Fall program registrations coming soon!
Bridges Chamber:
Middle School Orchestra
Bridges Philharmonic:
High School Full Orchestra
Bridges MAYO Youth Orchestra Sessions
Fall: Popular Music Recording
Winter: Hollidays with BSO, side by side
Spring: March-May
Bridges Chamber
Our middle school orchestra, directed by Maggie Olivo, is open to elementary and middle school string players ages 8 and up.
Requirements: All players are expected to play one octave major scales and have basic note reading skills.
Programming: Each semester, Chamber musicians will work with a resident artist, learn music in a variety of styles (popular, music of various cultures, contemporary works), and play 1-2 pieces with the Bridges Philharmonic.
Emerging musicians: Gain large ensemble experience, learn orchestral playing, practice sight reading, and get support from professional musicians.
Older middle schoolers: Gain leadership opportunities and experience as section leaders, polish musical technique while developing as orchestral musician.
Advanced elementary students: Gain ensemble and note reading experience.
High School Ambassador: Each semester, we will welcome 1-2 high school ambassadors to serve as peer mentors and play alongside younger musicians.
Bridges Philharmonic
The Philharmonic is an audition orchestra, directed by IU Jacobs Doctoral candidate, Marissa Guarriello. It is open to all string, woodwind, brass, and percussion players in middle and high school. Contact
Requirements: All players are able to read music proficiently and play 2-3 octave scales. String players should be at least at a Book 4 Suzuki level or equivalent.
Programming: Philharmonic will perform full orchestral pieces for strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Philharmonic members will also have "Side-by-Side" opportunities with various Jacobs and Bloomington Symphony Orchestra members. They will perform full orchestral pieces representing different styles and genre, work with at least one resident artist, and play 1-2 pieces with the Chamber orchestra at the Monroe County Public Library.
High School Students: Able to experience the full orchestral experience, joining string orchestral and band instruments.
Middle Schoolers: Play in an advanced ensemble, challenge yourself, and learn from older peers.
"Primula," composed by Nukiko Nishimura
Performed by the Bridges MAYO Youth Orchestra, spring 2022, conducted by Marissa Guarriello
Is my child required to participate in their school orchestra?
Yes! We are grateful to have such strong public school music programs and our program must support them in every way that we can. The Bridges Youth Orchestra should be considered supplemental to pre-existing school music programs and not as a replacement.
For more information on music education advocacy in the schools, visit: https://americanorchestras.org/learn/advocate/music-education-advocacy/
Meet our Bridges Youth Orchestra Directors:
Marissa Guarriello
Bridges Youth Orchestra Co-director
Marissa is pursuing her PhD in music education at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. She holds degrees from Penn State University (BME, 2016) and The Eastman School of Music (MA, 2019) in music education. She has experience directing orchestras across the country, spanning grades 3-12.
While at Penn State, she was awarded the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship and the Erikson Discovery Grant. She's authored, “Student Perceptions of Composition in Secondary Ensembles" and co-authored “Hustle to the Start,” (2021) and “The Creative String Orchestra,” available on via F-flat Books where she hosts the podcast, "Musicast" and speaks to musicians around the world.
Maggie Olivo
Bridges Youth Orchestra Co-director
Maggie Polk-Olivo is the music teacher and arts coordinator at Fairview Elementary School, a school for the arts. She serves as the Bridges Musical Arts Youth Organization's program director, Jacobs Academy's IU Musical Beginnings director, and is the founder and director of the BloomingSongs project. In the summer, she teaches music composition and chamber music for the Bridges MAYO day camps and then makes her way to Colorado to join the faculty at the Rocky Ridge Music Center in Estes Park.
Sarah Strickland explains the value of our Bridges Youth Orchestra
Connects peers from diverse backgrounds, spanning public, charter, private, and homeschool settings and ages span, 8-18.
Serves a variety of levels, beginner through advanced.
Offers high student-teacher ratio, utilizing multiple conductors, coaches, and Music Ed practicum students, providing personalized support and making it more like a side-by-side experience!
Has faculty who care about helping each individual student reach their personal potential.
Helps students learn music from diverse time periods, styles, and composers.
IU Jacobs Practicum Students:
Bridges MAYO partners with IU Jacobs School of Music as a practicum placement for future instrumental music educators studying at Jacobs. During our rehearsals, IU students have hands on rehearsal experiences as they work with young musicians.
Bridges MAYO students benefit from the small teacher to student ratio, playing alongside incredible musicians, and meeting one on one with teachers as needed.
Throughout each rehearsal, our musical directors and staff provide support and feedback to the practicum students and their professors.