The Prestige Performance Series is a high-level accelerated weekend program open to all Northeast Oklahoma student musicians that provides specialized coaching, guest conductors, and concentrated ensemble rehearsals in a professional, energetic setting. The musicians’ hard work culminates in a performance for their families and the community. This rigorous single day series provides a unique opportunity for area students to learn new skills, prepare for advanced auditions, and expand their imaginations, all without a prohibitive time commitment.

The cost to participate in a Prestige Performance Series event is $35. Scholarship opportunities are available on a needs-based basis. Due to the fast nature of this program, participating students are expected to prepare all pertinent materials on their own prior to audition or event days. Accepted students should expect a full day of training including sectionals and large ensemble training, a free provided lunch, and a commemorative shirt to perform in.

Please refer to this page for any updates on the Prestige Performance Series; please note that all dates are subject to change.

2025-2026 Events announced!

advanced strings

Saturday, November 15, 2025

Meet our guest clinician: Scott Seaton

“…if fireworks could conduct, they'd be named Seaton. His movements ranged from as controlled and explosive as a prize fighter to as fluid and delicate as a ballet dancer.” - aNewsCafe.com
American conductor Scott Seaton has been praised for possessing “finesse, clarity, and precision” by the Luxembourg Times and has left audiences “breathless” according to Entertainment News Northwest. He is in his eleventh season as Music Director of the North State Symphony in Northern California where he has garnered acclaim for his dynamic performances, innovative programming, and community and youth outreach.
He is also in his fourth season as Artistic Director of the Signature Symphony in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they have already broken attendance records, increased collaborations throughout Tulsa, and have added performances and increased the reach of symphonic music. From 2012-2015, he led the Minot Symphony Orchestra to new artistic heights and forged exciting collaborations on the local and state levels. As an artistic leader, he has collaborated with such artists as Project Trio, Alessio Bax, Gabriela Martinez, Charlie Albright, and Sara Davis Buechner.
Since his international debut in 2007 with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Seaton has conducted orchestras spanning North America, South America, and Europe.
Upcoming and recent engagements include the Evansville Philharmonic, Missoula Symphony, Kamloops Symphony, Spartanburg Philharmonic, Mercury Soul, Jackson Symphony Orchestra, Johnstown Symphony Orchestra, Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra, the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra (Denmark), Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, Toronto Philharmonia Orchestra, Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich, Whatcom Symphony Orchestra, Portland Columbia Symphony, and the Western Plains Opera. He has also appeared with the Brandenburger Symphoniker, Fort Worth Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Memphis Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Magdeburg Philharmonic, Bamberg Symphony, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Orquesta Filarmónica de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cincinnati Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra.
Seaton won the 2011 INTERAKTION competition and was given the opportunity to conduct an orchestra composed of all of Germany’s top orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Konzerthaus Orchestra, German Symphony Orchestra, and the Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin. As a semi-finalist in the 2012 Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition (Frankfurt, Germany), he placed in the top ten conductors from a pool of over 400 conductors from 73 countries that were initially considered. He was a finalist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Sir Georg Solti Conducting Competition as well as a quarter-finalist in the Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition.
Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Seaton has earned degrees from the Université de Montréal, the New England Conservatory, and Vanderbilt University. He has also studied at Tanglewood and the National Conducting Institute sponsored by the National Symphony Orchestra. His mentors include Michael Morgan, Jean-François Rivest, Robin Fountain, Charles Peltz, and Carol Nies.
Visit him online at www.scott-seaton.com.

ADVANCED STRINGS is recommended for students with approximately 4 years of experience and more, are able to read music and can play in all major & minor keys and upper positions on their instrument. All registered students will be required to take a live audition to be considered for placement. Students will be considered for both Ascending & Intermediate Strings as a result of this audition.

REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT WILL OPEN SEPTEMBER 8, 2025

Audition materials will be available with registration.

AUDITIONS FOR THIS EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE SEPTEMBER 29 - OCTOBER 10.

INTERMEDIATE strings

Saturday, November 15, 2025

Meet our guest clinician: Kimberly Ricard

Kimberly Ricard received her BME from the University of Tulsa and has taught orchestra for Broken Arrow Public Schools for 37 years. She continues to work with students from middle school through high school orchestra classes. She has taught AP music theory and private lessons. During her time teaching the orchestra has grown to the point of needing a new room. They have received many superior ratings and sweepstakes with all of her high school classes along with other honors as well as performing at Carnegie Hall. Many of her students have participated not only in state, but also in national and international programs. Her Chamber Orchestra has performed as an OKMEA honor group in 2023 and will perform there again in 2026. Mrs. Ricard hopes to leave all of her students with the desire to have a lifelong appreciation for the arts.

INTERMEDIATE STRINGS is recommended for students with approximately 3 - 5 years of experience, are able to read music and can play in C, G, D, A major & E, A, D minor key signatures and are beginning to develop technique in the upper positions on their instrument. All registered students will be required to submit a video audition to be considered for placement.

REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT WILL OPEN SEPTEMBER 8, 2025

Audition materials will be available with registration.

VIDEO AUDITIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY OCTOBER 10.

ASCENDING strings

Saturday, March 28, 2026

Meet our guest clinician: Catalina Simmonds

Catalina Simmonds is a local educator for Union Public Schools as well as a freelance violist performing with local symphonies and organizations. After graduating from Southern Methodist University in 2009, she began her career in education working for Frisco ISD, followed by East Central University, Broken Arrow Public Schools and now can be found serving on the orchestra faculty at Union Public Schools where she was worked for 7 years. Although Catalina works primarily with beginning orchestra students, she can also be found serving as the Director of Union’s mariachi program. Prestige Performance Series is a passion for Catalina as well as the Tulsa Youth Symphony’s chamber music program and she looks forward to working with this years’ students.
When Catalina is not teaching or performing, she enjoys supporting her husband and kids Zach, Ford, and Sloane in all of their sporting events and eating great food at all of Tulsa’s great restaurants.

ASCENDING STRINGS is recommended for students who are accelerated beginners through approximately 4 years of experience, are able to read music and can play in the key of F, D, G, and C Major. All registered students will be required to submit a video audition and may decide to take a ‘half’ or ‘full’ audition.

A FULL AUDITION is considered as preparing and recording the entire audition page as listed. Students who submit a full audition video will be given all of the music for this program. Eager students with less experience are welcome to submit a HALF AUDITION, which is considered as the listed scale (#1), and the first of the 2 excerpts (#3) of the provided audition material. Students who choose to submit a half audition will be given a portion of the program material to prepare for March 28.

REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT WILL OPEN FEBRUARY 21, 2026

Audition materials will be available with registration.

VIDEO AUDITIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY MARCH 7.

If questions should arise, please direct them to programs@tulsayouthsymphony.org