History of MYS | Metropolitan Youth Symphony

Who We Are

For fifty years, Metropolitan Youth Symphony has celebrated its mission to educate, develop, and promote young musicians (6-18 years old) at all musical levels and from all backgrounds. With some of nation’s most comprehensive programming, MYS serves 400+ students from 142 schools in 15 orchestra, winds, jazz, strings, and percussion ensembles. MYS conductors are exceptional artists and educators, with instrumental coaches from the area’s top music organizations, including the Oregon Symphony. MYS provides a multi-level music theory program where composition is integrated at the earliest levels, as well as a summer chamber music program with faculty from the Oregon Symphony and Grammy-nominated Boston-based chamber orchestra, A Far Cry.

Access and inclusion are core values for the organization. MYS provides free string lessons for underserved children, tuition assistance for students enrolled in its ensemble program, loaner instruments, small group coaching across its ensembles, and free in-school concerts at low-income schools that reach over 5,000 children each season. With foundational commitments to excellence and access, MYS ensembles reflect diverse backgrounds while fostering a tight-knit community through mentoring, peer support, and the joy of playing and performing music.

Our Origin

MYS was incorporated in 1975 with 16 string players. The group grew quickly to 35 members by their first performance later that year. MYS was founded by Maestro Lajos Balogh on the belief that the study of music is an integral part of a child becoming a well-rounded adult. Not only does music promote intellectual and aesthetic knowledge, it also builds leadership skills and creates a supportive, community environment.

Our Music Directors

Lajos Balogh, MYS Founding Music Director, 1974-2012

Lajos Balogh, the visionary founder of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony, dedicated his life to making music accessible to all young people, regardless of their background or circumstances. Born in Hungary, Balogh’s early years were shaped by the profound hardships of World War II and the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. As a young man, he fled his homeland and found safety in the United States. Through his work as a violinist at the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, and eventually its principal second violin, Balogh discovered a local community that welcomed him. In return, he created a youth orchestra that would forever change the lives of countless young musicians.

In 1974, Lajos Balogh founded MYS with a clear mission: to educate, develop, and promote young musicians. His commitment to access for all remains a cornerstone of MYS’s work, driving its efforts to make music education available to every student, regardless of economic or social barriers. Mr. Balogh’s vision was not just to teach music but to build an inclusive community where students from all walks of life could come together to explore and celebrate the art of music. He imagined a place where diverse musical styles and ensemble types—from classical symphonies to jazz and chamber music—could coexist, offering every student a chance to find their unique voice within a supportive environment. His work in music education has left a lasting impact on Portland’s cultural landscape, ensuring that every young musician has the chance to become a global citizen through the gift of music.

Andrés Lopera, MYS Music Director, 2012-2015

Dynamic and imaginative, conductor Andres Lopera begins his debut season as Music Director of Indiana’s Richmond Symphony Orchestra. A trailblazing Latin American conductor in the U.S., Lopera has led orchestras across the Americas for over a decade.

He recently completed five seasons as Associate Conductor of the Columbus Symphony and Music Director of its Youth Orchestras. He has also appeared with the Colorado, Oregon, Toledo, New World, and Williamsburg symphonies, among others.

Festival engagements include the New England Conservatory’s Summer Orchestra Institute, Cabrillo Festival, and National Repertory Orchestra. He has collaborated with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, covering concerts led by Gustavo Dudamel and Carlos Miguel Prieto.

Internationally, Lopera has conducted the National Symphony of Colombia, Xalapa Symphony, and EAFIT Symphony, and worked with orchestras in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Honduras.

Previously, he served as Music Director of Portland’s Metropolitan Youth Symphony, leading 450 students and 12 ensembles. Honors include Portland’s Bravo and Rising Star Awards, Orgullo Colombiano, and Egresados Que Inspiran from EAFIT University.

Born in Don Matias, Colombia, Lopera is the only musician in a family of seven. He enjoys hiking and spending time with family.

William C. White, Interim Music Director, 2015-2016

William C. White (b. 1983) is a conductor, composer, teacher, writer, and performer based in Seattle, WA. Equally known for his original music as for his bold interpretations, Mr. White is an innovative programmer and conscientious leader in the musical community.

Mr. White currently serves as music director of Harmonia, a unique performing ensemble comprised of a chorus and orchestra that concertize as one. For four seasons (2011-15) he served as Assistant Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, working closely with music director Louis Langrée and an array of guest artists, including John Adams, Philip Glass, Jennifer Higdon, and Itzhak Perlman. A noted pedagogue, he has led some of the nation’s finest youth orchestra programs, including Portland’s Metropolitan Youth Symphony and the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra.

