May 2025 – MYS 50th Season Finale Welcomes Grammy Winner Esperanza Spalding On Stage with MYS-Commissioned Work
Metropolitan Youth Symphony is proud to present the final concert in its milestone 50th Anniversary Season series Breaking Barriers titled “esperanza spalding” on June 17, 7:30pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Directed by Music Director Raúl Gómez-Rojas, this concert features five-time GRAMMY winner, Portland native (and MYS alum!) esperanza spalding, a true barrier-breaker for our time.
Read the full press release here>>
February 2025 – MYS Pays Homage to Video Games and Film with a Family-Friendly Matinee and Instrument Petting Zoo
Metropolitan Youth Symphony is proud to present the third concert in its 50th Anniversary Season series, Breaking Barriers, titled “Music for Millions: Film and Video Games” on March 2, 4:00pm at the Newmark Theatre. Led by Music Director Raúl Gómez-Rojas, this concert showcases how orchestral music extends its reach through film and video games, breaking the barriers of genre and traditional audiences. Pacific Youth Choir, composer Steffen Schmidt, Young Composers Project, and student animators from Portland Art Museum’s Center for an Untold Tomorrow are featured.
Read the full press release here>>
December 2024 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony Welcomes Hunter Noack to the Stage for an Evening of Concertos and World Premieres
Metropolitan Youth Symphony presents the next concert in its 50th Anniversary Season: Breaking Barriers. “A Powerful Voice Rises: Soloists in the Spotlight” on January 12, 7:30pm at the Newmark Theatre will feature classical pianist Hunter Noack and the winners of MYS’ Concerto Competition, Leena Karmarkar (violin) and Kaden Prichard (clarinet).
Read the full press release here>>
October 2024 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony Opens Milestone 50th Anniversary Season: Breaking Barriers
Metropolitan Youth Symphony is proud to present opening night of its milestone 50th Anniversary Season: “The Force of Love” on November 10, 7:30pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The season theme, Breaking Barriers, highlights composers and artists breaking barriers through music and art. This concert will specifically spotlight love as a force to break barriers, through the stories of Leonore and Florestan, Orpheus and Eurydice, and Romeo and Juliet.
Read the full press release here>>
September 2024 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony Celebrates 50 Years of Music Making and Barrier Breaking
Metropolitan Youth Symphony celebrates its 50th Anniversary Season with Downtown Series concerts on November 10 and March 2, culminating in a collaborative performance featuring five-time Grammy winner and Portland native esperanza spalding on June 17.
Read the full press release here>>
June 2024 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony Launches 50th Anniversary Season with Spain-Portugal Tour
Portland, OR-based Metropolitan Youth Symphony is proud to announce its Spain-Portugal tour from July 9-20, 2024. Leading into the organization’s 50th anniversary season, this tour features MYS’ most advanced ensemble Symphony Orchestra and MYS alumni. Most repertoire performed on tour will embody the theme “Landscapes and their Stories,” with a number of compositions by Oregon composers.
Read the full press release here>>
May 2024 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony’s Season Finale Sets the Stage for International Tour
Metropolitan Youth Symphony is proud to present its season finale concert on June 16, 7:30pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Titled “From Oregon to Iberia,” this concert is the first stop on MYS’ summer tour to Spain and Portugal, featuring several pieces that MYS’ Symphony Orchestra will also perform abroad.
Read the full press release here>>
January 2024 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony Premieres Pando by Cellist and Composer Nancy Ives
Metropolitan Youth Symphony is proud to present its Winter Downtown Concert “Rooted,” featuring the world premiere of a commission from Nancy Ives, composer and principal cello for the Oregon Symphony, on March 3, 7:30pm at Newmark Theater, conducted by MYS Music Director Raúl Gómez-Rojas.
Read the full press release here>>
December 2023 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony Presents Original Songs by Vocal Sensation Jimmie Herrod with New Orchestral Arrangements
Metropolitan Youth Symphony is proud to present “Just Jimmie” with special guest and vocal sensation Jimmie Herrod on January 9, 7:30pm at the Newmark Theatre. Led by Music Director Raúl Gómez-Rojas, MYS’ Symphony Orchestra will premiere orchestral arrangements of original songs by Mr. Herrod, including Are You Lonely, Beautiful, I Love You, I Want To Run, Mouche, and Willow Bed.
