American Youth Symphony

The American Youth Symphony (AYS), currently celebrating its 50th Anniversary season, is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to sharing exceptional, innovative concerts based on our landmark training of extraordinary musicians ages 15-27 that inspires the future of this timeless art form. Founded in 1964 by Mehli Mehta, the AYS orchestra provides paid fellowships to approximately 100 musicians who are selected through a highly competitive audition process and represent talent from all over the world. To-date AYS has prepared over 2,500 musicians for successful careers in music with many of our alumni having joined the finest orchestras in the nation. Our regular season concerts are offered at no charge to the community out of a longstanding commitment to eliminating barriers to experiencing the joy, beauty, and exuberance of remarkable orchestral concerts. In collaboration with world-class artists like Yefim Bronfman, Sarah Chang, Midori, Johannes Moser, John Williams, and Danny Elfman, AYS performs an annual series of five to six outstanding concerts at UCLA’s Royce Hall. AYS also participates in community outreach initiatives designed to make orchestral music accessible to all. For more information, please visit http://www.aysymphony.org.