With the support from the California Arts Council, Los Angeles Youth Symphony Orchestra will continue paying staff salaries, teaching artists fees, expenses to operate the year-round LA Korean Youth Orchestra program which targets the Korean-American children in Koreatown, who are under-resourced, and Wesley Youth Orchestra program which serves the multi-ethnic children, and the LAYP Orchestra Band Choir project as an intensive summer music program.
The Los Angeles Youth Symphony Orchestra advances equitable access to high-quality music education through three interconnected core programs: the LA Korean Youth Orchestra, the Wesley Youth Orchestra, and the LAYP Summer Orchestra | Band | Choir.
The LA Korean Youth Orchestra provides low-cost, year-round orchestral training to under-resourced Korean-American children in Koreatown. Through a structured three-tier curriculum—Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced—students receive instruction in strings, winds, and percussion during after-school and weekend classes. With a modest monthly tuition, the program removes financial barriers and ensures that families with limited resources can access sustained ensemble education and public performance opportunities.
The Wesley Youth Orchestra serves multi-ethnic youth from diverse communities across Los Angeles County. The program fosters cross-cultural collaboration, musical discipline, and leadership development through consistent rehearsals and community-based performances. By welcoming students from varied socioeconomic backgrounds, the orchestra promotes inclusivity while strengthening artistic excellence in a supportive ensemble environment.
The LAYP Summer Orchestra | Band | Choir functions as an intensive honor ensemble program that brings together advanced students for concentrated rehearsal and performance experiences. The program culminates in major public performances at prominent venues, including Thayer or Zipper Hall at the Colburn School and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Through rigorous preparation and collaboration with professional conductors and teaching artists, students develop high-level ensemble skills and artistic maturity.
Together, these programs provide year-round and seasonal pathways that nurture diverse young musicians, strengthen community engagement, and expand access to meaningful performing arts education across Los Angeles.