MYSO’s flagship ensemble, this 130-member symphony orchestra of advanced musicians presents a variety of major concerts each season, including an annual concerto performance by a renowned soloist plus a celebrated choral work. The very accomplished musicians in the Senior Symphony have undertaken a number of domestic and international tours over the last 50 years. Most students in this group are in grades 10-12.

An International Reputation

The Senior Symphony has achieved an enviable international reputation for excellence. Their most recent tour, in July 2009, took them to the Pacific Northwest.  This 7-day concert tour involved 70+ members of Senior Symphony as well as MYSO's Bronzeville Jazz Quintet.  The most recent major international tour was completed in the summer of 2007; the extraordinary "Beijing and Beyond" tour through China was truly memorable. Click here for more information on that fabulous tour.  In June 2000, the Senior Symphony had a highly successful trip to the National Youth Orchestra Festival in Sarasota, Florida as one of only five invited youth orchestras. In spring 1999, the orchestra traveled to  Quebec, Canada, with a performance in Montreal. In July 1997, MYSO traveled to Spain and Italy, with 5 very well-received performances. In 1994, the 114-member Senior Symphony performed before a near-capacity audience in New York's legendary Carnegie Hall. In 1991, MYSO represented the United States at the Aberdeen (Scotland) International Youth Festival of the Performing Arts, with additional performances in Edinburgh and Glasgow. They returned with a number of formal and informal awards for solo, chamber ensemble, and orchestral achievement. In 1987, they traveled to Switzerland, France, and Austria, where their performances were extremely well-attended and widely hailed for their superb quality.  Tours prior to 1987 included Switzerland, Scotland and Puerto Rico.

Senior Symphony Music Director

Margery Deutsch

Ms. Deutsch has been the conductor and music director of MYSO’s Senior Symphony since 1987. She has served as Director of Orchestras and Professor of Conducting at UW-Milwaukee since 1984 and received the UWM Undergraduate Teaching Award in 1990. Prior to arriving in Milwaukee she was the Music Director of the Shreveport (LA) Symphony. She has worked with many professional orchestras including the Women’s Philharmonic (CA), Charleston Symphony, South Dakota Symphony, and Dayton Philharmonic and has guest conducted numerous choirs in the Milwaukee area. She has been a frequent guest conductor for the MSO’s Youth Concert Series and is in demand for all-state and district orchestra festivals throughout the country.  She has led MYSO on concert tours to Switzerland, Austria and France, Scotland, Carnegie Hall, Spain and Italy, Montreal, the National Youth Orchestra Festival in Sarasota, Florida, and most recently, a two week tour through China with concerts in the Forbidden City and on the Great Wall.  She has studied at Aspen, Tanglewood, and the prestigious Academia Chigiana in Siena, Italy and has worked with Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, Colin Davis, Thomas Briccetti, Sergiu Comissiona, Samuel Baron, and Jan DeGaetani.  She holds an MM in orchestral conducting, an MA in musicology and a BA in flute and vocal performance.  She has served four terms on the Board of the Youth Orchestra Division of the League of American Orchestras.

Senior Symphony Associate Conductor

Shelby Keith Dixon

Shelby Dixon is the retired Director of Orchestras and Chairman of Fine Arts at Homestead High School in Mequon. Before going to the Mequon-Thiensville School District in 1975, he served as Choral Director at Deerfield High School, Deerfield, Illinois. For six years, he was Assistant Professor of Music at Alverno College in Milwaukee. There he taught the History and Literature of Music and was Musical Director of Theatre Alverno. Mr. Dixon has extensive background in brasses, keyboard and strings. He has served as Music Director of Milwaukee Players at the Pabst Theatre, conductor with the Sullivan Chamber Ensemble Orchestra, Musical Assistant with Milwaukee's Music Under the Stars, Assistant Conductor of the Northwestern University Chapel Choir, and Interim Music Director of the Elgin (IL) Youth Symphony Orchestras. He holds both the Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music in the History and Literature of Music from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. He has taught on the music education faculty of Concordia University - Wisconsin and has served on the boards of directors of the Milwaukee Civic Music Association and Gatherings on the Green. Mr. Dixon has been a MYSO conductor since 1984.