For 67 years, the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras has been playing an important role in creating a vibrant and healthy community where children flourish because of their participation in the arts and where arts audiences grow because children evolve into arts loving adults. While 60% of our funding comes from revenue generating activities like tuition and ticket sales, we still need to raise an additional 40% from generous individuals and philanthropic organizations. Your gift will make a significant impact in perpetuating an organization that has sustained the arts in the Puget Sound for almost 7 decades.  We promise to wisely use your gift and we thank you for your generosity.

Reasons to support SYSO:

1. SYSO provides the best music education opportunities in the Pacific Northwest. Our conductors and faculty are among the greatest musicians in the Puget Sound region. Over 1,100 students participate in our programs each year, making us the largest youth symphony organization in the United States.  Our programs provide a comprehensive and sequential music development process that enables all students to participate and succeed.

During the academic year, we have four full orchestras, serving beginning students all the way to the conservatory-level Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra. During the summer, we provide Marrowstone Summer Music, a nationally prominent intensive orchestral and chamber music program. We also provide two sessions of Marrowstone-in-the-City for younger students who want to improve their musical skills over the summer.

Our innovative work with students in local public schools has been emulated around the country. Through SYSO in the Schools, underserved students in ethnically diverse neighborhoods receive weekly in-school music training from the region’s most talented music professionals.  As these students progress with their training, they matriculate into our other programs.

2. SYSO’s students are our future performers and patrons. If you love classical music, you should support SYSO, because our work makes your passion possible. All great musicians start with a great education.

SYSO alumni play in every major orchestra in the United States, including leadership positions in the major orchestras and Opera companies of Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and New York. Our alumni also hold positions around the world – in the leading ensembles of London, Paris, Milan, Hong Kong and Tokyo, among many, many others.

While many of our students study music at the conservatory level, many others choose different career paths. Studies show that a solid music education contributes to higher achievement in life. Our students become the doctors, lawyers, scientists and teachers of the next generation. They also carry a love for music with them forever. They are the next generation of music patrons, keeping classical music a vital part of our culture.

3. SYSO’s programs are available to our young people, regardless of their financial resources. Many of our most successful students are unable to afford the full cost of tuition. Because of the generosity of donors like you, we are able to annually offer $120,000 in scholarships and work study money to our students. Over 25% of our students receive some kind of financial aid.

4. SYSO’s programs are very cost effective. Compared to other top youth symphony organizations around the nation, we serve more students for less money. Our per-student costs are around 60% of the national average.