Cape Symphony is delighted to have Stephanie Riley on board to launch the Cape Symphony Youth Chorus Program in Fall 2026. An accomplished singer with over 20 years’ experience as a choral music educator in the Dennis-Yarmouth school district, Stephanie is thrilled to be the Chorus Program’s Music Director.
The program’s flagship ensemble will be Concert Choir, offering students aged 12–20 an opportunity for an elevated level of singing, and accentuating school programs around the Cape.
“If you like to sing, we’d like to have you!” says Stephanie. “My vision for this chorus is that it will become a community. That’s my biggest goal. If you like to sing, this is the place for you.”
She also anticipates that the Cape Symphony Concert Choir will become one of the region’s top choral ensembles. “That is absolutely an attainable goal. People here have artistic integrity and excellence at their core.”
Stephanie has a front-row seat to the power of music from both sides of the podium. Among other ensembles, she sings with the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Festival Chorus. Performing Mahler’s Eighth Symphony with the BSO is a standout memory: In Part II, the soprano soloist appears and sings from an elevated position with a shimmering, ethereal tone. “I looked over, and there was this little boy in the balcony, just staring at her like she was an angel… I found there were tears running down my cheeks. I looked around, and everyone was crying.”
“They’ve become family,” she adds, reflecting on her time with the group. “I want these kids [at Cape Symphony] to have that.”
Asked what she likes to do in her downtime, Stephanie says “I make jam! My favorite is raspberry rhubarb… I also do strawberry cranberry spice and lemon lavender.” Fun fact: she was also, “in a past life,” part of a nationally ranked figure skating team!
Stephanie’s Cape Symphony students will develop important technical skills. Healthy vocal technique, music literacy, sight-singing, ear training, and musical interpretation are all part of the chorus program. Above and beyond that, she wants them to come to know and trust “that music is always there. Anytime they want it, any time they need it. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re going through in life, it’s always there. You are a musician, and you can do hard things, even if they’re scary at first.”
“Everyone, no matter if they’re 2 years old or 92, has a voice they carry with them every single day,” she says. “It’s a very special gift. You’re a musician.”
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The Youth Chorus will rehearse Sunday evenings, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, in West Barnstable (2235 Iyannough Road).
