On May 11th, 2024, BYSO finally opened our doors and welcomed the public to our new home: the BYSO Youth Center for Music! Although BYSO had previously invited students into our new building for programming, our new space opening for all to see was a big occasion to celebrate. So, that is exactly what we did! 

The afternoon of the BYSO Youth Center for Music Opening Day celebration was filled with joy, music, and learning. The event was attended by community members both new and familiar, all connected by their support of or interest in what BYSO is all about. 

One of the main purposes of the event was to bring the public into our home, and to do so, we offered tours of all three floors of the building. We had self-guided tours available throughout the day, with an informational packet to share just how important, intentional, and meaningful each and every room and feature of the space is for BYSO and our students.

Additionally, our outstanding group of BYSO Youth Center for Music Student Ambassadors led guided tours of the building for guests! The Ambassadors trained for weeks to learn the ins and outs of the BYSO Youth Center for Music, knowing just how special it would be to personally invite their community members and peers inside. These tours were extremely successful and allowed guests to not only learn about facts of the space, but also hear about the individual memorable experiences that our students have had during their time in BYSO. 

Outside of tours, the event was filled with music and fun. Our BYSO students performed both outside the building for anyone to see as well as inside our brand-new practice rooms. These students all thoughtfully took their time to talk to anyone who approached them- sharing about their instrument, the process of playing, or answering any questions they may have been asked. One young guest even brought her own instrument to play along with one of our BYSO musicians!

Our BYSO musicians also demonstrated to guests just how outstanding the acoustics are in the BYSO Youth Center for Music’s Federico Cortese and Catherine Weiskel Auditorium. Chamber music groups performed every half an hour of the event, so as guests wandered the building or completed tours, they could sit and listen to a remarkable performance by our passionate performers.

In between tours and performances, guests got the chance to talk, laugh, and be creative with our family friendly BYSO themed crafts and activities. Some of these included building Peter and the Wolf puppets (one of our annual family concerts) as well as filling in coloring pages of instruments!

We are so grateful for all of the individuals who joined us for this wonderful event. Whether a long-time BYSO supporter, a BYSO participant, or completely new to the organization, we sincerely enjoyed opening our doors to everyone to experience this new chapter in BYSO’s history. BYSO is officially home at the BYSO Youth Center for Music!