Sinfonietta Orchestra

Membership Requirements

Membership in the Austin Youth Sinfonietta Orchestra is open to all interested students in grade 6 and above who qualify through the audition process. String students from schools with orchestra programs must be a member in good standing in their school orchestra. Wind and percussion students must be members in good standing in their school band programs. Membership in the AYO program is contingent upon return of the membership acceptance form with the school orchestra/band director's signature verifying that the student is a member in good standing in the school orchestra/band program and payment of the tuition fee.

Rachel Horvitz

Rachel Horvitz received her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of Texas at Austin in 2001. While at UT she studied under distinguished cello professor Phyllis Young and regularly performed with the UT Cello Choir and the UT Symphony along with instructing various ensembles in the UT String Project. Currently Ms. Horvitz is in her thirteenth year as the Hill Country Middle School Orchestra Director in Eanes ISD, located in Austin, Texas. During her tenure at HCMS, her ensembles have consistently received UIL Sweepstakes awards and in addition, the Sinfonia Orchestra has been recognized as Outstanding in Class, both as a string and full orchestra ensemble at the Director’s Choice Alamo Showcase. Under her leadership at HCMS, student membership in string orchestra at the campus level significantly increased along with the creation in 2011 of the highly successful Full Orchestra program. In 2017, the Hill Country Middle School Full Orchestra was named the Texas Music Educators Association Full Honor Orchestra and prepared a featured performance at the annual TMEA convention in San Antonio followed by an invitation to perform at the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in December.

Now in her twentieth year of teaching middle school orchestra in the Austin public schools, she has participated as an instructor for the Longhorn Music Camp, Austin Chamber Music Center, and Classical Music for the World and serves as a clinician and adjudicator throughout Central Texas. In 2013 she earned a Masters in Secondary Education from Texas State University as part of the Partnership for Teacher Excellence Program sponsored by the Eanes Education Foundation. Ms. Horvitz has dedicated much of her free time to performing in local orchestras and chamber groups including Temple Symphony and Musical Discovery Chamber Players. She is currently in her third season as conductor of the Austin Youth Orchestra Sinfonietta Orchestra. Her professional memberships include Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Orchestra Directors Association and Texas Music Adjudicators Association.

Email : MsHorvitz@AustinYouthOrchestra.org

Rehearsals

The Sinfonietta Orchestra rehearses on Monday evenings of the fall and spring semesters, 7:15 - 8:30 P.M. at O.Henry Middle School.