Midwest Young Artists
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Midwest Young Artists (MYA), the largest youth ensemble music program in the Midwest, was founded in 1993 in Chicago by Allan Dennis and consisted of a single orchestra. Since then, MYA has grown and now contains five youth symphony orchestras, big bands, and two choruses. MYA is also known for its comprehensive chamber ensembles and jazz combos, in which students are required to participate if they belong to an orchestra. Other enrichment activities, such as music theory classes and a Summer Music Festival, are also offered by MYA, either at their building on the grounds of the historic Fort Sheridan by Lake Michigan or the Lake Forest Academy.
MYA orchestras and choral groups perform at a variety of venues each year; in the past such places have included the Harris Theater at Millennium Park, Symphony Center, the Genesee Theater, and Chicago's Hot House. In the 2006-2007 Concert Season, MYA will perform at the Harris Theatre, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall at Northwestern University and the Chicago Civic Opera House, becoming the first youth orchestra ever to perform at the Civic Opera House. MYA students also have the opportunity to go on biannual international concert trips, such as to Spain and Portugal (2005), Switzerland (2004), and Vienna (2001). A concert tour to China and Korea is planned for Summer 2007.
