Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras (CYSO) is an

orchestral An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ...

music education organization in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

that was founded in 1946 to provide music education and instrumental training of the highest quality to Chicago area youth.

Organization

Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras (CYSO) is located in the Chicago Fine Arts Building on S. Michigan Avenue. CYSO serves more than 600 students ages 6–18 in on-site ensembles including four full orchestras, three string orchestras, jazz orchestra, multiple steel orchestras, and enrichment opportunities including chamber music, masterclasses, and music composition. CYSO Community Partnership Programs support instrumental music training and music access, reaching 8,500 young people during the 2017-2018 season. The organization works with students in underserved neighborhoods through the Ambassador Program, which brings Chamber Music ensembles to neighborhood schools to perform interactive concerts; after-school ensembles; free community and education concerts; and partners with institutions including

Chicago Public Schools Chicago Public Schools (CPS), officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, in Chicago, Illinois, is the third-largest school district in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles. ...

(CPS) and The People's Music School.

Programs

On-site Ensembles: *Symphony Orchestra *Philharmonic Orchestra *Concert Orchestra *Debut Orchestra *Accelerando Strings *Preparatory Strings *Overture Strings *Steel Orchestras *Jazz Orchestra Enrichment Programs *Chamber Music *Composition Seminar *International Tours *Chamber Orchestra *Conducting Fellowship *Ambassadors

Organizational History

CYSO was founded in 1946 by a group of students who, energized by a summer music camp, wanted to explore music closer to home throughout the school year. They first met on Saturday mornings at the Wurlitzer Music Store on South Wabash Avenue, and in November 1947, 100 young musicians held the first performance at Chicago's Orchestra Hall, featuring a program of Frescobaldi, Beethoven, MacDowell, and Kodaly. In 1960, CYSO moved to the historic Fine Arts Building, a center for arts and culture since 1898.

Notable alumni

Laurie Anderson Laurel Philips Anderson (born June 5, 1947), known as Laurie Anderson, is an American avant-garde artist, composer, musician, and film director whose work spans performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and ...

, performance artist *

Anthony McGill Anthony McGill (born 5 February 1991) is a Scottish professional snooker player. He is a practice partner of retired snooker player Alan McManus. McGill turned professional in 2010, after finishing fourth in the 2009/2010 PIOS rankings. He wo ...

, Principal Clarinet, New York Philharmonic *

Sheila Johnson Sheila Crump Johnson (born January 25, 1949) is an American businesswoman, co-founder of BET, CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts, and the first billionaire African-American woman. Johnson is team president, managing partner, and governor of the ...

, Co-founder of BET and CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts *

Andrew Bird Andrew Wegman Bird (born July 11, 1973) is an American indie rock multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Since 1996, he has released 16 studio albums, as well as several live albums and EPs, spanning various genres including swing music ...

, Singer/Songwriter *

Richard Davis (bassist) Richard Davis (born April 15, 1930) is an American jazz bassist. Among his best-known contributions to the albums of others are Eric Dolphy's '' Out to Lunch!'', Andrew Hill's '' Point of Departure'', and Van Morrison's ''Astral Weeks'', of whi ...

, Bassist, Educator, Activist * Demarre McGill, Principal Flute, Seattle Symphony *Gordon Peters, Former Principal Percussion, Chicago Symphony Orchestra *Austin Huntington, Principal Cello, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra *Emma Gerstein, Second Flute, Chicago Symphony Orchestra *Robin Kesselman, Principal Bass, Houston Symphony *Emma Steele, Concertmaster, Royal Danish Orchestra *Ian Ding, Former Principal Percussion, Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Artistic Staff

2017-2018 Season: * Allen Tinkham - Musical Director and Symphony Orchestra conductor * Steve Gooden - Symphony Orchestra Assistant Conductor * Terrance Gray - Associate Conductor and Philharmonic Orchestra conductor * Daniella Valdez - Director of String Ensembles * Dr. Donald Deroche - Director of Chamber Music * Malika Green - Director of Steel Orchestras * Pharez Whitted - Jazz Orchestra Director * Michael Mascari - Concert Orchestra Conductor * Dana Green - Debut Orchestra Conductor * Anne McTighe - Overture Strings Conductor, Preparatory Strings Assistant Conductor * Scott McConnell - Steel Orchestras Assistant

Performances

CYSO's various ensembles perform at places including

Symphony Center Symphony Center is a music complex located at 220 South Michigan Avenue in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. Home to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Chorus; Civic Orchestra of Chicago; and the Institute for Learning, Access, and ...

