Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra
Supported by the Geoffrey and Sarah Gund Endowment
The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO) is one of only a few youth orchestras in the world that operates under the auspices of top tier professional orchestra. Each year it provides approximately 100 aspiring young musicians with a unique pre-professional orchestral training experience.
Explore Season Audition for COYOWitness the future of classical music
Live from the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Concert Hall at Severance, COYO's 2023-24 season welcomes you back for an exciting new series of performances by this critically acclaimed ensemble.
The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra 2023-2024 season is dedicated to the memory of Sarah Gray Gund, 1942-2023.
What’s it like to be a member?
COYO’s musicians hail from dozens of communities across Northern Ohio, receive weekly coaching sessions by Cleveland Orchestra musicians, and rehearse & perform in Mandel Concert Hall. Hear from COYO musicians directly:
- “The coaches are all incredible, both as musicians and as people. The lessons you learn from a member of such an incredible ensemble as The Cleveland Orchestra, it's impossible to learn elsewhere.”
- "COYO performances are my favorite memories. It's the best feeling in the world to create something so beautiful surrounded by your best friends."
- “It was my time in COYO that really taught me about responsibility, teamwork, and tenacity.”
Be a part of our history
Since its inception in 1986, the Youth Orchestra has performed more than 200 concerts and has provided a musical home to more than 1,500 talented young musicians, many of whom have gone on to become professional musicians. Students continue to be awed by the scope and quality of the orchestral experience afforded to them, including engaging with world-renowned guest artists, composers, and conductors.
Visit COYO WebsiteBy the Numbers
15
world premieres have been performed by COYO
3
international tours have brought COYO to new audiences
4
current Cleveland Orchestra members were in COYO