Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies

The Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS, pronounced git-seez) opens doors to music learning and provides a pathway for students of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. Our music education programs break down barriers, inspiring students to excel musically and build lifelong skills which serve them in school and beyond.

As one of the region’s premier youth arts programs, GTCYS serves more than 1,300 students ages 7-18 through our Harmony strings instruction program, Launch Lessons, Pathway Musicians program, 11 school-year orchestras, and summer camps. Rather than turning students away, GTCYS continually expands its programming to meet growing interest and community needs. Started in 2016, GTCYS’ equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives have created strong results and remain a top priority. To increase access and address socio-economic barriers, GTCYS provides over $230,000 in need-based scholarships for tuition and private lessons.

GTCYS believes in bringing music to diverse audiences, and our students share their talents through 25 free performances at Twin Cities schools, homeless shelters, and senior care centers, plus formal ticketed concerts at professional venues like Orchestra Hall. In total, GTCYS reaches more than 17,000 children and adults through our educational activities, and performances each year.

GTCYS celebrated its 50th Anniversary Season in 2021-22 and has served 16,000 students in its history. Alumni include leaders in every field who use the lifelong values of teamwork, discipline, and community engagement developed during their GTCYS experience. Explore our website to learn more!