In 2025, Mr. White was appointed artistic director of the Sedona Symphony, a professional chamber orchestra in Northern Arizona. He has long-standing associations with a number of musical organizations, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, for whom he has regularly given pre-concert lectures since 2008. For three seasons, he was Music Director of Cincinnati’s Seven Hills Sinfonietta, a period which saw remarkable growth for the organization as a whole. Mr. White has significant experience working with choirs and vocal soloists in a variety of contexts, from small a cappella ensembles to major symphonic and operatic choruses.

Raúl Gómez-Rojas, MYS Music Director, 2016-Present

Member of the 2018 class of the prestigious Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview (League of American Orchestras), Raúl Gómez-Rojas inspires audiences and artists of all ages and backgrounds to use music as a vehicle to connect, pursue excellence, and spread joy. Lauded as a “visionary conductor” (Oregon ArtsWatch), Raúl has built a reputation as an insightful leader that “captivates both performing musicians and audiences alike,” and whose “positive attitude and enthusiasm make him a joy to be with.” Under Raúl’s leadership, the Oregon Ballet Theatre Orchestra’s “precise, yet effortless playing and beautiful cohesion were both breathtaking and steadfast through the show’s final note.” (Amy Leona Havin for Oregon ArtsWatch).

In high demand as a guest conductor, Raúl is equally at home on stage and in the pit, leading professional orchestras in the USA and Latin America, new music ensembles, youth, and community groups, and collaborating with a vast array of guest artists across many genres and disciplines. Recent highlights include performances with the Oregon Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Nashville Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Chamber Orchestra of San Antonio, Portland Chamber Orchestra, 45th Parallel Universe, Fear No Music, Third Angle New Music, Beaverton Symphony, Tilikum Chamber Orchestra, the Oregon International Ballet Academy, esperanza spalding, jazz violinist Regina Carter, Steward Copeland, Boyz 2 Men, Lyle Lovett, The Tenors, Kermit Ruffins, Rick Springfield and more. After a performance together in Portland in 2023, hip-hop artist Common immediately engaged Raúl to join his band on violin for their next performance in Seattle. In 2025, Raúl commissioned and conducted esperanza spalding’s first-ever orchestral composition, with Metropolitan Youth Symphony (Portland, OR).

Raúl is a passionate music educator, and his skills to “inspire children and young adults to make music to the best of their ability are astonishing” (D. Seldis, The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra). 2025-2026 marks Raúl’s tenth season as Music Director of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony in Portland, OR, where he leads a team of 12 conductors serving over 500 students in 14 ensembles. He has led the organization to new artistic heights while creating “concert programs that any forward-looking orchestra should envy.” (Willamette Week). Raúl also currently serves as Music Director of YMA: Young Musicians and Artists and served as Resident Music Director (2022-2024) with Oregon Ballet Theatre.

A native of Costa Rica, Raúl received full scholarships for graduate studies at Louisiana State University in violin/viola (MM, Kevork Mardirossian) and conducting (DMA, Carlos Riazuelo), and was a Conducting Fellow in the American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival (2011). In 2o21, Raúl was a recipient of the Carlos Miguel Prieto Conducting Fellowship. Beyond the podium, his work extends to frequent engagements as a violinist/violist, clinician and public speaker. From 2020 to 2024, he served as a Contributing Host and Producer for On Deck with Young Musicians on All Classical Radio.

Guest Artists and Composer Highpoints

Governor Kitzhaber’s Inauguration: A group of MYSfits students were invited to perform at Gov. John Kitzhaber’s inauguration on January 12, 2015, marking the beginning of his historical fourth term.
New World Symphony: Symphony Orchestra students Cammie Lee, Barry Fowler, Daniel Scoggins, and Justin Huang, accompanied by Music Director Andrés Lopera, were invited by the New World Symphony (NWS) to perform in a Town Hall/Side-by-Side Concert conducted by Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas in Miami, Florida on February 4, 2015.
Yo-Yo Ma: On December 9, 2015, MYSfits was performing a prelude concert in the lobby of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall prior to Yo-Yo Ma’s sold out show when he stopped by and joined in! He then so generously offered for the students to watch his performance from the stage.
Gabriela Lena Frank: On November 12, 2017, Symphony Orchestra performed Gabriela Lena Frank’s Three Latin American Dances, in which she drew from her multicultural background to create three musical vignettes derived from pan-Amazonian dance forms. She was in attendance at rehearsals and at the concert! She was also a guest at one of our virtual hangouts during the pandemic on March 27, 2020.

