Meet This Year's Youth Symphony Concerto Competition Winners!

Harrison Orngard, Cello

Harrison Orngard is a senior attending Ames High School. He has studied under the instruction of Dr. Julie Sturm for the last six years. He is currently the principal cellist of the Des Moines Youth Symphony and a member of the Honors Quartet. Harrison is a three time All-Stater, most recently performing as fifth chair. His most notable music accomplishments last year included winning the Central Iowa Symphony Concerto Competition as well as being awarded best of center at the IHSMA Solo/Ensemble Festival with his quintet.

Outside of music, Harrison loves to volunteer, cook and bake delicious food, and hang out with friends. Though he isn’t committed to a college yet, he intends to major in physics and minor in music with a concentration in performance. His dream college is the University of Chicago. 

Caleb Byrnes, French Horn

Caleb Byrnes is a senior at Ankeny High School. He has played the French horn for over five years, starting in middle school. Prior to the horn, in elementary school, he got his start in music through weekly piano lessons taught by Mrs. Murphy and most certainly would not be where he is today without them. In high school, he participates in marching band, concert band, and show band, along with the Des Monies Youth Wind Ensemble and Youth Symphony. He has played in the Iowa All-State Music Festival for three years for both band and orchestra. After high school, Caleb is planning on majoring in Physics and Music Performance at an undecided college.