Greater Boulder Youth Orchestras

• Rehearsals. More than two dozen rehearsals throughout the school year conducted by professionals, during which students learn the finer points and collaborative nature of preparing ensemble music for performance.
• New friends. Join like-minded excellent young musicians from across Colorado, encompassing approximately 45 different schools.
• Outstanding conductors. Motivating, challenging, award winning, knowledgeable, in demand, inspiring… GBYO conductors are awesome! Young musicians typically have the opportunity to work with such conductors once or twice a year at a brief festival like All State. GBYO musicians work with these conductors each week!
• Mentors. Outstanding professional musicians and graduate students work with GBYO students weekly. Read more.
• Performances in a large ensemble. GBYO has three orchestras and a wind ensemble.
• Performing works by master composers. Past performances have included works by Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Bach, Gershwin, Copland, and so many more.
• Performing world premieres. GBYO ensembles have premiered several new works.
• Performing in concert halls like Macky Auditorium (or maybe even the Kennedy Center!).
• Chamber music. Hone your skills in musicianship, leadership, and teamwork.
• Community. Connect with many people from throughout Colorado. Perform in the community, outside of the concert hall.
• Mini retreat. Each ensemble gets together for a special afternoon beyond the usual rehearsal time.
• Collaborations. GBYO collaborates with oustanding professional groups like the Boulder Philharmonic and Colorado Music Festival.
• Guest musicians. Musicians from professional orchestras like Colorado Ballet, Boulder Bach Festival, and universities often work with GBYO ensembles.
• Masterclass opportunities. GBYO musicians have performed in masterclasses with musicians like Maureen Murchie, Takacs String Quartet, Brook Ferguson, Augustin Hadelich, Vadim Repin, and more.
• Life skills. Participation in instrumental music results in profound and lasting positive change in behavior, as evidenced in much scientific research: music students have an easier time staying focused, learning new languages, and thinking abstractly, and have higher level cognitive processes. GBYO rehearsals fully engage students; the skills learned in practicing and preparing carry over to school and all areas of life, and our members use these skills to boost achievement.
• Opportunities. GBYO students are better prepared for other prestigious opportunities, and have participated in programs like All State Orchestra, Interlochen, and Tanglewood. GBYO graduates have gone on to study music at leading institutions like Juilliard, University of Michigan, and Eastman.
• Music for everyone. GBYO is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and access. GBYO strives to engage the community we serve. We target our programs to reach youth and audience who might not otherwise experience young people performing classical music, reaching people of all ages beyond the concert hall. We are very proud that no student has been turned away for financial reasons in the history of the organization, stretching back to 1984. Our Financial Assistance program has helped more than 120 young musicians with the costs of tuition and acquiring instruments. Our musical programming reflects diversity, including music by women composers, composers of color, local composers, living composers, and a variety of genres (folk, sacred, ballet, symphonic, fiddling, etc) and eras (1550s to a 2024 world premiere).

GBYO is a non-profit organization and relies on the support of donors.

Your support makes a positive difference in the lives of gifted young musicians and the community they serve.

• Make a donation
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