Project Trio: On January 7, 2018, Symphony Orchestra performed alongside PROJECT Trio, presenting a high octane mix of music including rhythmically charged PROJECT Trio originals and covers ranging from classical to jazz to hip-hop and rock.
Regina Carter: On March 8, 2020, jazz virtuoso Regina Carter joined Symphony Orchestra for the West Coast Premiere of local composer David Schiff’s 4 Sisters jazz violin concerto, with a two-day residency leading up to the concert.
Gabriel Kahane: On April 22, 2022, singer-songwriter, pianist, composer, and inaugural Creative Chair of the Oregon Symphony Gabriel Kahane performed alongside the MYSfits String Ensemble at our annual CRESCENDO Gala. Gabriel also joined MYSfits for their performance of his pieces Little Love and Veda during an MYS Community Concert at Newmark Theatre on February 27, 2022.

Jennifer Higdon: MYS was invited to co-commission Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain Suite in cooperation with The League of American Orchestras and a consortium of 15 professional orchestras and two youth orchestras, and then had the opportunity to perform the West Coast premiere on March 5, 2023. Higdon joined MYS for a special artistic residency leading up to the concert, which included working with students performing the suite, presenting a public session on her music, and holding a master class with students from Young Composers Project, also open to the public.
Jimmie Herrod: On January 9, 2024, Jimmie Herrod, America’s Got Talent finalist & guest vocalist for Pink Martini, joined Symphony Orchestra on stage. They premiered orchestral arrangements of six of his original songs, expanded to a full orchestral palette in collaboration with The Authentic Voice commissioning series and Fear No Music’s Young Composers Project. Jimmie also performed his piece Enfoncer with MYSfits at our annual CRESCENDO Gala on April 21, 2023.
Nancy Ives: On March 3, 2024, Symphony Orchestra performed the world premiere of Pando, a special commission from composer and Oregon Symphony’s principal cellist Nancy Ives, inspired by the world’s largest tree.
Hunter Noack: Our concert on January 12, 2024 featured special guest Hunter Noack – Oregon native, classical pianist, and founder of the “IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild™” outdoor concert series. In performance with Symphony Orchestra, Hunter presented Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.2, Op.18. Hunter Noack and Thomas Lauderdale also performed Carioca by Liberace with MYSfits at our annual CRESCENDO Gala on April 18, 2025.

esperanza spalding: On June 17, 2025, five-time GRAMMY winner, Portland native, and MYS alum esperanza spalding was the special guest artist at our season finale. For the first time ever, audiences heard her piece Dispelling The Lie Of Lies, commissioned by MYS, among other works.

Programs of Note

The Authentic Voice

In 2018, Metropolitan Youth Symphony launched The Authentic Voice series in partnership with Fear No Music’s Young Composers Project. This first-of-its-kind partnership gives young composers the opportunity to write fully orchestrated pieces that are performed at each Symphony Orchestra concert, while MYS musicians gain the opportunity to play never-performed music written by their peers. Each student composer hears their piece played by MYS students at multiple rehearsals, allowing opportunities for questions, feedback, revisions, and collaboration. While student compositions were initially only performed by Symphony Orchestra, this program has expanded to include MYS Concert Orchestra, Portland Camerata and MYSfits string ensembles, and MYSticks percussion ensemble. Notably, composers from YCP and The Authentic Voice have gone on to study at Julliard, USC’s Thornton School of Music, Oberlin, Yale and more.

A Far Cry

Music Director Andrés Lopera introduced a unique bi-coastal collaboration with the Grammy nominated chamber orchestra, A Far Cry, that endures today. Members of A Far Cry provide invaluable mentorship and coaching to our students.

On various occasions, they have joined our MYSfits String Ensemble in performance, rehearsing aside them prior. Most recently, a quartet consisting of A Far Cry’s Jae Cosmos Lee, Megumi Stohs Lewis, Jason Fisher, and Francesca McNeeley joined MYSfits String Ensemble for a concert. Together, they performed Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.3, Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte, and Shine You No More by Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen and the Danish String Quartet, with a special residency leading up to the show.

They also play a large leadership role in our Portland Summer Ensembles Chamber Workshop, with members Jason Fisher, Megumi Stohs Lewis, and Zenas Hsu on the current faculty.

