2023).

Currently, he is head of the String Department at the University of Regina Conservatory of Performing Arts, Music Director of the South Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra, and member of the Regina Symphony Orchestra.

On the international scene, he has served as a faculty member at La Pellegrina Summer Music Courses since 2013, and recently joined the International Association for Music Education, both in the Czech Republic. Rudolf is committed to enriching the strings community in Regina and beyond. Through private teaching, coaching, and his leadership roles, he has contributed to developing the next generation of talented musicians.

Former Music Director - Alan Denike

Alan Denike was the Principal Bassoonist in the Regina Symphony Orchestra and the Regina Symphony Chamber Players from 1974 to 2017. He holds a Bachelor of Music Degree and a Performer’s Certificate in Bassoon Performance from the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, New York, and a Masters Degree in Conducting from the University of Regina.

Board of directors

Our board of directors holds monthly meetings throughout the school year. Currently, the members at large have vacant positions. If you would like to use your expertise to support the SSYO as a board member, please send us a form on the Contact page.

Board positions for 2024-2025 season

President
Member at Large
Membership Director
Publicity Director
Secretary
Social Media Director
Sponsorship
Treasurer