The American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras (AYPO) are a group of youth orchestras in the
Washington metropolitan area. The group consists of three full orchestras (the American Youth Philharmonic, Symphonic Orchestra, and Concert Orchestra), and four string orchestras (Sinfonietta, String Ensemble, Prelude Strings, and Debut Orchestra), along with several chamber ensembles and community outreach organizations. Currently, over 650 young musicians take part in AYPO programs.
History
The orchestras were founded as the youth division of the
Fairfax Symphony in 1965 with a single ensemble, the Northern Virginia Youth Symphony. The orchestra became independent of the Fairfax Symphony in 1978, and in 1993 changed the name of its main ensemble to the American Youth Philharmonic. The organization has steadily grown since its founding, with the most recent constituent orchestra, the Sinfonietta, being founded in 2021. The organization is among the most prominent in the Washington metropolitan area, performing at a number of prominent venues including
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
and the
Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...
. In the past, it has also toured internationally to participate in programs such as the
Aberdeen International Youth Festival. AYPO also conducts an outreach program to under-served students in
Alexandria City Public Schools, called Music Buddies.
Currently, the organization is led by Miranda Martin Southwood. AYPO's board of directors includes parents of young musicians in AYPO, including business figures such as
Ben Baldanza.
References
External links
AYPO official website
American youth orchestras
Performing arts in Virginia
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