Brian Buterbaugh is the Music Director/Conductor of the York Youth Symphony Orchestra. He is the 10th conductor in the organization’s 66-year history.

 

Under Mr. Buterbaugh’s direction, the YYSO has performed symphonic masterworks by musical titans such as Tchaikovksy, Dvorak, and Beethoven while simultaneously incorporating under-represented composers such as Florence Price, George Walker and Grażyna Bacewicz. In recent years, Mr. Buterbaugh and the YYSO have collaborated with nationally-recognized touring group Black Violin and performed Forrest's Requiem for the Living with the York County Sr. Honors Choir. 

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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 student musical pit orchestra. He received an ACCLAIM award for his teaching in the 2017-2018 school year, is a two-time Grammy Award Music Educator of the Year quarterfinalist, and received the 2023 Orchestra Director of the Year Award by PADESTA.

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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.

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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. In Fall 2023, he will be teaching conducting and directing the Symphony Orchestra at Lebanon Valley 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. Additional coursework was completed at University of Nevada-Las Vegas and the University of the Arts. He currently lives in Elizabethtown with his wife Julie and their two growing boys, Evan and Liam.