Brian Buterbaugh is the Music Director/Conductor of the York Youth Symphony Orchestra. Under Mr. Buterbaugh’s direction, the YYSO has performed symphonic masterworks by musical titans such as Tchaikovksy, Dvorak, and Beethoven while simultaneously working purposefully to integrate under-represented composers into the concert repertoire, including the York County premiere of Florence Price’s Symphony No.3 in 2023. Mr. Buterbaugh also teaches graduate-level low string pedagogy at Messiah University and has taught orchestra and conducting classes at Lebanon Valley College. In 2023, he was named the Orchestra Director of the Year by the Pennsylvania-Deleware American String Teachers Association.

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Mr. Buterbaugh is also 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. His students have reached every level of the PMEA circuit – Districts, Regionals 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. He has been invited to lead reading sessions and present on culture within the high school ensemble at PMEA Professional Development seminars.

 

Aside from his duties with the YYSO, Mr. Buterbaugh is a highly-requested guest conductor throughout the Capitol Region and beyond. 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.

 

Mr. Buterbaugh received his BME from Penn State University, M.M. in Orchestral Conducting from Messiah University, and M.M.E. from the University of Nebraska. Additional coursework has been completed at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas and the University of the Arts.  He lives near Lancaster with his wife Julie, and their two growing boys, Evan and Liam.