's Orchestra Hall, the

Chicago Cultural Center The Chicago Cultural Center, opened in 1897, is a Chicago Landmark building operated by Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events that houses the city's official reception venue where the Mayor of Chicago has welcomed presid ...

, the

South Shore Cultural Center The South Shore Cultural Center, in Chicago, Illinois, is a cultural facility located at 71st Street and South Shore Drive, in the city's South Shore neighborhood. It encompasses the grounds of the former South Shore Country Club. The South Shor ...

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

's Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, The Studebaker Theater located in the Fine Arts Building Chicago, Chicago's Grant Park, and Pick-Staiger Hall. CYSO's Symphony Orchestra also performs regularly at

Millennium Park Millennium Park is a public park located in the Loop community area of Chicago, operated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. The park, opened in 2004 and intended to celebrate the third millennium, is a prominent civic center nea ...

's Jay Pritzker Pavilion, appearing in the past at the

Grant Park Music Festival The Grant Park Music Festival (formerly the Grant Park Concerts) is a ten-week classical music concert series held annually in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It features the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and Grant Park Chorus along with guest ...

Independence Day Salute and with

Blue Man Group Blue Man Group is an American performance art company formed in 1987. It was purchased in July 2017 by the Canadian company Cirque du Soleil. Blue Man Group is known for its stage productions, which incorporate many kinds of music and art, bot ...

International tours

During the 2009 South American Tour to Argentina and Uruguay, the CYSO Symphony Orchestra performed at Teatro Coliseo Podesta in La Plata, La Facultad de Derecho in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

, Teatro El Circulo in Rosario, and Teatro Solis in Montevideo. On the 2012 Tour of Spain, students performed in Madrid, in Cuenca in a joint concert with the Joven Orquesta de la Mancha, at Valencia's

Palau de la Música Catalana Palau de la Música Catalana (, en, Palace of Catalan Music) is a concert hall in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Designed in the Catalan '' modernista'' style by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, it was built between 1905 and 1908 for ...

, and Barcelona's

Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu () is a music college in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was created in 1837 with the name ''Liceo Filo-dramático de Montesión''. In 1847 the institution inaugurated the opera house Gran Teatre del Lic ...

. During the 2014 Tour of China, CYSO's Symphony Orchestra students performed in Beijin at the

National Centre for the Performing Arts (China) The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) (), and colloquially described as The Giant Egg (巨蛋), is an arts centre containing an opera house in the Xicheng District of Beijing, People's Republic of China. Designed by French architect P ...

, Xi'an Concert Hall, in

Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whic ...

at the Opera Hall of the Hangzhou Grand Theater, and at the

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

Oriental Art Center The Shanghai Oriental Art Center (), abbreviated SHOAC, is one of the leading performance and cultural facilities in Shanghai. The five interconnected hemispherical halls or "petals" are shaped to resemble a butterfly orchid from above.SHOAC"Prel ...

. On the most recent tour of Central Europe in 2017, CYSO performed at Belgrade's Kolarac Hall,

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

's Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, at the

Jihlava Jihlava (; german: Iglau) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 50,000 inhabitants. Jihlava is the capital of the Vysočina Region, situated on the Jihlava River on the historical border between Moravia and Bohemia. Historically, Jihlava ...

Mahler Festival at the Church of the Holy Cross, and in a sold-out joint concert with the Symphony Orchestra of the Music High Schools of Prague at Dvorak Hall of the

Rudolfinum The Rudolfinum is a building in Prague, Czech Republic. It is designed in the neo-renaissance style and is situated on Jan Palach Square on the bank of the river Vltava. Since its opening in 1885, it has been associated with music and art. Curr ...

External links

Official site
{{authority control American youth orchestras 1946 establishments in Illinois Musical groups established in 1946 Youth organizations based in Illinois Musical groups from Chicago Orchestras based in Illinois