You Founded in 1955, the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra has provided an outstanding musical experience for thousands of local high school students.

Each year, many of the best young musicians compete to join the orchestra, which provides the opportunity to perform locally and nationally, often accompanying solo artists of international renown.

Since 1979, the Youth Orchestra has been led by George Schramm, assistant conductor of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Schrammm received his musical training in Europe, as well as in Canada and the United States.

I'm a Dutchman born in the Netherlands and I came to Canada as a land of immigrant and I lived there and studied there for a number of years.

I went to university for nine years and I ended up receiving my doctorate from the University of Washington in Seattle and then there were auditions announced in Columbus for assistant conductor and I come here and fought it good and hard and I won.

I beat the pants off, you know what I mean?

Even more.

Pretty darn good, thank you.

Brass, remember, it's fairly competitive to get in our group.

People have auditions every year.

We have audits in May already, and we turn about as many people away as we manage to absorb.

Of course, people don't all leave at the same time, so we always have a limited number of seats.

There is an incredibly high level of competition.

When you do challenges, you have to challenge against your friends.

My two friends are in the cello section.

And you feel bad if they beat you or you beat them.

And you want to keep your friendship on a good level.

But still, you want be sitting first chair, second or third chair, too.

Good, good.

Aside from their individual daily practice, the Youth Symphony rehearses as a whole every Wednesday night from 7 to 9.30.

With Schramm's guidance and hard work, these high school students receive an exceptional musical education.

Much better, Kelly!

The impression that he leaves with people is his strictness, but he knows so much and has a way of bringing it across to kids that really have never seen it before.

And I amaze myself at the things that I am able to produce just with the advice that he is able to give me.

He gives a whole level of excitement to the music and to the orchestra that really inspires people to work hard.

I think that's his greatest contribution to it.

My job is rewarding because I do so many things.

Not only the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra, but much work with the Columbus symphony orchestra, which actually is the main part of my job.

And it is nice to have access to both professional people as well as students.

They make music in different ways, but it is ultimately the same thing that we're trying to do.

Frustrating as it gets sometimes, because they're not professional people, you know.

It is a joy.

And it's also an honor.

I don't tell them that too often because they will take advantage of it, all right?

But still, it is an honor because they are gifted, they are talented people and they are so hungry for more information.

So it is wonderful to be able to share things with them and to actually have them eventually being capable of producing those things that make wonderful music.