Portland Summer Ensembles

Portland Summer Ensembles is an annual chamber music workshop. Geared towards advanced and highly focused intermediate string, piano, flute, clarinet, and oboe students, PSE provides immersive instruction in chamber music practice and performance techniques. Students have the opportunity to showcase all their progress at a special end-of-week concert!

Highlights of the camp include master classes, rhythm workshops and sight reading, and a focus on chamber music performance, with both classical and contemporary repertoire. Students also have the chance to enjoy new friends and time outside in a beautiful NE Portland location.

PSE’s exceptional faculty members have extensive experience with chamber music and deep involvement in the music community as a whole. Faculty includes Oregon Symphony musicians Inés Voglar Belgique (violin), Marilyn de Oliveira (cello), pianist Yoko Greeney, musicians from Boston-based A Far Cry chamber orchestra Jason Fisher (viola), Megumi Stohs Lewis (violin), and Zenas Hsu (violin), and MYS Music Director, Dr. Raúl Gómez-Rojas (viola).

The composers of *Dance Suite for Orchestra* receiving applause

Virtual Hangouts

During the pandemic, when students needed music and connection more than ever, MYS started the Virtual Hangouts series. These virtual conversations hosted by Music Director, Raúl Gómez-Rojas, featured close to 60 guests, with insight into their lives, trivia, world premiere collaborations and live performances. All Virtual Hangouts are still available for view here.

Special Coaches

We have a rich history of offering coaching sessions with professional musicians, allowing our students to experience their expertise in hands-on setting. This includes:

Oregon Symphony Artists in Residence such as cellist Alban Gearhardt (Nov. 2014), percussionist Collin Currie (Oct. & Nov. 2016), and violinist Simone Lamsma (May 2023).
MYS chamber music program members coached by Hamilton Cheifitz perform in a master class with the Jerusalem Quartet (Feb. 2016)
In Spring 2024, MYSfits string ensemble had the opportunity to record REQS (Dance) by Azerbaijani composer Franghiz Ali-Zadeh from “50 for the Future,” an initiative by Kronos Quartet. Leading up to the recording session, Kronos Quartet legend John Sherba held a virtual coaching session to workshop the piece with MYSfits.
Inspiring rehearsals with former Oregon Symphony Music Directors Carlos Kalmar (multiple occasions) and David Danzmayr (Nov. 2024).
Oregon Symphony Guest Artist Vadim Gluzman (Nov. 2024)

Collaborators Over the Years

BodyVox Junior Artist Generator (JAG)

MYS has a history of collaborating with BodyVox’s Junior Artist Generator. Most recently, in May and June of 2024, MYSfits & MYSticks joined the young dancers from BodyVox’s JAG for two mind-blowing performances. The repertoire included Kenji Bunch’s Apocryphal Dances, Costa Rican composer Bernardo Quesada’s El niño de Isabel, and a movement of Ney Rosauro’s Marimba Concerto played by MYS’ Liam Andrews.

International Children’s Arts Network (ICAN)

On January 8, 2023, Symphony Orchestra brought 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 mix of animation, live orchestral music, and narration. This collaborative concert featured original compositions by English composer Julian Nott performed by Symphony Orchestra, a screening of animations by Illuminated Films, and live narration courtesy of All Classical Portland’s International Children’s Arts Network (ICAN). The concert was later broadcast on ICAN over multiple days.

Local student mariachi groups

On November 12, 2017, student mariachi groups Una Voz from Hillsboro and Tradición from Forest Grove joined our orchestra in performance of favorite mariachi tunes, amidst a concert exploring the beautifully diverse musical landscape of the Americas.

Northwest Children’s Theater

On March 3, 2019, MYS teamed up with Northwest Children’s Theater for Firebird. The Starlings, Northwest Children’s Theater’s “all-puppet, all-bird acting troupe,” enlivened the stage as Symphony Orchestra performed the birdsong-infused showpiece Gli uccelli by master orchestral colorist, Ottorino Respighi.

Northwest Dance Theatre

On April 12, 2025, MYSfits String Ensemble took the stage with Northwest Dance Theatre in two live shows, supporting NWDT’s dancers with a live accompaniment of Astor Piazzolla’s vibrant Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.

Oregon Symphony

MYS students have had various opportunities to play side-by-side with musicians from the Oregon Symphony, including several years at their Waterfront Concert, as well as for their gala on April 13, 2024.

Oregon International Ballet Academy (OIBA)

Over the course of several years, students from Symphony Orchestra took to the pit and performed the score of holiday classic The Nutcracker, supporting the dancers of OIBA.

