Greenville County Youth Orchestra announces top-level conductor
GCYO welcomes Neil Casey as music director, conductor
The Greenville County Youth Orchestras (GCYO) announced Neil Casey will be the new music director and conductor of the Young Artists Orchestra (YAO).
“I am thrilled to welcome Neil Casey to the GCYO staff,” said David Kiser, executive director of the Greenville County Youth Orchestras. “Neil is an internationally recognized conductor with extensive experience working with youth orchestras. Additionally, he is a superb violinist and chamber music coach.”
Casey was selected following a comprehensive community-driven search process during which it became clear Casey is the right person to build on YAO’s foundation of artistic excellence and to shape the future of this ensemble.
Casey will succeed Dr. Gary Robinson, who served as the director of the Greenville County Young Artist Orchestras from 1985 to 2019 and, more recently, as the Interim Conductor of both the Philharmonic and Young Artists Orchestra ensembles from 2024 to 2025, before transitioning to his current role as Young Artist Orchestra Conductor Emeritus.
“I would like to thank Mr. Kiser and the Board for their support and this opportunity to work with some of Greenville’s best young musicians,” said Maestro Casey. “Special thanks go out to Gary Robinson for everything he has accomplished to this point. I look forward to being a part of the outstanding GCYO team.”
Casey will lead the YAO ensemble in three concerts during the 2025/2026 season at the Peace Center on Nov. 18, March 7, and May 6. He is interested in connecting with music teachers in the Upstate and is accepting student auditions on a rolling basis for the Young Artist Orchestra ensemble.
About Maestro Neil Casey
Upon completing his education at the University of South Carolina, Neil Casey was hired as both the assistant conductor of orchestras at USC and the conductor of Opera at USC. His leadership roles simultaneously included teaching violin, viola, chamber music, and conducting courses. Casey studied violin and conducting with Dr. Donald Portnoy during his time at USC.
Youth Orchestras have always been Neil’s passion. He was the founding conductor of the Greater Augusta Youth Orchestras, the first conductor of the Armstrong Atlantic Youth Orchestra (Savannah, Georgia), and more than doubled the size of the South Carolina Philharmonic Youth Orchestras during his tenure.
As a classical conductor, Maestro Casey has conducted the South Carolina Philharmonic, the Charleston Symphony, the Hilton Head Philharmonic, the Charlotte Symphony, and the Karelian Philharmonic Orchestra in Petrozavodsk, Russia, among others. He has conducted over 60 operas, one of which featured Metropolitan Opera soprano Leona Mitchell as part of Claflin University’s concert honoring African-American pioneers in the field of opera.
In addition, Casey has also conducted the Aiken, Augusta, Savannah, Richmond (Virginia), Knoxville (Tennessee), Spokane, Oregon, and Indianapolis symphonies, and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic.
Maestro Casey has also conducted more than 50 performances of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite Ballet. He also led the Augusta Ballet performance of Stravinsky’s “Apollon Musagete”. As a Pops conductor, Maestro Casey has collaborated with jazz legend Wycliffe Gordon and country music superstar Kathy Mattea. Neil has also led several pops tours with the Hollywood Concert Orchestra, performing in New York, Pennsylvania, and throughout both China and Japan.
Relocating to Greenville from his native Virginia, Casey comes from a family of music educators and shares his family’s passion for music. He will also be the incoming strings teacher at Greenville’s St. Joseph’s Catholic School.
Maestro Casey is married to his wife of 13 years, Dr. Sun-Joo Oh, who is professor of voice at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee.
About the Greenville County Youth Orchestras (GCYO)
Greenville County Youth Orchestras has been enriching and educating young musicians for over 50 years. Their mission is to positively impact the lives of young people by providing a high-quality orchestral program that develops their performance skills and enhances their virtuosity. GCYO is committed to making our programs accessible to all qualifying students, regardless of their socio-economic background.
The program began in the 1970s as an after-school orchestra for the Greenville County School District. Operating as a partnership between the school district and the nonprofit GCYO Association, GCYO offers four ensembles that provide outstanding musical challenges tailored to the age and skill levels of over 160 students. Placement into each of the ensembles is audition-based, not age-based. The 4 ensembles are:
- PRELUDE: (3rd-7th grade students)
- INTERMEZZO: (6th-8th grade students)
- PHILHARMONIC: (6th-11th grade students)
- YAO: (9th-12th grade students)
After having the YAO ensemble nationally recognized in February 2025 at The Kennedy Center, GCYO kicks off our 2025/2026 season with the appointment of Neil Casey as conductor of the Young Artists Orchestra ensemble.
To purchase individual tickets, visit Greenville County Youth Orchestra, or text/call 864.908.5541 between 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.