Alaska Youth Orchestras

Alaska Youth Orchestras (AYO) is building a community where music education and performance are valued and shared! A Resident Company since the 2011-2012 season, AYO serves more than 500 Southcentral Alaskan youth each year (kindergarten – college) with diverse programs and creative community partnerships.

AYO’s flagship program, the Anchorage Youth Symphony, is their featured performing ensemble at each of their concerts. Founded in 1965, the incredible Youth Symphony program has alumni spread across the globe in every walk of life. Each season these 80 or so high school and college age musicians blow us away with their incredible, professional-quality performances of classical masterworks.

Seeing a need to offer additional opportunities, AYO recently expanded, added preparatory performing ensembles and outreach programs. Their quarterly Celebration Concerts celebrate a love of classical music and highlight the accomplishments their programs in a unique and heartwarming way.

AYO’s Symphony School Ensembles (grades 4-12) are the “opening act” of their events, bringing the joy of music education into the PAC. Each preparatory ensemble performs their progressively harder classical works to the delight of AYO audiences. Concerts also include special recognition of their After School Music program participants (K-6) – a community partnership with Camp Fire Alaska – that works to inspire a love of classical music, early music lessons, and access to the classical music concert hall. Through the generosity of AYO donors and sponsors, After School Music participants and their families receive free tickets to AYO events.

Come celebrate with AYO this season and help build a community where music education and performance are valued and shared!