Read the full press release here>>
October 2023 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony’s Opening Night Presents Beloved Animated Classics
Metropolitan Youth Symphony is proud to present opening night of its 2023-24 season, “Music in Motion,” on November 12, 7:30pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. This concert, which explores the way music and animation inspire each other, embodies MYS Music Director Raúl Gómez-Rojas’ vision to explore works of distinction that redefine what belongs in a traditional “classical” concert.
Read the full press release here>>
September 2023 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony Redefines Classical Concerts with its 2023-24 Season
Metropolitan Youth Symphony announces its 2023-24 Symphony Orchestra Downtown Series, with notable works from composers such as Mussorgsky, Beethoven, Copland, and Paul Dukas. Season highlights include a commission from Nancy Ives, a look at the intersection of music and animation with soundtracks from animated classics such as Sleeping Beauty, and a premiere of orchestral arrangements of original music by Jimmie Herrod, with Herrod himself performing as a guest artist. In addition, MYS continues to premiere student works from its unique commissioning series, The Authentic Voice.
Read the full press release here>>
April 2023 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony’s Season Finale Showcases Composers Who Went Against the Grain
Wrapping up its 2022-23 season, Metropolitan Youth Symphony will present “Against the Grain” on Friday, May 19, 2023, 7:30pm at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. This season finale will showcase formidable composers such as Emilie Mayer and Leonard Bernstein, along with work by local young composer Elaina Stuppler addressing gun violence and performances by co-winners of the MYS annual Concerto Competition.
Read the full press release here>>
February 2023 – Renowned Composer Jennifer Higdon Joins Metropolitan Youth Symphony for the West Coast Premiere of her Celebrated Cold Mountain Suite
Pulitzer Prize and three-time Grammy-winner Jennifer Higdon will join Metropolitan Youth Symphony for “Tales of Love and Justice with Jennifer Higdon” at the Newmark Theatre on March 5 at 7:30pm. At this concert, MYS’ Symphony Orchestra will present the West Coast premiere of Higdon’s Cold Mountain Suite. MYS was invited to co-commission Cold Mountain Suite in cooperation with The League of American Orchestras and a consortium of 15 professional orchestras and two youth orchestras.
Read the full press release here>>
December 2022 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony Brings “The Magic of Eric Carle” to the Newmark Theatre Stage
Metropolitan Youth Symphony’s January 8th concert (4:00pm) will bring five of Eric Carle’s most beloved stories – The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I See A Song, The Mixed-Up Chameleon, The Very Quiet Cricket, and Papa, Please Get The Moon For Me – to the stage with a unique and collaborative mix of animation, live orchestral music, and narration. Perfect for the young and young at heart, this concert will feature original compositions by English composer Julian Nott performed by MYS’ Symphony Orchestra, a screening of animations by Illuminated Films, and live narration courtesy of All Classical Portland’s International Children’s Arts Network (ICAN).
Read the full press release here>>
October 2022 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony Invites You to Opening Night with Dvořák and a Dance Suite
Metropolitan Youth Symphony is proud to present opening night of its 2022-23 season on November 13 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall: “From the New World.” Led by MYS Music Director Raúl Gómez-Rojas, MYS’ Symphony Orchestra will showcase Antonin Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, New World Symphony, as well as the world premiere of a collaborative Dance Suite by student composers from The Authentic Voice commissioning series.
Read the full press release here>>
September 2022 – The Metropolitan Youth Symphony’s 2022-23 Season Showcases Themes of Americana, Storytelling, and Tragic Love
The Metropolitan Youth Symphony announces its 2022-23 season for its Symphony Orchestra Downtown Series, with work from notable composers such as Antonin Dvorak, Jennifer Higdon, Margaret Allison Bonds, Emilie Mayer, and Leonard Bernstein. The season will span four Symphony Orchestra performances on November 13, January 8, March 5, and May 19, with themes of Americana, storytelling, tragic love, and multicultural influences woven throughout.
Read the full press release here>>
September 2021 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony is back—live—with
an ambitious mix of classics and new works for the 2021/22 season
Music Director Rául Gómez-Rojas is pleased to launch a 2021/22 season packed with diverse, high-impact repertoire, where talented young musicians will perform traditional masterworks, groundbreaking American composers, and new music by young Oregon composers.
