2020-2021 Season Update

Due to the ongoing safety concerns related to COVID-19, we have decided that our Fall term program will be online. We learned much through the quick switch to an online program last spring and have made enhancements to the rehearsal day and concert process. We believe this new format will be a wonderful way to keep music in your student’s life as we give them time with Oregon Symphony musicians, international guest artists, students from other youth orchestras, and new MYS friends. Please visit our 2020-21 Season Update page for more information.

Virtual Fall Concert Celebration

Join us for a virtual celebration of music, theatre and art, featuring a cross-genre program that allows for unique collaboration between MYS ensembles with performances ranging from Beethoven to contemporary American composers Florence Price and William Grant Still. This concert is FREE to the public, but requires registration. The concert will premiere on our YouTube Channel on November 21 at 7pm. 

Register for 2020-21 Winter Term! 

MYS welcomes students at all levels of musical experience and from all backgrounds to register for our Winter Term. With orchestra, band, jazz, percussion and string ensembles offered, either online or in person depending on COVID guidelines, and tuition assistance available, there is an opportunity for everyone.

MYS’ online program will provide students a place to stay connected to their music and to their friends, while working on a variety of repertoire including classical masterworks and new music by young and diverse composers from Portland and beyond. In addition to our excellent team of conductors, MYS is adding new core faculty to our artistic staff, consisting primarily of Oregon Symphony musicians, who will lead weekly studio classes with small groups of musicians for enhanced learning.

In a typical season, students enjoy performance opportunities at venues throughout the metro area, including the Newmark Theatre and Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. This year’s concerts will most likely take place online to accommodate social distancing guidelines. Auditions are easy to do by video. Simply complete the registration form and we will send you instructions for video submission. Auditions for a Winter start are due Monday, November 30, 2020 for guaranteed placement by the first rehearsal of Winter Term on December 12th. Auditions to start in the Winter Term will continue to be accepted through the first week of January 2021. 

Opportunity Knocks for Talented Young Musicians 

MYS is thrilled to welcome international students to take part in our virtual rehearsals and concerts through the Fall Term. The Daily Observer in Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda recently published a story on local students from the Antigua and Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra who are currently participating in our virtual rehearsals. READ the story HERE.