Minnesota Youth Symphonies

YOUTH ORCHESTRA EDUCATION PROGRAMS DEDICATED TO CONSERVATORY-LEVEL ORCHESTRAL TRAINING.

MINNESOTA YOUTH SYMPHONIES (MYS) HAS SERVED YOUNG ORCHESTRAL MUSICIANS SINCE 1972. THE HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND ARTISTIC STANDARDS AT MYS ARE A HALLMARK OF OUR ORGANIZATION. THERE ARE THREE FULL ORCHESTRAS; PHILHARMONIC (ADVANCED INTERMEDIATE); REPERTORY (ADVANCED LEVEL) AND SYMPHONY (COLLEGIATE LEVEL). MYS ALSO HAS A STRING ORCHESTRA (INTERMEDIATE LEVEL). FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2018, MYS BEGAN A NEW ORCHESTRA COUNTERPART TO THE STRING ORCHESTRA FOR WINDS, BRASS AND PERCUSSION STUDENTS CALLED WIND ORCHESTRA. THIS BEGINNING-INTERMEDIATE LEVEL ORCHESTRA FOCUSES ON TRAINING THESE STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN A FULL ORCHESTRA EXPERIENCE BY WORKING ON TECHNIQUE AND EAR-TRAINING THROUGH ORCHESTRAL REPERTOIRE. ALL STUDENTS MUST AUDITION EACH SEASON FOR PLACEMENT INTO ONE OF THE ORCHESTRA LEVELS. MYS HAS A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO ENSURE THAT ALL QUALIFYING STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE. REHEARSALS ARE HELD AT HIGHLAND PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL IN ST. PAUL, OUR REHEARSAL HOME FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS. THREE CONCERTS ARE HELD EACH YEAR IN PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE VENUES, PLAYING TO NEAR-SELLOUT CROWDS. THE ARTISTIC STAFF IS COMPRISED OF CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTORS, THREE PRINCIPAL CONDUCTORS, THREE REGULAR COACHES, EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR, A STRING ORCHESTRA ASSISTANT, AND FOUR VOLUNTEER LIBRARIANS.OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE MYS EXPERIENCE INCLUDE MUSIC EDUCATION CLASSES SUCH AS: HARMONY & COMPOSITION, SOLFEGE, MUSIC THEORY AND MUSIC HISTORY. THE ANNUAL SYMPHONY SOLO COMPETITION HAS GAINED WIDE ACCLAIM AND HAS FEATURED SOLOISTS ON THE VIOLIN, CELLO, TUBA, MARIMBA, CLARINET, HARP, BASSOON, FLUTE, XYLOPHONE AND VIOLA.COMMUNITY OUTREACH:THIS SEASON MYS BEGAN A NEW PROGRAM WITH THE ROSEVILLE AREA SCHOOLS ORCHESTRA FOUNDATION(RASOF). THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES $5 LESSONS TO STUDENTS IN ROSEVILLE AREA SCHOOLS WHO HAVE FINANCIAL NEED AND ALSO ARE PARTICIPATING MEMBERS OF THEIR SCHOOL ORCHESTRAS. RASOF SUPPORTS THE PROGRAM FINANCIALLY, AND MYS PROVIDES ADMINISTRATIVE AND ARTISTIC SUPPORT THAT MONITORS STUDENT PROGRESS, RECRUITS PRIVATE LESSON TEACHERS, AND COMMUNICATES ABOUT THE PROGRAM TO THE COMMUNITY.MYS ALSO SPONSORS A MUSIC & MELODY MAKERS PROGRAM THAT BROUGHT YOUNG CHILDREN IN TO TRY OUT THE ORCHESTRAL INSTRUMENTS AND OBSERVE AN ORCHESTRA REHEARSAL. THIS PROGRAM IS OFFERED TWICE EACH SEASON AND IS FREE TO THE PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE MOSTLY FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD AND FAMILY EDUCATION PROGRAMS. WE ALSO HAVE A PROGRAM FOR YOUTH GROUPS TO RECEIVE REDUCED OR FREE TICKETS TO OUR CONCERTS. TOTAL CONCERT ATTENDANCE FOR THE 2021 SEASON WAS LOWER THAN AVERAGE DUE TO THE CHALLENGING NATURE OF THE SEASON, BUT THIS YEAR"S FINAL CONCERT WAS LIVE STREAMED TO THE PUBLIC FREE OF CHARGE.MYS STUDENTS PERFORM IN THE COMMUNITY IN A NUMBER OF WAYS. MYS TYPICALLY PRESENTS A COMMUNITY PERFORMANCE FEATURING ALL FOUR ORCHESTRAS CALLED THE PLAY-A-THON. THIS CONCERT EFFORT TYPICALLY RAISES AROUND $30,000. ARTISTIC STAFF: LONG-TIME CONDUCTORS JIM BARTSCH AND PATRICIA KELLY SERVE AS INTERIM CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTORS AS WELL AS BILL EDDINS AND RUTH LIN AS SYMPHONY AND REPERTORY CONDUCTORS, RESPECTIVELY. NICHOLAS ELLISON SERVES AS WIND ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR.MYS HAS A DEVOTED ARTISTIC STAFF OF CONDUCTORS AND COACHES WHO HAVE MORE THAN EIGHTY COMBINED YEARS OF SERVICE WITH MYS. REGULAR SECTIONALS WITH MEMBERS OF THE MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA GIVE OUR STUDENTS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY AND PERSPECTIVE. A LOYAL AND TALENTED ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF AND A DEVOTED GROUP OF BOARD MEMBERS ROUND OUT A PROGRAM THAT IS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO THE EDUCATION OF YOUNG MUSICIANS. EACH SEASON MORE THAN 125 PARENT VOLUNTEERS ASSIST WITH REHEARSALS, REHEARSAL RETREATS, CONCERTS AND SPECIAL ACTIVITIES. A VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR COORDINATES VOLUNTEERS.STATISTICAL DATA: - 291 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN FIVE ORCHESTRAS DURING THE 2020-2021 SEASON. 53% OF MYS STUDENTS WERE FROM SAINT PAUL OR THE EASTERN TWIN CITIES SUBURBS, 33% WERE FROM MINNEAPOLIS OR THE WESTERN SUBURBS. ABOUT 12% CAME FROM GREATER MINNESOTA, AND 2% FROM WESTERN WISCONSIN. SOME TRAVELED FROM AS FAR AS ROCHESTER TO PARTICIPATE. THE 2020-2021 STUDENT POPULATION IS 48% CAUCASIAN, 36% ASIAN, 4% AFRICAN AMERICAN, 4% HISPANIC, 7% MULTI-RACIAL AND 1% NATIVE AMERICAN.- 7% OF MYS STUDENTS RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS. - 98% OF THE STUDENTS STUDY PRIVATELY AND 80% PLAY IN THEIR SCHOOL BAND OR ORCHESTRA PROGRAM. - 97% OF GRADUATING SENIORS WERE ACCEPTED INTO A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY. - OVER 50% OF MYS STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE FREE MYS MUSIC EDUCATION CLASSES, WITH TOPICS INCLUDING SOLFEGE, EAR TRAINING, THEORY EXAM PREPARATION. MYS IS GOVERNED BY A BOARD OF DIRECTORS WHO PROVIDE FISCAL OVERSIGHT AND ESTABLISH POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION OF THE ORGANIZATION. THE MYS OFFICE STAFF IS COMPRISED OF FOUR PERSONNEL: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS MANAGER, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR AND A PART-TIME LIBRARIAN. THE MYS OFFICES ARE LOCATED IN HIGHLAND PARK, MN.