Asheville Symphony creates a new private lesson assistance program and expands Youth Orchestra tuition assistance
August 25, 2026
Following the decision to discontinue Asheville Middle School’s string program this year, the Asheville Symphony is taking steps to help affected students continue their musical education while advocating for the return of in-school string instruction.
The response includes two components:
- A new private lesson assistance program for affected students
- Expanded financial assistance for participation in the Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra (ASYO)
“We were disappointed to learn that the school-based string program would not be offered this year, and we wanted to respond as quickly as we could to support students and families,” said Asheville Symphony Director of Education and Youth Orchestra Tyson Hamrick.
“We are excited that we were able to identify funding to create these opportunities for students, and we are glad to hear that Asheville City Schools is now planning to offer a strings club after school. However, daily instruction in school is where young musicians build their foundation. These programs cannot replace that, but they can keep students playing and learning until school-based string instruction returns.”
New private lesson assistance for affected students
The Asheville Symphony is in the process of launching PLAY: Private Lesson Assistance for Youth. This new program will be designed to help students affected by the loss of the Asheville City Schools string program continue studying their instruments.
PLAY will cover up to 75% of the cost of weekly, 45-minute private lessons throughout the school year for eligible students from Asheville Middle School and Asheville High School. In order to participate in PLAY in its inaugural year, students must:
- Be currently enrolled at Asheville Middle School or Asheville High School.
- Have previously been enrolled in classroom strings OR be a rising sixth grade student who was planning on enrolling in classroom strings.
- Possess a willingness to study a string instrument with a private instructor through regular weekly lessons.
- Have a household income at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) ($132,000.00 for a family of four) or have extenuating circumstances.
- ASYO membership is not required.
The Asheville Symphony has an established partnership with Asheville Academy for the Arts (AFTA) and private lessons are available through them. Families may also choose to work with another qualified private instructor of their choice.
This program was conceived of and developed following the confirmation on August 10 that the Asheville Middle School string program would not be offered this school year. Asheville Symphony and ASYO leadership began developing a response immediately, drawing on established models for private lesson assistance and feedback from music education professionals and community members.
“Many youth orchestras around the country, both large and small, offer lesson assistance to their members,” said Hamrick. “We’ve adjusted that model for a program tailored specifically for Asheville Middle and High School students.”
Expanded financial assistance for ASYO
The ASYO is also expanding its tuition assistance to ensure that financial circumstances do not prevent students from participating in its programs.
Scholarships can cover up to 90% of ASYO tuition, and no student will be turned away from the ASYO because of financial need.
The ASYO has long encouraged students to participate in their school music programs whenever those programs are available. At the same time, the ASYO serves students from a wide range of educational settings, including students who are home-schooled or whose schools do not offer string instruction.
“I am grateful for how quickly our Education team responded to these programmatic cuts, and humbled for the generosity of donors who stepped forward to help us bridge this gap,” said Asheville Symphony Executive Director Daniel Crupi. “Between PLAY, expanded tuition assistance for the ASYO, and Asheville City Schools’ new after-school strings club, our community is taking meaningful steps to keep students playing and learning during this transition.”
A bridge, not a replacement
The Asheville Symphony and ASYO have a longstanding commitment to school-based music education and believe that access to qualified music educators in public schools is an essential part of a young person’s education.
“Any opportunity for a student to receive regular instruction is valuable, but there is no substitute for having a qualified music educator working with students in their school every day,” Hamrick said. “We have always believed that the strongest path for young musicians is one where school-based music education and community organizations work together. We want to be part of that future. In the meantime, our priority is making sure students have a way to keep playing.”
Students and families interested in PLAY can learn more at www.ashevillesymphony.org/play. To learn more about the ASYO and apply, visit www.ashevillesymphony.org/asyo.
About Asheville Symphony
The Asheville Symphony performs and promotes symphonic music for the benefit, enjoyment, and education of the people of Western North Carolina, annually reaching 50,000 people across the nation. The Asheville Symphony also offers robust music education programs for thousands of students across WNC, including its Young People’s Concerts, Music in the Schools, Hip Hop Folktale Project, Asheville Symphony Youth Orchestra and more. Learn more at www.ashevillesymphony.org.
