The Columbus Youth Orchestra is marking its 75th anniversary this spring with a series of free community concerts, school outreach performances, and a special gala at the Ohio Theatre that will celebrate seven and a half decades of nurturing young musical talent in central Ohio. The anniversary season runs March through May 2026 and will include performances by more than 300 young musicians across multiple ensembles.
Founded in 1951 by a coalition of Columbus music educators and community supporters, the CYO has grown from a small ensemble of 45 musicians to one of the largest and most respected youth orchestral programs in the Midwest. Over its history, the organization has trained thousands of young musicians, dozens of whom have gone on to professional careers with major orchestras, opera companies, and chamber ensembles across the United States and internationally.
Executive Director Susan Park said the anniversary season is designed to be both a celebration of the past and an investment in the future. “We want this season to reach every corner of Columbus and remind people that classical music is for everyone,” Park said. “This is a community institution, and these concerts belong to the community.”
The free community concert series will include performances in Bicentennial Park, at the Wexner Center for the Arts on the Ohio State University campus, and at community centers in underserved neighborhoods including Linden, the South Side, and the Hilltop. The CYO is partnering with Columbus City Schools to bring student musicians to perform at 20 elementary schools, introducing younger children to orchestral music and the possibility of their own musical participation.
The centerpiece of the anniversary season is a gala performance on April 19 at the Ohio Theatre, featuring the CYO’s premier Symphony Orchestra performing works by Beethoven, Dvořák, and a new commission from Columbus composer Marcus Rivera, who is himself a CYO alumnus. Rivera’s work, titled “Ohio Light,” is described as a tone poem inspired by the landscapes and people of the state. Tickets for the gala are available at a sliding scale from free to $100, with all proceeds supporting CYO’s scholarship and instrument lending programs.
Parents of current CYO musicians say the organization has been transformative for their children. “It has given him discipline, teamwork, and a sense of belonging to something larger than himself,” said Angela Watkins, whose 16-year-old son plays cello in the Symphony Orchestra. “I can’t imagine his childhood without it.”
Information on all 75th anniversary concerts and events is available at columbusyouthorchestra.org. The CYO is also conducting a spring audition cycle for new members beginning in March 2026. Students ages 8 to 18 are encouraged to apply.
