Maestro Brian Buterbaugh
Music Director and Conductor
Brian Buterbaugh is the Music Director/Conductor of the York Youth Symphony Orchestra. Prior to being selected as the 10th conductor in the organization’s 65-year history, he served as assistant conductor and interim conductor.
Under Mr. Buterbaugh’s direction, the YYSO has performed symphonic masterworks by musical titans such as Tchaikovksy, Dvorak, and Beethoven, and will be aggressively working to integrate under-represented composers into the concert repertoire. In 2017, Mr. Buterbaugh led the YYSO in concert with the nationally recognized Black Violin.
Mr. Buterbaugh is the orchestra director at Hershey High School in the Derry Township School District. In this capacity, he directs two high school orchestras, two middle school orchestras and the award-winning all-student musical pit orchestra. Prior teaching engagements include orchestra director at Cedar Cliff High School and orchestra/choir director at Spring Grove Area High School. His students have reached every level of the PMEA circuit – Districts, Regions and States, in addition to NAfME All-Eastern and All-National ensembles. He received an ACCLAIM award for his teaching in the 2017-2018 school year and is a two-time Grammy Award Music Educator of the Year quarterfinalist.
Aside from his duties with the YYSO, Mr. Buterbaugh is a highly-requested guest conductor throughout the Capitol Region and beyond. Recent guest conducting engagements include the Dauphin County Honors Orchestra Festival, PMEA District 10 6th Grade String Fest, Berks County Senior County Orchestra, Carroll County (MD) Middle School All-County Orchestra, Harford County (MD) High School All-County Orchestra, Berks County 6th Grade String Fest, and the Cecil County (MD) All-County Orchestra.
Mr. Buterbaugh maintains a private cello studio and is a frequent performer in the area. His private cello students range in age from middle schoolers to PMEA All-State Orchestra participants. Along with frequent freelance work, Brian has performed with symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles from throughout Pennsylvania. Performance venues include Carnegie Hall, Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, and Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh. Mr. Buterbaugh also teaches graduate-level courses in the Conducting Program at Messiah College.
Mr. Buterbaugh received his BME from Penn State University, a Master’s in Orchestral Conducting from Messiah College, and a Master’s in Music Education from the University of Nebraska. He currently lives near Lancaster with his wife Julie, and their two growing boys, Evan and Liam.