East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra
The East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra is a program of The Conservatory of Central Illinois. ECIYO is organized to provide a high-quality orchestral experience to young musicians and an opportunity to explore a variety of original orchestral repertoire, develop rehearsal skills, improve sight-reading and enhance musicianship with other students from the region. Participation in ECIYO enriches the musical experience and education of its members and complements other ensemble activities in which students may be involved. A program of Honors Chamber Ensembles includes the ECIYO String Quartet, Wind Quintet and Brass Quintet.
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Led by Music Director Kevin Kelly, the orchestra rehearses on a weekly basis throughout the academic year, presenting several concerts annually. ECIYO and its chamber ensembles have performed in area communities, including Paxton, Monticello, Villa Grove, Mahomet and Charleston. The orchestra has played side-by-side with the Bohemian Chamber Philharmonic of the Czech Republic, The Prairie Ensemble, Eastern Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Illinois State University Symphony Orchestra, University of Illinois Philharmonia and the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra. In the Fall of 2011, the ECIYO strings were featured with Dan Zanes at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. The East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra has been honored by the Illinois Council of Orchestras as Youth Orchestra of the Year. The group was selected as a featured youth orchestra performing at the Illinois Music Educators Association Conference in January 2022.
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​During the 2024-25 season, the ECIYO performed at the FusionFest: Lunar New Year Celebration as well as with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra in a side-by-side performance. Both performances were held in the Foellinger Great Hall at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
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Alumni of ECIYO have gone on to pursue professional musical careers with organizations such as the Boston Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, United States Coast Guard Band and the JACK Quartet.
Kevin Kelly
Music Director
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Kevin Kelly has conducted the East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra since 1993. In 1996, he founded The Prairie Ensemble, a uniquely entertaining professional chamber orchestra with a mission to “make first-rate music fun, approachable and affordable.” Mr. Kelly has been honored four times by the Illinois Council of Orchestras for his work with the Ensemble. After 13 years as a classical music host at public radio station WILL-FM, he served as host and producer of “Live and Local,” which featured interviews with, and frequent live performances by, local and visiting artists across many musical genres, plus theater and dance. He was for 17 years the choirmaster at Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal Church in Champaign and was for many years active in musical theater with the Illini Union Board and the Champaign-Urbana Theatre Company. Mr. Kelly moved to the northwest Chicago suburbs in 2014 and commutes to Urbana on Sundays to work with the ECIYO.
In the fall of 2015, Mr. Kelly became Artistic Director of the Allegro Community Chorus, a program of the Palatine Park District, and served for four years as Conductor at the Lake County Núcleo of Sistema Ravinia, an outreach program of the Ravinia Festival. He was Artistic Director of the Northwest Choral Society from 2018 to 2020 and became Artistic Director of the Sing to Live Community Chorus in 2021 and of its successor, Voices of Hope Community Chorus, in 2023. He is Interim Music Director of the Naperville Chorus for the 2025-2026 season.
Mr. Kelly holds bachelor’s degrees in English and music history and criticism from Northwestern University, and master’s degrees in orchestral and choral conducting from the University of Illinois. He has studied conducting with Kenneth Kiesler, Paul Vermel, Victor Yampolsky, Harold Farberman, Kirk Trevor and Emil Simon.
Auditions
Auditions are held each Spring. Supplemental auditions may be held in the Fall and throughout the season for instruments of need. ​Returning members must re-audition each year.​​ Violinists must complete a seating audition prior to the season in addition to their initial acceptance audition.
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Fall auditions for all instruments, except for percussion, will be held on Saturday, September 6 at The Conservatory of Central Illinois. Percussion auditions will be held on Sunday, September 14 prior to our first rehearsal at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. We are currently accepting applicants for the following instruments:
Violin
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Note: Accepted violinists will also need to complete the violin seating audition on Sunday, September 7. Audition materials for the seating audition will be distributed upon registration.
Viola
Cello
Bass
Bassoon
Horn
Trumpet
Trombone
Tuba
Percussion
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Note: Percussionists must supply their own sticks/mallets. Percussion auditions will be held prior to the first rehearsal on September 14 at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
Please see the links below for audition requirements and the audition registration form. If you have any questions, please email us at eciyo.cci@gmail.com or call The Conservatory office at 217-356-9812.
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Information and Policies
Rehearsal Schedule
ECIYO rehearses from 3-5pm nearly every Sunday during September-May with some exceptions for holidays and school breaks. Most rehearsals are held in the Orchestra Rehearsal Room at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts but location may vary due to space availability. A rehearsal schedule with specific locations is distributed at the beginning of each semester. The first rehearsal for the 2025-26 season will be September 14.
​Performances​
ECIYO performs 2 full concerts at Smith Memorial Hall each season along with the Annual Playathon fundraiser performance at Lincoln Square Mall in early Spring. Additional performance opportunities may be added to the schedule.
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2025-26 Performance Dates
Winter Concert: Sunday, January 18, 2026, Smith Memorial Hall
Playathon: Date TBD, Lincoln Square Mall
Spring Concert: Sunday, May 10, 2026, Smith Memorial Hall​
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Concerto Competition
A concerto competition is held each Spring that is open to all orchestra members and is adjudicated by local professional musicians. The winner has the opportunity to perform their piece with the orchestra at the Spring concert.
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Attendance
Attendance is mandatory at all rehearsals, dress rehearsals and performances. Students are allowed 2 excused absences per semester and will submit an absence request form with planned absences. Additional excused absences will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by Mr. Kelly.
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Tuition & Financial Assistance
​Tuition is announced at the beginning of each season. For the 2024-25 season, tuition was $750. Financial assistance is available by application.
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Questions?
If you have any questions about the ECIYO program, please contact us by email at eciyo.cci@gmail.com or call The Conservatory office at 217-356-9812.