DC Youth Orchestra

About the Artist

Since 1960, the DC Youth Orchestra Program has served the Washington, D.C. community by providing music education and performance opportunities to young people regardless of previous skill or experience. The program's inclusivity is what sets it apart from other youth music organizations. No auditions are required to join, only the desire to learn.  Students advance their skills with the help of an outstanding group of faculty through the program’s aggressive jury exam system.  Every student is challenged to advance to the next, more-demanding level by playing before a jury. As skills improve, opportunities become available to join one of the orchestras, wind ensembles, and multiple chamber groups, with a place in the prestigious DC Youth Orchestra at the top of the musical ladder.

Every year, over 600 children play in the DC Youth Orchestra Program, making it the largest youth orchestra in the Washington area. The program accepts all students, regardless of experience or income level. Over the last three years, more than 25% of students received subsidized or free tuition, and that percentage is growing. Enrolling your child in the DC Youth Orchestra Program ensures your child finishes high school. Virtually every student who graduates from our Program graduates from high school. Offering 17 times more classes than any other D.C. area youth orchestra organizations, the DC Youth Orchestra Program is a leading music education resource.

The program's success has been recognized by the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. In 2002, the program received one of the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ 11 coveted “Coming Up Taller” Awards for out-of-school arts and humanities programs. The U.S. Department of Education and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting have also cited the DCYOP for its efforts, and Leonard Slatkin has often spoken on behalf of the program.  In 2009 the students of the Youth Orchestra of the DC Youth Orchestra Program performed for the National Endowment for the Arts Council meeting and at the White House for the current administration’s first Easter Egg Roll. The mission of the organization is simple: Music for young people; achievement for life!