Palia

On March 2, 2025, Symphony Orchestra performed the soundtrack for cozy sim game Palia, accompanied by video clips of the game. The Palia soundtrack was composed by Steffen Schmidt, an MYS alum and successful composer of music for video games based in Los Angeles and Seoul.

Leading up to the concert, Music Director Raúl Gómez-Rojas hosted an interview and Q/A session with Steffen Schmidt. Schmidt shared an insider’s perspective on a music career within the film, virtual reality, and video game industries, as well as his creative process when composing the Palia soundtrack.

Pacific Youth Choir (PYC)

MYS has had the opportunity to collaborate with Pacific Youth Choir on two occasions. On January 6, 2019, Symphony Orchestra and PYC performed works from Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, and Columbia in celebration of Hispanic musical heritage. Then on March 2, 2025, Symphony Orchestra and close to 100 young singers from Pacific Youth Choir performed Waloyo Yamoni (“We Overcome the Wind”) by Christopher Tin, a rainmaking prayer in the East African dialect Lango.

Outreach and Access

Beginning Strings Program

Our Beginning Strings Program provides low-income elementary-aged students, many of whom have never touched an instrument before, with free, high-quality instruction on violin, viola, or cello in a supportive and joyful environment.

Students meet weekly in small-after-school classes (maintaining a 10:1 student-to-teacher ratio), where they develop foundational skills in posture, technique, rhythm, and note reading. Students also receive weekly one-on-one lessons, ensuring personal attention and steady progress.

Loaner instruments, music supplies, and performance opportunities are provided at no cost, removing financial barriers that prevent low-income students from accessing music education.

In the 2025-2026 season, BSP will serve at least 32 low-income elementary students at Bienestar de la Familia Community Center, Faubion School, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School in NE Portland, and Lincoln Street Elementary in Hillsboro.

Beginning Strings Graduates

After two years in Beginning Strings, students advance to an MYS Overture Strings ensemble in Portland or Hillsboro where they receive instruments, tuition assistance, theory classes, small group coaching, and 30-minute one-on-one lessons to support continued growth. In the 2024-25 season, 28 graduates received lessons while playing in Overture Strings and Interlude Orchestra. In the 2025-26 we expect 18 more students to progress into Overture Strings.

Outreach Tours

Each spring, MYS ensembles bring customized live performances to 15 Title I schools, reaching approximately 5,000 students. In the 2024-25 season, we visited schools across Portland, Beaverton, Milwaukie, Troutdale, Gresham, McMinnville, and Lincoln City. Teachers help curate programming, reinforcing the message that playing an instrument is an accessible skill for all. MYS Music Director Raúl Gómez-Rojas frequently attends, fostering bilingual conversations and connecting with students.

International Tours

Travel and performance abroad are an important part of student growth. Recent tours include:

In 2011, Symphony Orchestra performed in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Vienna.

In 2016, Symphony Orchestra spent eleven days in the People’s Republic of China. Performances in China included a joint performance with students from the Central Music Conservatory in Beijing, and concerts at Juyong Pass on the Great Wall, Tianjin Concert Hall, and the Beidaihe People’s Cultural Theatre.

Symphony Orchestra also toured in Italy and Austria during the summer of 2019, with highlights including:

Performances in Riva del Garda, Verona, the Carinthian Summer Music-Festival in Villach, Austria (the fabled festival favored by Leonard Bernstein) and a concluding performance in the Venetian Renaissance city of Palmanova.
Orchestra-in-Residence at the Imola Music Academy’s Summer Festival with four chamber and orchestral performances over six days.

Most recently, Symphony Orchestra toured Spain and Portugal in the summer of 2024. Main tour performances included:

Performing as guests of the famed FEX – International Festival of Music and Dance of Granada in the courtyard of the 16th century former convent, Colegio Mayor Santa Cruz la Real in Granada, Spain – at 10pm, a first for us!
Our next concert was at Auditorio Municipal Maestro Padilla in Almería, Spain. Just steps from the Mediterranean Sea, this venue is among the best equipped and largest performing facilities in all of Spain. It was an honor to perform this outreach concert on behalf of the Granada Festival.
Next, we had the pleasure of performing on an outdoor stage at the stunning Lago do Gadanha square and fountain in Estremoz, Portugal, with local dignitaries present!
Our concert at Museu Nacional dos Coches in Lisbon, Portugal was a beautiful conclusion to our tour.