Southeast Indiana Youth Orchestra Celebrates 10 Years of Music Education

To celebrate the milestone, SEIYO will present a 10th Anniversary Concert on Saturday, April 18.

(Greendale, Ind.) - The Southeast Indiana Youth Orchestra (SEIYO) is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026, marking a decade of providing string music education and orchestral performance opportunities for students across Southeast Indiana and the Tri-State area.

SEIYO is directed by Crystal Kessen Powers, who holds a B.A. in Violin Performance and Music Education (K–12) and is a certified Suzuki teacher. Under her leadership, the program has helped young musicians develop strong musical foundations while fostering a love of ensemble performance.

Founded in 2016 with just eight students, SEIYO was created to give young string players in the region the opportunity to learn and perform in an orchestra, something that was not locally available otherwise. Over the past decade, the program has grown to serve students of various ages and experience levels.

To celebrate the milestone, SEIYO will present a 10th Anniversary Concert on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Greendale. The community is invited to attend and celebrate the accomplishments of the orchestra’s young musicians. As part of this special event, the orchestra will premiere a commissioned piece, River’s Edge Suite, composed by Cincinnati-area composer Paul West in honor of SEIYO’s 10th anniversary.

SEIYO offers affordable tuition as well as an instrument rental program that includes violins, violas, cellos, and basses, helping make music education accessible to more families. Students ages eight and older are welcome to participate, including beginners who are new to orchestral playing, and SEIYO is currently inviting new members to join for the Fall 2026 semester.

SEIYO will also offer a summer program open to musicians of all ages and experience levels, featuring all orchestral instruments, not only strings. Practice dates and times are to be determined.

Programs like SEIYO offer more than musical training - research shows that students who learn and perform music often experience improvements in memory, academic performance, discipline, and teamwork.

Families interested in learning more about SEIYO, attending the anniversary concert, enrolling a student, or receiving additional information about the summer program may contact the organization at seiyorch@gmail.com.

More information is available at www.seiyouthorchestra.org or on the SEIYO Facebook page.