This is a list of youth orchestras in the United States.
Youth orchestras are performing groups for student musicians. The age range of participants varies; they may include musicians up to grade 12 or they may include older
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, youth orchestras are operated primarily for music education. Some are associated with professional symphony orchestras. Professional symphony orchestras have multiple motivations for sponsoring youth orchestras, including training of young musicians and building future audiences by engaging children with classical music. A 2006–7 survey of youth orchestras by the
League of American Orchestras
The League of American Orchestras, formerly the American Symphony Orchestra League, is a North American service organization with 700 member orchestras of all budget sizes and types, plus individual and institutional members.
Based in New York Ci ...
found that 75% of the participating orchestral groups were independent, about 19% were affiliated with adult orchestras, and about 3% were associated with educational institutions.
The first and oldest U.S. youth orchestra is the
Portland Youth Philharmonic
The Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP) is the oldest youth orchestra in the United States, established in 1924 as the Portland Junior Symphony (PJS). Now based in Portland, Oregon, the orchestra's origin dates back to 1910, when music teacher Mary ...
Berkeley, California
Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and E ...
, which describes itself as the second oldest independent youth symphony in the country. By 1963, ''Life'' magazine counted about 15,000 youth orchestras in the country and noted that they were producing music of a caliber that could appeal to adult audiences.
The USA was slow to create a national youth orchestra. One existed, from 1940 to 1942, established and led by
Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Anthony Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977) was a British conductor. One of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th century, he is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra and his appear ...
and consisting of instrumental musicians between the ages of 18 and 25. Stokowski personally auditioned many of the 15,000 young musicians who applied to become members of the All-American Youth Orchestra. The orchestra he assembled consisted of about 100 musicians, one-fifth of whom were women. A small number of professional musicians from the Philadelphia Orchestra played with the younger musicians. The All-American Youth Orchestra made several recordings and toured in Latin America as well as the United States during its two years of existence before being disbanded due to the exigencies imposed by U.S. involvement in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
In 2012 the Weill Music Institute of Carnegie Hall launched the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). By March 2013, the names of the 120 musicians chosen by were announced and the orchestra toured Washington, Moscow, St Petersburg and London in July 2013. The National Youth Orchestra continues to operate as of 2022.
Adult symphony orchestras in the United States are in a separate
list of symphony orchestras in the United States
There were 1,224 symphony orchestras in the United States as of 2014. Some U.S. orchestras maintain a full 52-week performing season, but most are small and have shorter seasons. As of 2007, there were 117 U.S. orchestras with annual budgets of ...
Orchestra America Orchestra America (OA) is a nonprofit organization that promotes orchestral high school music education through positively life-changing events and workshops. As a division of Bands of America? it merged in 2006 with the "Music for All Foundation," ...
Arizona
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Vail Youth Symphony
The Vail Youth Symphony (VYS) orchestra, launched in the summer of 2014, is a youth orchestra that provides symphonic experience to young musicians in the Vail, Arizona area and surrounding communities. VYS strongly encourages members to be invol ...
, Tucson
California
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American Youth Symphony
The American Youth Symphony (AYS) is an orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, United States, It was founded in 1964.
Carlos Izcaray was announced as the third music director in the orchestra's history in 2016.
History
AYS was founded in 1 ...
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California Youth Symphony
California Youth Symphony (CYS) is a San Francisco Bay Area symphony orchestra for young musicians of high school age and younger. It was founded in 1952 by Aaron Sten and in 1963 became the first United States youth orchestra to tour abroad, per ...
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Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic Orchestra
Jr. Philharmonic Orchestra of California is one of the oldest youth orchestras in the United States. It was founded in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the l ...
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Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra
With its debut in 1993, the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra (PSYO) became the first educational program of Pacific Symphony and is now one of four youth orchestras in the Pacific Symphony Youth Ensembles (PSYE) program. Pacific Symphony Youth Orc ...
