Spend the Holidays with the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra
- Lauren Arie
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
November 17, 2025 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FORT WORTH, TX — Celebrate the season with the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra (FWYO)! From timeless classics to joyful collaborations, our young musicians spread warmth and wonder across North Texas. Explore our lineup of holiday performances below and make the FWYO part of your festive traditions.
FREE! Holiday Jazz at the Square
December 5, 2025 at 6:00 PM – Sundance Square
Kick off the season’s festivities with FWYO’s Jazz Band performing holiday favorites in the heart of downtown Fort Worth.
Wind Ensembles Holiday Concert
December 6, 2025 at 4:30 PM – Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU
Join FWYO’s Junior Wind Ensemble and Wind Ensemble for a festive program of holiday favorites and spirited selections to celebrate the season.
Jazz for Toys for Tots
December 6, 2025 at 7:30 PM – Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU
Swing into the Holidays with FWYO Jazz and the local Ken Ebo Jazz Orchestra! This special partnership with the U.S. Marines and Toys for Tots brings a spirited jazz performance. Bring a new, unwrapped toy in lieu of a ticket and enjoy an evening of music to benefit children in need.
String Orchestras Holiday Concert
December 7, 2025 at 1:30 PM – Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU
Celebrate the season with FWYO’s String Orchestra and Junior String Orchestra in a joyful program of holiday music.
Philharmonic Orchestra Holiday Performance
December 7, 2025 at 3:15 PM – Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU
FWYO’s Philharmonic Orchestra spreads holiday cheer with a fun-filled program featuring Christmas Carol-oke and the classic Sleigh Ride.
Holiday Spectacular!
December 7, 2025 at 6:00 PM and 7:45 PM – Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU
FWYO’s beloved holiday tradition returns—this year as a double feature due to popular demand! Enjoy two festive performances filled with seasonal favorites from multiple ensembles, joined by Fort Worth Kantorei, directed by Maritza Caceres, and the Nimitz High School Choir, directed by Candice Maughan.
Celebrate the season as Ballet Frontier’s professional dancers join FWYO’s Youth Orchestra for The Nutcracker. This special collaboration blends live orchestral music with world-class ballet, creating a magical experience for audiences of all ages.
FREE! Fall Chamber Recital – December 12, 2025 – Kimbell Art Museum
FWYO’s chamber musicians present an intimate program in one of Fort Worth’s most iconic settings. This year marks the debut of chamber groups formed by principal players from the Youth Orchestra, promising performances of exceptional artistry.
FREE! Suzuki Winter Concert – December 16, 2025 – Orchestra Hall
FWYO’s youngest musicians take center stage in this joyful group concert, showcasing the progress and enthusiasm of the organization’s Suzuki program students.
About FWYO:
Celebrating 60 years of extraordinary music education during the 2024-2025 season, the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra has won local, national, and international recognition as one of the finest youth orchestra programs in the United States. Through ten programs - including four major orchestras, two wind ensembles, a jazz band, Early Childhood Music, FWYO Suzuki School, and chamber programs - the FWYO delivers high-quality musical instruction to nearly 500 students ranging in age from four to eighteen years, representing communities throughout North Texas.
Founded by a community group headed by Betty Utter and under the direction of conductors Ezra Rachlin and John Giordano, the FWYO was founded to promote and inspire the continuing development of musical talent in qualified area youth through intensive education in classical orchestral rooted music and performance. The programs offer students the opportunity to further develop their talent as well as their leadership skills, self-discipline, confidence, and pride in personal achievement. Many of the nearly 20,000 alumni of the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra program have gone on to become members of major symphony orchestras, music educators, or leaders in their fields.
The Orchestra's accomplishments include international concert tours in Europe, Mexico, Canada, and the Far East; music festivals in Switzerland and Washington, D.C.; and numerous other concert appearances across Texas and the Southwest. Its most recent tour in 2024 was to Spain with performances in Barcelona, Valencia, and Cullera. The Youth Orchestra has also been honored to perform with artists such as Van Cliburn, Jose Feghali, Yakov Kasman, Tamàs Ungàr, and John Owings, and composers Morton Gould and Samuel Adler. In 2021, the FWYO also received 2nd in the Youth Orchestra Division of the prestigious American Prize and 3rd place in the 2024 American Prize. The Wind Ensemble also won 1st place in the American Prize Youth Band division in 2024.
Under the leadership of Music Director Dr. Germán Gutiérrez since 2000 and Executive Director Andrew Reynolds since 2021, the FWYO has become one of North Texas’ most prestigious performing arts organizations. In addition to its educational programs, the FWYO owns and operates historic Orchestra Hall, located in Foster Park, which has been home to numerous performing arts organizations since 1975.
Press Inquiries: Lauren Arie - larie@fwyo.org / 817-923-3121 x18
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