Alumni Led Projects

Music education combined with community outreach is the heart of one of the most rewarding aspects of YOA. In order prepare YOA musicians and faculty to most effectively carry out their role as musical ambassadors in diverse settings, all participants in YOA's annual full-orchestra Residency take part in leadership tutorials from music education and cultural specialists that instill them with the skills they will need as teaching artists. YOA musicians gain hands-on experience conducting musical outreach through didactic community performances, workshops and master classes that involve the full-orchestra.Through these programs, YOA musicians not only train the young individuals they work with musically and artistically, but also communicate the discipline, commitment and sense of teamwork required to pursue a career in music.

ASM Festival

The ASM Festival is dedicated to the advancement of education, appreciation and performance of classical music in Panama, where opportunities for young musicians are quite limited. The Festival is a week-long celebration of daily concerts and recitals by local and guest artists as well as the National Symphony Orchestra of Panama, Orquesta de la Escuela Juvenil de Panama, Instituto Nacional de Música de Panamá, and numerous international artists and ensembles. It also features a series of master classes, lectures, workshops, private lessons and didactic concerts to benefit hundreds of young Panamanian musicians and over 5,000 local school children. The primary objective is to educate and promote musical learning to the Panamanian population while providing opportunities for young classical musicians. We wish to create a space for knowledge-exchange and building of relationships between local musicians and foreign professionals. The Festival expands the reach of music to benefit the Panamanian population – starting with students, teachers and professional musicians to public audiences with a growing interest in classical music.
Isaac Casal, ASM Festival founder & director (YOA 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008)

Boston Latin-American Orchestra

The Boston Latin-American Orchestra (BLO) is a chamber orchestra created to celebrate Latin-American orchestral music. It is comprised of current and former students of New England Conservatory as well as musicians from the Boston area, with both Latino and non-Latino backgrounds. BLO's goal is to bring Latin-American orchestral music to audiences and areas in Boston, Massachusetts where this type music is not usually heard in order to promote a different perspective on Latin-American culture and musical heritage. BLO concerts involve participation of Latino and non-Latino audiences and performers, creating an entertaining atmosphere where people can participate in the music that is being performed. BLO concerts also provide a voice for the Latino people of Boston and create a welcoming environment for cultural exchange. 
Andrés Lopera, BLO Artistic Director (YOA 2008, 2009)

Fundación Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil

Fundación Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil supports young music talents from around the country by organizing concerts, festivals, workshops and classes in the Dominican Republic. The program also organizes educational activities for youth orchestras and children from underprivileged locations of the country to support the young musicians personal, social and artistic development.
FOSJ is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Dominican Republic and the Fundación Orquesta Sinfonica Juvenil, Inc., and has been recognized by the UNESCO "Young Artists for Peace" and "Jeunesses Musicales Dominican Republic".
Darwin Aquino, FOSJ Founder and Director (YOA 2002)

Kids' Orchestra

Kids’ Orchestra is a year-round program dedicated to bringing music education to every child in Baton Rouge, fostering collaboration, and encouraging personal and community development. In collaboration with a broad array of community partners, Kids’ Orchestra provides music education, instruments, leadership development, and performance opportunities to kindergarten through fifth grade students in the Baton Rouge area.
Kids’ Orchestra’s mission is to increase harmony and friendship among the youngest citizens of Baton Rouge through the language of music. The program develops instrumental skills, self-esteem, and leadership by teaching partnership and teamwork to kids of all races, cultures, and backgrounds.
In its first year, Kids’ Orchestra is working with 65 children in Baton Rouge from 3 public and 2 private elementary schools and is planning to offer the program to at least 10 elementary schools in the coming year. Its vision is to offer the program to every elementary school in Baton Rouge.
Raul Gómez, Kids' Orchestra founder & director (YOA 2002-2006)

MESDA

MESDA is a group of alums from the Youth Orchestra of the Americas, who are music education development agents with experience in performing, teaching, and managing successful classical music education programs. MESDA offers services in order to positively impact the lives of children and youth in the Americas by providing performances, capacity building workshops, music lessons for students, as well as community and partnership development support.
MESDA focuses on increasing the musical involvement and performance in communities where music has been under-represented, by partnering with schools, youth music programs and festivals devoted to providing high-quality music education in communities in the region. The program helps foster sustainable programs that respect the cultural richness of the community, while providing professional development for music teachers and leaders.

Sembrando Talentos Urugay

Sembrando Talentos Uruguay (STU) is an organization focused on promoting musical education and values for children and young Uruguayans. Similar initiatives served as inspiration for this project. Such is the case of cultural outreach of the YOA (Youth Orchestra of the Americas), with a strong social impact in the U.S. and Latin America.  STU uses music as a tool to teach children and teenagers who participate in it, not only musical skills, but esthetic, and social ones. It is directed by outstanding international young musicians from Europe and America, who cooperate interactively ad honorem in the project.  STU organizes music camps and festivals, master classes, educational concerts and workshops throughout the year. These activities enable the development of participants into professionals of music, and result in a creative and motivational experience. The interaction between teachers and students, exchange of experiences and continuous contact between adults and children encourages learning at all levels.
Nicolás Giordano, founder & artistic director (YOA 2003-2006, 2008-2010, 2012)

Störphonie Youth Symphony Orchestra

"Störphonie Jugend Sinfonieorchester", the "Störphonie Youth Symphony Orchestra" is a project dedicated to all talented young musicians between 12 and 21 years old from "Steinburg" County in northern Germany. This project provides young musicians the opportunity to play music in an orchestra, to take part in concert tours throughout north Germany and Hamburg and to share the love for art with an audience.
Not only does this Orchestra promotes talents, but also helps to develop values such as teamwork, respect, integration and responsibility. Störphonie Project has already brought together young musicians from other regions close to "Steinburg" and has gained significant notoriety, and is even considered as one of the most important youth musical project in Germany.
Diego Naser, founder & director (YOA 2003)

YOURS Project

The YOURS Project, a program of the People’s Music School, is inspired by the El Sistema pedagogy developed in Venezuela thirty-five years ago.  It uses orchestral music instruction as a means of helping the most disadvantaged children build individual potential and engage in their communities.
YOURS Project activities are guided by a threefold mission: to empower children with the self-determination that can make all dreams possible; to develop social, cultural and intellectual skills in the context of a free orchestra, and to provide a safe and nurturing environment where children feel challenged to take responsibility for their own future. 
Deborah Wanderley Dos Santos, founder & director (YOA 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012)