MISSION
In the conviction that music nourishes the mind, body, and spirit of the individual and enriches the community, the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies provides a rigorous and inspiring orchestral experience for young musicians.
HISTORY
Founded in 1972, GTCYS (pronounced “GIT-seez”) was created to provide an educational orchestra program for motivated music students from throughout the metropolitan area. Since then, GTCYS has served more than 16,000 students, honing their musical talents and developing lifelong values such as excellence, teamwork, discipline, and community engagement. With year-round opportunities for beginning to advanced musicians, GTCYS’ programming is inclusive, rigorous and comprehensive, and is designed to help young people achieve their full potential.
GTCYS provides a supportive yet challenging atmosphere in which young musicians of all ages and abilities can aspire to the highest levels of musical proficiency, learn from the masters of our time and perform in prestigious concert halls. Esteemed guest conductors have included Aaron Copland, Leonard Slatkin, Raymond Leppard, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Roberto Abbado, and Osmo Vänskä. GTCYS’ premier orchestra, Symphony, has appeared at the famous Schools Promenade Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and has toured the globe from the British Isles to Asia, Central America, the former Soviet Union and the South Pacific, where GTCYS’ 1992 Fiji performance marked the first appearance by a western orchestra in that island nation.
GTCYS holds a treasured place in the Minnesota arts and cultural landscape, and has appeared at some of Minnesota’s most memorable events, including performing the National Anthem at the 1983 opening celebration for the Metrodome, and a 1991 Inauguration Day performance at the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda. Over the years, GTCYS has been honored by the Twin Cities Mayors’ Public Arts Award for “outstanding musical contributions to the community,” and an ASCAP award for creative programming. GTCYS’ fifth Artistic Director Amir Kats, a veteran youth orchestra conductor, is in his fifth year with the organization. An energizing presence, Kats forges strong relationships with school orchestra programs and regional artistic partners to advance music education for young people in the Twin Cities.