I've been in BYO since I was 8 years old, starting in Preludio Strings. Now, I'm in Repertory Orchestra playing full symphonies and loving every second of it—I couldn't have done it without the guidance of our amazing conductors!

As a founding board member and parent along with my husband, John Kirk, we have always been passionate about education and music making. Our vision for the Billings Youth Orchestra was to provide an additional opportunity for orchestra students to participate in a group of like-minded peers who wanted more orchestra playing. We started the BYO not knowing its trajectory and now it has taken on a life beyond our initial vision due to the commitment and dedication of many to maintain a high level playing opportunity for orchestra students in the Billings area.