Minnesota Youth Symphonies

In 1972 the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) Society ended its sponsorship of the St. Paul Youth Orchestra, but many of the youth orchestra musicians and their parents were determined to continue the program. They persuaded its music director, Ralph Winkler, to establish a new youth orchestra, the Minnesota Youth Symphony. MYS was established as a place for serious young musicians to learn and be challenged.

The students’ hard work earned them an invitation in 1973 to perform in Romania, making MYS the first American youth orchestra to tour in a communist country. In 1994, the MYS Symphony Orchestra became the first orchestra to ever perform in the Super Bowl’s half-time show when Super Bowl XXVI was played at the Metrodome. MYS worked with one of the most distinguished film composers of the 20th century when Elmer Bernstein guest-conducted “The Magnificent Seven” with the MYS Philharmonic Orchestra in 1997.

In 1988, Claudette and Manny Laureano became the nation’s only husband-and-wife conducting team for a youth orchestra program. Together, they’ve grown MYS from one orchestra of 58 students to four orchestras, a summer program and community outreach programs serving over 600 students and performing for over 5,000 patrons annually.

MYS has collaborated with many noted guest artists, conductors and performing groups including Osmo Vanska, Butch Thompson, Jorja Fleezanis, Bel Canto Chorus, St. Paul City Ballet and the T.C. Swing Dancers. New works by composers Stephen Paulus, Russell Holsapple, Shelley Hanson, Carl Schroeder and Edward “Teddy” Niedermaier have been premiered.