Midwest Young Artists Conservatory (MYAC) is a youth music and jazz organization based near
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, Illinois. It is the largest youth ensemble music program in the
Midwest.
MYAC was founded in 1993 in
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, ...
by Dr.
Allan Dennis and consisted of a single
orchestra
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, c ...
. Since then, MYAC has grown considerably; it now includes six youth
symphony orchestras, 65+ chamber ensembles, a jazz and big band program, four choral groups, and an entry level early childhood music program for very young children.
MYAC also has a sizable
chamber music program. The organization is based at the MYAC Center in
Fort Sheridan in
Highwood, Illinois
Highwood is a North Shore suburb of Chicago in Moraine Township, Lake County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,074. It is known for its entertainment, restaurants, bars, and festivals.
Geography
Highwood ...
. Enrollment is around 1000 student musicians from 78 cities throughout the
Chicago metropolitan area
The Chicago metropolitan area, also colloquially referred to as Chicagoland, is a metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States. Encompassing 10,286 sq mi (28,120 km2), the metropolitan area includes the city of Chicago, its suburbs and h ...
.
MYAC performances are held at
Harris Theater and
Jay Pritzker Pavilion in
Millennium Park,
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 ...
in Chicago, Pick-Staiger Auditorium at
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
, the
Ravinia Festival
Ravinia Festival is an outdoor music venue in Highland Park, Illinois. It hosts a series of outdoor concerts and performances every summer from June to September. The first orchestra to perform at Ravinia Festival was the New York Philharmonic unde ...
and the Hot House jazz facility. In 2007, Midwest Young Artists Conservatory became the first youth orchestra ever to perform at the
Civic Opera House in Chicago. Each year, Midwest Young Artists Conservatory hosts the Walgreens National Concerto Competition, for young soloists, and the Discover National Chamber Music Competition, for young string, brass, percussion and wind ensembles.
In March 2019, MYAC was named the 2019 Youth Orchestra of the Year by the
Illinois Council of Orchestras, the fourth time in the organization's 30-year history.
Ensembles
Midwest Young Artists Conservatory has six principal orchestras, ranked by skill level and age:
*Reading Orchestra
*Cadet Orchestra
*Concertino Orchestra
*Philharmonia Orchestra
*Concert Orchestra
*Symphony Orchestra
MYAC has four main jazz ensembles, as well as a number of smaller jazz combos.
*Big Band
*Jazz Orchestra
*Jazz Workshop
*Jazz Ensemble
MYAC has 4 choral ensembles
*Mini Maestros
*Mighty Maestros
*Voices Rising
*Vocal Point
External links
Midwest Young Artists ConservatoryMYAC Summer Music ProgramsMidwest Young Artists Conservatory NewsMidwest Young Artists Conservatory on YouTubeMidwest Young Artists Conservatory on SoundCloud
{{authority control
American youth orchestras
Classical music in the United States
Musical groups established in 1993
Music organizations based in the United States
Music schools in Illinois
Highwood, Illinois
Education in Evanston, Illinois
Orchestras based in Illinois
1993 establishments in Illinois
Youth organizations based in Illinois
Articles containing video clips