• Spring Concert videos on YouTube

• MYS Summer Extravaganza announces camp repertoire

• Still time to register for June auditions

• Thank you, Jon Feustel!

• Meet the Board: Carrying Forward a Family Legacy of Music

• Community Announcements

June 12 & 13 | 2026–27 Season Auditions
June 15–19 | MYS Summer Extravaganza
September 12 | 2026–27 Season Begins!

Performances from the Spring Concert are now posted on the MYS YouTube channel. Please watch and share with friends and family!

MYS will host the second annual Summer Extravaganza at Macalester College from June 15–19. This weeklong orchestra day camp features two ensembles: the Summer String Orchestra for intermediate string players entering grades 3–9, and the Beethoven Chamber Orchestra for advanced woodwind, brass, and string players through graduating seniors.

Here’s a sneak peek of the music participants will be working on:

• Summer String Orchestra:
  Themes from How to Train Your Dragon

  From the Start by Laufey
  "Golden" from K-Pop Demon Hunters

• Beethoven Chamber Orchestra:
  Symphony No. 2 in D Major

  Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus
  (plus sightreading . . .)

  Coriolan Overture

  Leonore Overture No. 3

  12 German Dances

• Registration:
  The String Orchestra still has openings in all sections: violin, viola, cello, and bass. No audition is required.
  
  The Chamber Orchestra still has openings for violin, cello, bass, and bassoon. Interested students should submit a brief placement video when registering; requirements are available on the camp page.

We look forward to seeing hundreds of smiling faces at auditions on June 13 & 14! (Alternate dates are available).

Not signed up? There’s still time! Register soon to receive and confirm your assigned date and time.

Already registered but haven’t received your audition time? Please contact us. Reminder: June 1 is the last day to request audition time change without a $15 change fee.

Note: New students auditioning for Wind or String Orchestra may opt to audition by video recording.

MYS extends its heartfelt thanks to Jon Feustel for his years of dedicated service to the MYS community and his thoughtful leadership over the past two seasons as Chair of the Board of Directors. Jon brought steady guidance, positivity, and a commitment to service for MYS students, staff, and board members throughout his tenure.

One of Jon’s favorite experiences as a board member was volunteering at auditions—meeting students at the very beginning of their MYS journey and then watching them grow through the orchestra program over the years. A familiar and dependable presence at MYS concerts and events, Jon’s dedication was unwavering; he was known to fly in the same day to assist at an MYS concert after just completing one of his many Ironman triathlons.

Jon’s background as a percussionist made him an honorary Mover of Heavy Things, always willing to stay late to help with loading and unloading. Reflecting on those humble moments, Jon shares, “I was able to relive my memories from St. Olaf on the ‘Truck Crew’ by helping unload and load percussion equipment.”

At the end of this month, Jon will be moving to Sausalito, California, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, to join Oura as Senior Manager of Visual Merchandising. Paul Gronert, Band Director at Chippewa Middle School and MYS parent, will step into the role of Board Chair for the upcoming season.

We are deeply grateful for Jon’s leadership, generosity, and dedication to MYS, and we wish him all the best in this exciting next chapter.

When MYS Board Member Claudia Aizaga is performing, teaching, or collaborating, she brings more than just her expertise as a flutist; Claudia comes from a long line of musicians whose influence on classical music in Ecuador spans generations. Her paternal great-grandparents were both musicians and her grandfather, Claudio Aizaga, was a renowned composer, pianist, choral conductor, and scholar. After studying at the National Conservatory in Quito and later the Paris Conservatory, he became one of Ecuador’s pioneering composers, writing ballets and choral, chamber, and orchestral works that blended Western classical music with traditional Ecuadorian folk rhythms and styles. Together with his wife Giovanna, a pianist and music theorist, Claudia’s grandparents taught many of the musicians who would later become the country’s leading performers and educators.

