New conductor named for central Wisconsin youth symphony

The Central Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra Program (CWYSOP) has a new music director/Symphony Orchestra conductor, Stephan Wucherer.

Wucherer joined the Central Wisconsin Youth Symphony Program as the director of the Philharmonia the summer prior to its first season in the autumn of 2014. He is currently part of the orchestra staff for the Howard-Suamico School District. For the past seven years he has taught at Lineville Intermediate School, and this fall he joins the music department at Bay Port High School as director of the string orchestras.

Prior to Howard-Suamico, Wucherer taught with the Oshkosh Area School District for 10 years as a middle school orchestra director and spent several years as the coordinator for the Elementary Strings Program. For the past 15 years, he has also directed groups at the Rock Infused Orchestra String camp in Neenah as conductor and cello coach, with a focus on non-traditional music.

CWYSOP invites young musicians of all instruments from central Wisconsin to participate in this educational and performance experience serving student musicians in grades 6 – 12. After a two-year hiatus, the full program will resume this fall. Students have the rare opportunity to receive sectional coaching from UW-Stevens Point music education majors as well as master classes from UW-Stevens Point Music Department and Aber Suzuki Center faculty.

Wucherer received his bachelor of music in cello performance at UW-Oshkosh and master of music at Butler University, Indianapolis. He also holds a master’s of education from Marian University, Fond du Lac.

He has performed for nearly 30 years with many orchestras throughout the state including the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra, The Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra, and The Water City Chamber Orchestra. Wucherer also was director of the Waupaca Area Orchestra for three years.

“I am very excited to be stepping into this new position with CWYSOP,” said Wucherer. “I love working with young musicians, and I know we will enjoy making music together.”

Founded in partnership with the UW-Stevens Point Music Department, Aber Suzuki Center, UW-Stevens Point Continuing Education, and music educators in central Wisconsin, CWYSOP has extensive connections with nationally renowned faculty in state-of-the-art facilities of the Noel Fine Arts Center on the UW-Stevens Point campus. Its membership includes more than 100 students from a five-county region.

To learn more about CWSYOP and to register, visit https://bit.ly/3NvDJal or call 715-346-3838. For all other information, contact Jodi Engum Kryshak, program coordinator, at [email protected].