By Sarah Owens
Photography courtesy of Jordan Ford
This December, the sounds of the season will carry through the Performing Arts Center at Thompson High School as the Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra (ASYO) performs its winter concert in Alabaster for the very first time. For the students on stage and the community filling the seats, it marks not just a new festive tradition but also the growth of a unique partnership between the youth symphony, Alabaster City Schools, and Thompson’s fine arts programs.
The ASYO has called Thompson’s Performing Arts Center home since fall 2021, when the ensemble began rehearsing weekly at the school. “The Alabama Symphony Orchestra is under the umbrella of the Alabama Symphony, and they rehearse at mostly the Alys Stephens Center downtown, but they don’t have all-out rights to that,” explains Jordan Ford, Alabaster City Schools Orchestra Director and Youth Orchestra Manager for the Alabama Symphony. “They would have to pay a significant amount of funds that aren’t necessarily available to music organizations… and also, one of the things that the Youth Symphony offers is sectionals with the ASO members, which requires space.”
With its large band room, plentiful percussion equipment, and state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center, Thompson provides the perfect fit. “Thompson has a big enough band room to hold such an ensemble of 75 kids and also has a space that can cater to performances,” Ford says.
The move made ASYO more accessible, too. “It allows for a centralized meeting point for all of the different students who participate,” Ford says. “We have students from Tuscaloosa that drive in. We have a student that drives all the way from Huntsville every Sunday. And then we also have college students. It’s a high-level performing orchestra. They’re playing orchestral rep that professionals play.”
Michael Giddens, who works with the Performing Arts Center, added that waiving rental fees keeps costs manageable. “We don’t charge the symphony anything to use our spaces, and once a week is a lot. If we were charging them, like their previous school, they’d be paying $1,000 a month,” he says.
The partnership also carries financial benefits for local students. “Thompson students get a reduced tuition rate,” Ford says. “That’s one of the benefits of ACS letting them use the space is that our students get the discount.” College students and students who attend the Alabama School for Fine Arts also receive discounts.
This December’s concert will highlight how the collaboration has grown into something larger than weekly rehearsals. For years, the ASYO performed its holiday concert at the Galleria, but moving to Thompson’s Performing Arts Center brings new opportunity. “It’s great for the kids, because it’s a quality hall, it’s somewhere they come and rehearse often, and the parents already know where it is,” Ford says. “For a community like ours, it’s a great way to start that kind of season.”
The program will feature seasonal favorites such as White Christmas, carol medleys, and selections from The Nutcracker. “It’s very family friendly,” Ford says. “It’s also fun for the kids that way, because so much of what they do the rest of the year is very much technique building. This lets them loosen up a little bit and just enjoy it and not have to stress about everything all at once that they normally have to.”
Dr. Wesley Hester, principal of Thompson High School, praised the collaboration. “Thompson High School’s performing arts programs continue to grow in terms of involvement, collaboration, and performance. Our music programs, including our band’s multiple ensembles, orchestra, or choral ensembles, are all performing at increasingly higher levels,” he says. “One of the most important components of this growth is our wonderful partnership with the Alabama Youth Symphony Orchestra. We also have hosted and will continue to host Alabama Symphony Orchestra events and activities. We have strong connections with the ASYO which provide inspiration and networking opportunities for our performing arts students, young musicians, and instructors.”
David Allinder, Education Manager for the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, echos that sentiment. “We are grateful for the collaboration between the Alabama Symphony Orchestra (ASO) and Alabaster City Schools—a partnership that is enriching lives and creating new opportunities for students and families across Central Alabama,” he says. “At the heart of this initiative is the use of the state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center at Thompson High School and the musicians and staff of the Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra. This venue has become a hub for creativity, learning, and community connection, hosting educational performances and outreach programs that bring the magic of symphonic music directly to students and patrons of the arts.”
Allinder emphasized that the collaboration is opening doors. “This partnership is not only enhancing music education in Alabaster—it’s expanding access to the arts for students from across the region. Through workshops, live performances, and direct engagement with professional musicians, students are gaining unique, hands-on experiences that inspire a lifelong appreciation for music and the arts,” he says.
From a logistical solution to a cultural partnership, the relationship between Thompson High School and the ASYO has grown into something that enriches not only students but also families and the wider community. “By leveraging local resources and the talents of the ASO, Alabaster is becoming a cultural leader in Central Alabama, demonstrating how the arts can uplift and unite communities,” Allinder says.
For Ford, Giddens, and the students who have made Thompson their rehearsal home, that unity will be especially visible this holiday season. As the ASYO performs its first-ever Christmas concert in Alabaster, the music will carry more than carols. It will carry the story of a partnership that’s creating harmony far beyond the stage.
The holiday concert is set for December 7 at 5 p.m. and is free to the public.