Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestras
Marc C. Thayer joined the Elgin Symphony Orchestra as CEO in July, 2021. Previously he was Executive Director of Symphony New Hampshire since 2016, and Executive Director of the Monteux School and Music Festival from 2018 to 2022. From 2011-2016 Marc served as the Deputy Director of the Association of American Voices (AV), a cultural diplomacy NGO with whom he performed and taught throughout the Middle East, Central and Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America. Marc taught at the annual American Arts Festival in Kurdistan, northern Iraq, and in Beirut, Lebanon, from 2007-2017. He co-managed the American Music Abroad Program for the US Department of State from 2011-2016 and served as a Cultural Envoy in Liberia in 2014 and 2015.
From 2002-2011 Marc worked as the Vice President for Education and Community Partnerships with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He also served as the Director of Strings at Washington University in St. Louis and at St. Louis University. Marc performed as a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, FL from 1995-1998 and founded their Education and Community Engagement Programs, which he managed from 1999-2002.
Marc has performed with the San Diego Symphony, Syracuse Symphony, Youngstown Symphony, the American Russian Young Artist Orchestra, the National Symphony of Bolivia, the Opera Festival of Heidelberg, Germany, the Orquesta Superior of Cordoba, Spain, the Baroque Festival of St. Savin in the Pyrenees and the International Festival of Art in Aix-en-Provence, France. Marc received Bachelors and Masters Degrees from the Eastman School of Music.
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Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestras
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The Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestras has a national reputation for providing not only an engaging musical experience for its students, but also a comprehensive learning environment which promotes curiosity, imagination, critical thinking, and collaboration. With six large ensembles, three small ensembles, and a thriving Chamber Music Institute, EYSO auditions record numbers of students each year in addition to the hundreds of musicians who already enjoy its rigorous methods of inquiry and "expert noticing." Under the leadership of Artistic Director Matthew Sheppard, a leader in music education, the students of EYSO explore a comprehensive curriculum each season—one which aims not only to help these students develop artistically and technically, but also to prepare them for a future of complex ideas, creative risk-taking, and leadership as global citizens. The dynamic and engaging rehearsals foster musical and personal growth as students develop into well-rounded and thoughtful communicators, and leaders in their sections, ensembles, schools, and communities. This thoughtful and attentive approach that is the hallmark of EYSO has led hundreds of alumni to successful careers as professional musicians, educators, and leaders in every field. It’s what we call “educating the whole musician”: preparing our students for a lifelong journey of inquiry, creativity and growth. Regardless of our alumni’s pursuits, their EYSO experience as a valued member of a thought-provoking, fair, and encouraging creative environment continues to serve them well. The Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestras would not exist today without the generous support of families, audience members, and donors. Your sponsorship of EYSO inspires artistry, confidence, and curiosity in hundreds of young musicians in the Chicago area. To learn more about the pedagogical approach that EYSO conductors and coaches use in delivering the EYSO mission please visit the Illinois Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) page.