MISSION STATEMENT
We Nurture, Challenge, and Inspire young minds through music, profoundly changing lives and our community for the better.

WHO WE ARE
Since 1956, MYSO has grown from one orchestra and 30 students to become the largest after-school youth orchestra in the country, and one of the most respected. We serve 1,000 of the area’s young musicians who come from more than 200 schools, 90 zip codes, and as many as 14 counties throughout southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Each year we provide outreach programs to an additional 6,000 youth and reach an audience of 25,000 through more than 100 public performances.

The importance of MYSO as a catalyst for youth development and community change has not gone unnoticed. In our 2015-16 season, MYSO received the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, the country’s highest honor for after-school youth arts and humanities programs, presented by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

Today we offer more than 40 ensemble and enrichment training options, ranging from symphony and string orchestras, and jazz and steel pan bands to music theory, composition, and international tours, providing quality musical experiences for a wide range of skill levels.

For more information about MYSO and its many programs, please visit myso.org.

MYSO is a proud founding member of the United Performing Arts Fund and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.