YOLA

Youth Orchestra Los Angeles

Youth Orchestra LA (YOLA) is the Los Angeles Philharmonic's initiative to provide access to free, high quality instrumental and orchestral education in order to promote youth development. Central to YOLA is the Los Angeles Philharmonic's plan to build, with community partners, youth orchestras in underserved communities throughout Los Angeles. YOLA is inspired by El Sistema, the Venezuelan music education system that nurtured Gustavo Dudamel. El Sistema provides a quarter million children annually with free musical instruments and music instruction so that they may play in youth orchestras throughout their country.

YOLA EXPO Center Youth Orchestra

The YOLA EXPO Center Youth Orchestra, the first project of YOLA opened in fall 2007, is a partnership between the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Harmony Project, and the EXPO Center, a City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. Located in South LA, the program is comprised of children ages 2–17 who live within a 5-mile radius of the EXPO Center and represent more than 60 local public, charter, and private schools. The program encompasses three levels of orchestra, chamber music, and group lessons three times per week, as well as an early childhood music program, parent workshops and support, and a faculty performance series.

YOLA at HOLA

YOLA at HOLA, the second project of YOLA opened in fall 2010, is a partnership between the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), an after-school community center in the Rampart District. In its first year, YOLA at HOLA engaged 100 first and fourth graders who were immersed in instrument instruction, singing/solfège, musicianship, ensembles, and academic tutoring. This season, new first and fourth grade classes will be added as other students continue, leading to the organic development of orchestras at the heart of the program. The program offers a unique learning experience, including fifteen hours of instruction per week, a parent musicianship class, and access to HOLA's exceptional creative outlets (fine arts, dance, athletics) and social services.

YOLA Neighborhood Project

The YOLA Neighborhood Project represents an evolution of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's pre-existing education and community programs – school programs, neighborhood concerts, and YOLA - leveraging the strengths of each to create zones of musical activity. YNP aims to saturate neighborhoods surrounding YOLA sites with in-school programs and concert opportunities for youth, families, and the community at large, offering multiple entry points into the world of music and the work of the LA Phil. Participating schools are selected for this project based on their commitment to in-school music education.

YOLA Stakeholders Network

Recognizing the value of collaborative action, the Los Angeles Philharmonic created the YOLA Stakeholders Network. Convened four times each year, the Network consists of over 50 public and private music education and social service organizations invested in YOLA's mission. Its goals include developing new orchestras for underserved youth; pooling resources to improve existing programs; and sharing achievements and best practices.

Concerts for Youth

Toyota Symphonies for Youth

The Toyota Symphonies for Youth series features eight concerts showcasing the Los Angeles Philharmonic, created especially for children age five to eleven and their families. These multi-disciplinary concerts are a perennial favorite of old and young alike and feature guest artists of the highest caliber, most recently including Los Angeles Philharmonic regular Emanuel Ax. Free pre-concert activities including art-making, singing, dancing, and story-telling open these fun-filled and thrilling events.

SummerSounds – Music and Art for Kids at the Hollywood Bowl

Six weeks of morning concerts and fine arts activities engage children age 3 to 9 and their families in learning about the world of music and the diverse cultural communities of Los Angeles. Recipient of the 2010 "Best of LA" Award from Los Angeles Magazine for Best Concerts.

Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts Youth Concerts

The Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts sponsors two Los Angeles Philharmonic concerts designed and presented especially for elementary schoolchildren. The Los Angeles Philharmonic's Education Department provides students and teachers with preparatory study materials and musical recordings.

School Programs

School Partners Program - Elementary Schools

This program engages the LA Phil and selected elementary schools in a long-term relationship that has the power to enhance the school's music learning environment. The partnership includes 6 and 9 week residencies that provide concert-going experiences, opportunities for student music-making, and teacher training. These residencies exist as a part of the LA Phil's YOLA Neighborhood Project.

Youth Orchestra Mentorship Program

The Youth Orchestra Mentorship Program connects school and independent youth orchestras with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a deep-rooted tradition of mentorship. Youth orchestra directors will work closely with Los Angeles Philharmonic teaching faculty and education staff to identify program goals, cultivate a professional community, and actively contribute ideas and resources to the YOLA Stakeholders Network and the El Sistema movement. Students will work closely with the LA Phil teaching artist faculty to raise their self-expectations, improve individual and ensemble musicianship, and recognize and access resources that will continue to serve them beyond the rehearsal space and time. The 16 orchestras that participate in this 2-year program have access to coaching sessions, masterclasses, and concert tickets. Four of these youth orchestras (selected by audition) will have the unforgettable opportunity to perform on the stage of Walt Disney Concert Hall during LA Phil's annual Youth Orchestra Festival.

Symphonies for Schools

Four free concerts, held at Walt Disney Concert Hall, introduce schoolchildren to the Los Angeles Philharmonic every year. Each teacher who applies to participate in this program is required to attend a preparatory workshop focusing on curricular integration of the music. The program culminates in unforgettable concerts developed especially for elementary students.

Young Musicians

Youth Orchestra Mentorship Program

The Youth Orchestra Mentorship Program connects school and independent youth orchestras with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a deep-rooted tradition of mentorship. Youth orchestra directors will work closely with Los Angeles Philharmonic teaching faculty and education staff to identify program goals, cultivate a professional community, and actively contribute ideas and resources to the YOLA Stakeholders Network and the El Sistema movement. Students will work closely with the LA Phil teaching artist faculty to raise their self-expectations, improve individual and ensemble musicianship, and recognize and access resources that will continue to serve them beyond the rehearsal space and time. The 16 orchestras that participate in this 2-year program have access to coaching sessions, masterclasses, and concert tickets. Four of these youth orchestras (selected by audition) will have the unforgettable opportunity to perform on the stage of Walt Disney Concert Hall during LA Phil's annual Youth Orchestra Festival.

Composer Fellowship Program

This innovative two-year program gives passionate young composers the tools and the freedom to shape the future of music. Private and group composition lessons, seminars presented by Los Angeles Philharmonic musicians, and encounters with professionals in the field propel the Fellows to excellence. Students experience the creative process from start to finish with the help of accomplished composers. At the end of the process, these young composers have the remarkable opportunity to hear their works performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Adults

Upbeat Live

Pre-concert lectures and post-concert discussions are an informative and engaging way to learn about the music before the performance begins. There will be over 110 talks by renowned musicologists, panel discussions, and special events held one hour before most concerts in BP Hall in the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Upbeat Live events are free with the purchase of a concert ticket.

Neighborhood and Community Concerts

The Los Angeles Philharmonic's concerts in the community include free orchestra, chamber music and jazz concerts in churches, community centers and other local venues around Southern California. Last season, free chamber music concerts were performed at Culver City: Music in the Chambers; First Lutheran Church in Venice; the Central Library; and St. Thomas the Apostle in Pico-Union. Orchestra Neighborhood Concerts are performed annually in different locations around Los Angeles County.

Community Concert Connections

Through Community Concert Connections, the Los Angeles Philharmonic distributes complimentary concert tickets to organizations that work with individuals in need, families, youths and seniors who could not otherwise attend concerts. 501 (c) 3 organizations submit a brief application describing whom they serve and, once accepted, receive a set of concert dates from which to request their tickets. At the Hollywood Bowl, tickets are offered for Tuesday and Thursday evening Los Angeles Philharmonic performances.