Albuquerque Youth Symphony

The Albuquerque Youth Symphony is an organization in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that seeks to implement a passion for music in young musical students. Founded in 1955, the Albuquerque Youth Symphony is one of the oldest youth symphony programs in the United States today.

Founded in 1955 between Albuquerque Public Schools and the University of New Mexico, Dr. Kurt Frederick was the very first conductor of the Youth Symphony, which included students of grades 7–12. Several years later, due to the popularity of the group, the program divided the symphony into two groups: the Albuquerque Junior Orchestra, which was for grades 7–9, and the Albuquerque Youth Symphony for older students grades 10–12.

Over the years, the program expanded to include two middle school groups, the Albuquerque Junior Symphony and the Albuquerque Junior Orchestra, and two high school groups, the Albuquerque Youth Symphony and Albuquerque Youth Orchestra.

The Albuquerque Youth Symphony program consists of seven different groups: one elementary school group, four middle school groups, and two high school groups. To be eligible for participation in the Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program, students must live within a 50-mile (80-kilometre) radius of Albuquerque.

The orchestra with the most talent and experience in the entire program, the Albuquerque Youth Symphony (AYS) contains students in high school (grades 9–12). It requires an audition each year to be a part of it regardless of prior participation in the Symphony, with each hopeful musician auditioning with two chosen excerpts, scales, and a solo of the student's choice. The Albuquerque Youth Symphony goes on tour each year. The tours have a three-year cycle: the first tour in the cycle is small, with the group going to a nearby state. The second tour goes further away, but stays within the country, while the third tour goes to another country. The Albuquerque Youth Symphony has toured Brazil, the Czech Republic and, in the summer of 2009, went to Australia and New Zealand. In the summer of 2012, AYS traveled to Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic. In the summer of 2014, AYS traveled to New York City and performed in Carnegie Hall, as well as including two flash mobs in the city.

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