Read the full press release here>>
August 2020 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony Begins 2020-2021 Season with Innovative Instruction by Local and International World-Class Musicians, Fall Term Culminates in Virtual Holiday Spectacular
Metropolitan Youth Symphony (MYS) announces that its Fall Term, beginning September 12, will be fully online, and will feature two virtual concerts, including the first-ever Holiday Spectacular.
Read the full press release here>>
May 2020 – Virtual and vital: Strike up the band
From Oregon ArtsWatch: Caught short by the pandemic, the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra takes to technology and shows that shutdown doesn’t have to mean shut up
May 2020 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony Shifts to Online Educational Programming and Announces Spring Virtual Concert
Metropolitan Youth Symphony (MYS) has shifted its focus to online performances and rehearsals as well as online educational programming to provide its students and community with a musical and educational outlet during this time.
Read the full press release here>>
February 2020 – Music Director Raúl Gómez on Afternoon Live
January 2020 – Renowned Jazz Violinist Regina Carter Performs David Schiff’s “4 Sisters” with MYS Symphony Orchestra
Metropolitan Youth Symphony’s concert on March 8 brings jazz virtuoso Regina Carter to Portland audiences. Carter joins the MYS Symphony Orchestra for the West Coast Premiere of local composer David Schiff’s 4 Sisters jazz violin concerto. Carter made her debut as a concerto soloist performing Schiff’s jazz concerto with the Detroit Symphony in 2004, which included the premiere of a special solo at the beginning of work composed just for her.
Read the full press release here>>
November 2019 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony Collaborates with the International Youth Silent Film Festival to Present Young Filmmakers and Composers
Metropolitan Youth Symphony (MYS) continues its dynamic 46th season with Lights, Camera, Music! on January 12, 2020.This unprecedented collaborative concert with the International Youth Silent Film Festival (IYSFF) celebrates young contemporary voices in film and composition.
Read the full press release here>>
September 2019 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony Brings the Energy with Beethoven 7 and the World Premiere of Hidden Voices
Following a superbly enriching summer tour to Europe, the Metropolitan Youth Symphony (MYS) opens its 2019-20 season on November 10th with a beautifully crafted program centered around the tour de force, Beethoven 7. This concert fittingly begins a season that is full of energy, optimism and brand new music.
Read the full press release here>>
July 2019 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony Breaks the Classical Music Mold with its 2019/20 Season
The Metropolitan Youth Symphony (MYS) breaks the classical music mold for its musicians and audiences with a 2019-20 season full of genre-defying collaborations juxtaposed with traditional symphonic masterworks. By programming pieces which embrace broader definitions of the classical genre, and by bringing guest artist Regina Carter to Portland by way of an unprecedented residency program, MYS helps to recontextualize classical music and widen its audiences and advocates.
Read the full press release here>>
April 2019 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony Brings the First Symphony by an African-American Woman Ever Performed in the US to Portland
This May, the Metropolitan Youth Symphony illuminates the diversity of our nation’s rich cultural tapestry with the program “America’s Florence.” Named for the pioneering African-American composer Florence Price, this concert features what is believed to be the West Coast Premiere of her Symphony No. 1 in E minor, winner of the first place prize for an orchestral work in the progressive Rodman Wanamaker Competition of 1932.
Read the full press release here>>
January 2019 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony in Collaboration with the Northwest Children’s Theater Brings “Firebird” to Life
This March, the Metropolitan Youth Symphony teams up with the Northwest Children’s Theater to pay homage to the coming spring season with a brilliantly hued program of movement, puppetry, and spectacular orchestral fireworks inspired by birds.
Read the full press release here>>
November 2018 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony in Collaboration with the Pacific Youth Choir Celebrates Hispanic Musical Heritage with “Cantando”
With its next Downtown Series concert entitled “Cantando,” The Metropolitan Youth Symphony brings together myriad branches of Portland’s Hispanic community in a high-energy musical celebration of Latino culture. Raúl Gómez, the symphony’s charismatic and talented Costa Rican Music Director, will conduct rarely heard masterpieces from Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, and Columbia for a rich and colorful program with wide appeal. By way of innovative partnerships with Portland Mercado, Latino Network, Milagro, Univisión Portland, and Multnomah County’s Bienestar de la Familia Social Service Program, the event will highlight the ways in which the local Hispanic community contributes to Portland’s vibrant spirit.
