All 10 orchestras performed at Orchestra Hall on November 13 and 14 to kickoff GTCYS’ 50th anniversary season of concerts. Our students were overjoyed to perform for in-person audiences again! It was made extra special by GTCYS’ founding artistic director Dr. William LaRue Jones returning to conduct a fanfare in honor of GTCYS’ co-founder Henry […]

Congratulations to Brad Gibson and Grace Weitzel, this year’s Concerto Competition winners who will perform with Symphony in 2022. Brad will perform the first movement of Dvořák’s Concerto in B minor for cello, and Grace will perform Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 1 for violin. For Grace, this is a dream come true. “Performing one of my […]

Harmony – GTCYS’ before-school strings instruction program – breaks down barriers to music education, provides an accessible entry-point, and creates a musical pathway for underrepresented students at Riverview West Side School of Excellence. After graduating from Harmony, students move into Philharmonia East with the goal of advancing through GTCYS’ school-year orchestras all the way to […]

Today we celebrate the life of GTCYS’ co-founder Henry Charles Smith, who passed away last month at the age of 90. GTCYS’ Artistic Director Mark Russell Smith reflects on the significant impact Henry had on the world. “Henry Charles Smith lived a life that was filled with the joy of music. His musicianship, positive energy […]

Nonprofit youth orchestra to celebrate milestone year with “Play it Forward” giving campaign and unique performances at Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis. See more at gtcys.org/50years. ST. PAUL, Minn. (Sept. 20, 2021) — This month, Saint Paul-based nonprofit youth orchestra Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS) will begin a yearlong celebration of its 50th consecutive […]

We are pleased to announce that GTCYS conductor Dr. Ernesto Estigarribia will step into the Philharmonic conductor role next fall following Gary Wolfman’s retirement this spring. Since its inception in 2018, Dr. Estigarribia (or Ernesto as his students call him) has successfully led our Sinfonia East orchestra which he will continue to do next year […]

After joining GTCYS’ artistic staff in fall 2012, Philharmonic conductor Gary Wolfman will retire at the end of this season following auditions. Mr. Wolfman’s artistic gifts have impacted hundreds of GTCYS high school students who developed a lifelong love of music and performed orchestral masterworks at a high level under his leadership. “I have greatly […]

Destyne Miller has played bass in GTCYS for four years and is currently a member of Concert Orchestra. She shares the powerful impact GTCYS has had on her life below. “GTCYS has been what I would call a blessing. It has given me the opportunity to have an outlet from my everyday life such as […]

When you play in an orchestra, you learn so much more than music. For Jayda Francis, GTCYS has been a home for her to grow as a leader and performer. Jayda transformed from her first, nervous audition, into playing confidently for others in the community. She shares what GTCYS has meant to her and the […]

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, two GTCYS alumni share their love story. Andrea and Nick Lang met their senior year in GTCYS, and what started with encouragement on an English Horn solo has led to twenty years of marriage! Music continues to be a central part of the Langs’ life. They play their instruments in the […]