I enjoy HPYS because I get to develop myself as a musician and as a person alongside my friends. Each week, we don’t just learn to read the music; we learn the story and history behind each piece. We push ourselves and each other to dig deep to master every piece technically and musically, and with the help of our wonderful conductor, we (somehow) always manage to pull things together for the concert.

I was a Hyde Park Youth Symphony member for eight incredible years. Every year brought a wide variety of repertoire that challenged my skills and understanding of music performance. Every week, we practice technical skills and engage in in-depth musical discussions to prepare to perform complex and beautiful pieces. In addition to our development as musicians, our conductors care deeply about each student's success and growth. The Hyde Park Youth Symphony Orchestra has been a second home to me from my first rehearsal as a fifth grader until my final concert as a high school senior.

My time at HPYS has rekindled my love for my instrument and introduced me to various different genres of music. The intimate but very dedicated HPYS environment, as well as our encouraging and enlightening conductor has kept me coming back to this program for almost 6 years straight. Joining HPYS has easily been one of the best decisions of my music career and I appreciate being surrounded by a diverse group of talented and engaged young musicians weekly.