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Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra
The Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra or PACO is a youth chamber orchestra based in Palo Alto, California. The emphasis on chamber music sets it apart from other youth orchestra
A youth orchestra is an orchestra made of young musicians, typically ...
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Sacramento Youth Symphony The Sacramento Youth Symphony (SYS) was founded in 1956 as a 55-member youth orchestra, associated with the Sacramento Symphony Association. The Sacramento Symphony has since ceased operations and the Sacramento Youth Symphony became incorporated as ...
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San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra
The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra (SFSYO) is the youth orchestra of the San Francisco Symphony. The SFSYO performs an annual concert series and has made several recordings. The orchestra rehearses in Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, di ...
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San Jose Youth Symphony
The San Jose Youth Symphony (SJYS) is a non-profit youth orchestra located in San Jose, California.
SJYS was founded in 1951. It was originally part of the San Jose Symphony as the San Jose Symphony Youth Orchestra (SJSYO). However, in 2002, when ...
Norwalk Youth Symphony
The Norwalk Youth Symphony (NYS) is an American symphony orchestra for high school aged and younger students. The symphony is based in Norwalk, Connecticut. Established in 1956, the symphony includes students from Connecticut and some parts of N ...
Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra
The Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras, or JSYO, is a youth orchestra based in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List o ...
Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, commonly known as the ASYO, is an organization featuring Atlanta's young instrumentalists, created in 1974. Each May, about 300 middle to high school instrumentalists go through one or more auditions for places ...
Gamer Symphony Orchestra at the University of Maryland
The Gamer Symphony Orchestra at the University of Maryland (often referred to as the GSO, UMGSO, or UMDGSO) is a student-run symphony orchestra and chorus at the University of Maryland. The orchestra is the first collegiate ensemble to draw its re ...
Minnesota Youth Symphonies
Minnesota Youth Symphonies, commonly referred to as MYS, was founded in 1972 by Ralph Winkler. The program has five orchestras composed of students from elementary level through high school, with participation's based on an annual audition. All l ...
Saint Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra
The St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra (SLSYO) is an American orchestra for musicians between the ages of 12 and 22, and is the young people's version of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO). The SLSYO performs three concerts a year at Powell ...
New York Youth Symphony
The New York Youth Symphony (NYYS), founded in 1963, is a tuition-free music organization for the youth in New York City, widely reputed to be one of the best of its kind in the nation and world. Its programs include its flagship Orchestra, Cha ...
Tulsa Youth Symphony
The Tulsa Youth Symphony Orchestra (TYS) is an Oklahoma nonprofit arts organization founded in 1963 to provide advanced orchestral training and performance experience for young musicians in Northeastern Oklahoma. As of 2016, more than 200 students ...
Oregon
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Eugene-Springfield Youth Orchestras
Eugene-Springfield Youth Orchestras are the major youth orchestras serving Eugene, Oregon, United States and surrounding areas.
History
The Eugene Junior Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1934, supported by the newly-formed Eugene Junior Sy ...
Portland Youth Philharmonic
The Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP) is the oldest youth orchestra in the United States, established in 1924 as the Portland Junior Symphony (PJS). Now based in Portland, Oregon, the orchestra's origin dates back to 1910, when music teacher Mary ...
Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra The Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra is one of the oldest youth orchestra programs in the United States, having performed its first concert under the direction of Stanley H. Levin in 1945 at Carnegie Music Hall in the Oakland neighborhood of Pitt ...
American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras
The American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras (AYPO) is group of youth orchestras in the Washington metropolitan area. The group consists of three full orchestras (the American Youth Philharmonic, Symphonic Orchestra, and Concert Orchestra), and thre ...
Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra
The Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program (YOP) is a program for students that introduces them into the world of the symphony. YOP is sponsored by the Richmond Symphony.
History
The Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra was founded in the spring ...
Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras
Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras (SYSO) is the largest youth symphony organization and youth orchestra training program in the United States, as well as the eighth oldest.
Programs
SYSO-in-the-Schools supports public school instrumental music pr ...