Not surprisingly, music surrounded Claudia from an early age. Her father, Felipe Aizaga, was a professional violist, and many family members have been involved in the founding and operations of the youth orchestra program La Fundación Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil del Ecuador (FOSJE). “I grew up listening to music all the time,” Claudia recalls. “I grew up going to concerts.” So it was only natural that she would study music as well, beginning flute lessons at age seven with her aunt Eugenia, a flutist with the National Symphony of Ecuador and founder of Ecuador’s Suzuki School. In the Aizaga family, music was valued not only as an art form, but also as a way to support education, cultural connection, and service to the community.

Since its founding in 1995, FOSJE has become one of Ecuador’s most important youth music organizations. Inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema movement, FOSJE provides children with access to instruments, lessons, and orchestral training regardless of their financial circumstances. Claudia describes the organization as life-changing for many young musicians across the country. One of its most unique programs is the Orquesta de Papel, or “Paper Orchestra,” designed for . . .

Are you a current MYS student or alumni interested in being featured in a future issue? Contact mys@mnyouthsymphonies.org to let us know what you’re up to!

Concerts

Minnesota Winds Season Finale at Orchestra Hall

• Minnesota Winds—our state's brand new professional concert band—takes the stage for an unforgettable celebration of band. Led by powerhouse guest conductor Cynthia Johnston Turner—known for her electric style, international leadership, and deep commitment to the concert band art form—this performance is one you won't want to miss. Program highlights include Armenian Dances, Part I (Alfred Reed), Deciduous (Viet Cuong), and Concerto for Wind Ensemble (Kevin Day), performed by musicians from our freelance community, the Minnesota Opera Orchestra, SPCO, and Minnesota Orchestra.
  

• Performance: Saturday, May 30, 7:00–9:00 PM | Orchestra Hall
  

• Tickets: $38–58 Adults; $15 students.
  20% off tickets for community orchestras with code: COMMUNITY

  To learn more, visit minnesotawinds.org.

Violins of Hope

• Violins of Hope is a collection of string instruments that were owned by Jewish musicians, many of whom perished in the Holocaust. In collaboration with the JCC, MN Sinfonia is partnering with five area churches and universities to present a series of concerts with Sinfonia musicians performing on violins in this remarkable and historical collection. These performances are being presented with no religious affiliation, but rather, a chance to share in history.  The concert programs will feature Jewish-themed music honoring the millions of Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust.

• Performances:
  Monday, June 22, 7:30 PM | University of Northwestern Nazareth Chapel
  Tuesday, June 23, 7:30 PM | Augsburg University Chapel
  Wednesday, June 24, 7:30 PM | Plymouth Congregational Church
  Thursday, June 25, 7:30 PM | Wayzata Community Church
  Friday, June 26, 7:30 PM | First Covenant Church
  Sunday, June 28, 2:00 PM | Bethel University Benson Great Hall

• Admission: As with all Sinfonia programs, these concerts will be free of admission charges, and children are welcome and their attendance encouraged. 

  To learn more, visit mnsinfonia.org.

Summer Programs

Walker West Summer Jazz Intensive

• This is a high-energy, immersive week designed for middle and high school musicians who are ready to dive deep. From first-time improvisers to advanced players, every student will work alongside premier jazz faculty to sharpen their technique and unlock their creative potential. It’s an intensive week of ensemble magic, where the focus is on building the improv skills, music theory, and confidence needed to truly own the stage.

• Eligibility: For Piano, Drum Set, Sax, Trumpet, Violin, Trombone, Flute, Bass, and Electric Guitar students who have completed grades 6–12.

• Dates: August 3–7, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM

• Camp Fee: $525 (includes lunch).

• Location: Walker West Music Academy, 650 Marshall Avenue, St. Paul

  
  To learn more, visit walkerwest.org/programs/ages-6-18/summer-music-camps.

Performance Opportunities

ARCO: Acts of Resonance, Care, and Outreach

• ARCO is a student-led volunteer music group using the power of music to bring comfort, hope, and joy to those in need. ARCO’s mission is to use the power of live music to uplift and support those who may feel isolated or overlooked, especially:

• Seniors in nursing homes who long for warmth, connection, and joy

• Youth in shelters or care facilities who need encouragement and emotional support

• Anyone who could benefit from the healing and inspiring presence of music

Please sign up using their google form if you would like to be a part of this program!