Read the full press release here>>
October 2018 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony in Partnership with Fear No Music’s Young Composers Project Launches “The Authentic Voice” at November 11th Concert
The Metropolitan Youth Symphony fittingly kicks off its Downtown Series on Sunday, November 11th, 7:30pm at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with its Symphony Orchestra performing Viva Italia! This nod to the great Italian tradition features an ebullient program sure to build excitement for the Symphony’s 2019 summer tour * to Italy. Praised for his impactful programming, Music Director Raúl Gómez has assembled an upbeat selection of music that not only captures the joy of youth, but also holistically depicts the Italian spirit while maintaining diversity of origination.
Read the full press release here>>
September 2018 – Metropolitan Youth Symphony’s 2018/19 Season Energizes Portland Youth Through Artistic Partnerships And Italian Tour
Metropolitan Youth Symphony (MYS) announces MYS Symphony Orchestra programming and highlights for 2018/19 – the 45th season of programs for Portland’s young musicians. The series showcases the radical multiculturalism of the Americas, blending traditional classical repertoire with contemporary and classic American and Latin American works. The four Portland-area concerts culminate in a summer residency in Italy.
Read the full press release here>>
July 2018 – In partnership with Metropolitan Youth Symphony, Portland Summer Ensembles hosts a week-long chamber music camp, culminating in two evening concerts
July 16-21, Portland Summer Ensembles (PSE) and the Metropolitan Youth Symphony (MYS) will host a week-long chamber music camp for student musicians, culminating in a concert by PSE faculty, comprised of members of the Oregon Symphony, and a concert with student musicians. Led by Artistic Director Jun Iwasaki, Concertmaster of the Nashville Symphony and former Oregon Symphony concertmaster, Portland Summer Ensembles is a week-long chamber music camp that attracts student musicians from throughout Oregon and SW Washington.
Read the full press release here>>
March 2018 – Oregon Symphony Names MYS 2018 Schnitzer Wonder Award Winner!
President Scott Showalter announced today that the Symphony’s 2018 Schnitzer Wonder Award will go to the Metropolitan Youth Symphony (MYS), represented by Music Director Raúl Gómez and Executive Director Diana Scoggins. Founded on the belief that music education is an integral part of childhood development, MYS provides training and performance opportunities for young musicians of all ages and abilities. MYS is committed to access and inclusion and eliminating all barriers to participation. The award will be presented on April 14 at the Oregon Symphony’s Classically Unexpected concert at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. This is a free concert for the Symphony’s partners and the Portland community.
Read the full press release here>>
March 2018 – MYS Announces 2018 ‘Crescendo Honors’ Awards to Local and National Recipients
Metropolitan Youth Symphony’s upcoming annual gala recognizes the importance of strong, innovative and collaborative leaders who make an impact on the hundreds of students MYS educates through its music programming.
Read the full press release here>>
February 2018 – MYS Music Director Raúl Gómez Nominated
MYS Music Director Raúl Gómez Selected for Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview Metropolitan Youth Symphony is pleased to announce that Music Director Raúl Gómez been named one of six dynamic conductors to participate in the League of American Orchestra’s 2018 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview. Chosen by a panel of leading music professionals, Gomez competed for the honor with nearly 150 conductors from around the world.
Read the full press release here>>
October 2017 – Music from the Americas | November 12 at 7:30pm
Metropolitan Youth Symphony (MYS) kicks off the season with an opening night concert at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Sunday, November 12th at 7:30pm. Our opening concert celebrates the beautifully diverse musical landscape of the Americas, as we echo the Oregon Symphony’s exploration of the topic of immigration within their Sounds of Home series.
Read the full press release here>>
September 2017 – Introducing Metropolitan Youth Symphony’s 44th Season!
As we enter our 44th season, MYS, has reason to celebrate. Our 2017 – 2018 concert season consists of three Downtown Series performances at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, one concert at the Newmark Theatre (in partnership with Friends of Chamber Music), and 12 concerts throughout the community, at schools and local venues. This August marked the one-year anniversary of Music Director, Raúl Gómez joining MYS. With the high quality of his artistic experience and belief in community, we continue to devote our efforts to musical excellence, access, equity, and collaboration.
Read the full press release here>>
June 2017 – MYS on Univision!
Check out our Music Director, Raúl Gómez, in this TV interview about MYS! Special thanks to Univision. See you at our season finale on Sunday evening at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.