The Long Bay YOUTH Symphony

Now in his twenty-eighth season as Music Director/Conductor, Maestro Charles Jones Evans continues to deliver an exceptional standard of performances and imaginative programming. He brings a wealth of musical experience to the area, having held conducting positions with professional orchestras and music festivals throughout the United States, including the Pine Bluff (AR) Symphony, Eastern Music Festival (Greensboro, NC), the Memphis and Mississippi Symphonies, and the Eastman Philharmonia (Rochester, NY). Maestro Evans has been featured as guest conductor with the North Carolina, Richmond (VA), Virginia and Arkansas Symphonies, the Brevard (NC) Philharmonic, the Rock Hill Symphony Orchestra and the Memphis Ballet, as well as orchestras in Boston, Cleveland, Dallas, Spokane and Santa Barbara. In Europe, he has made guest appearances with the Oradea and Giurgiu Philharmonic Orchestras of Romania, and has worked with conservatory orchestras in Bucharest and other cities. Maestro Evans’ orchestral performances have been frequently broadcast on National Public Radio.

Once a musician in the Long Bay Youth Symphony herself, Rose DaGraca graduated from the University of South Carolina with her master's degree in Instrumental Music Education in 2022. She is the current Orchestra Director of Myrtle Beach Middle School, a Professional Cellist with the Long Bay Symphony, a gig artist performing throughout the Carolinas, and a Private Lesson Strings Teacher based in Myrtle Beach, SC. She is excited to join the LBYS and enthusiastic to share her love of music education with our local youth.