BAY YOUTH ORCHESTRAS OF VIRGINIA
Hampton Roads’ Premier Youth Orchestra
Six Ensembles, Student Musicians from All Over Hampton Roads
The mission of Bay Youth Orchestras of Virginia is to provide the highest level of symphonic ensemble training and performance opportunities to the young musicians of Hampton Roads.
Under the direction and guidance of many supportive music educators over the past 50 years, Bay Youth Orchestras has developed into one of the largest youth orchestra programs in the country. Offering six levels of ensemble training to over 350 young musicians, BYOV gives students the opportunity to learn and perform the world’s greatest orchestral literature.
Bay Youth Orchestras of Virginia is a 501C(3) non-profit organization and receives funding from the Business Consortium for Arts Support of South Hampton Roads, the City of Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission, the City of Norfolk Arts and Humanities Commission, the City of Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission, The Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Statement on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Bay Youth Orchestras of Virginia (BYOV) makes a pledge to engage in equitable practices to provide the highest level of ensemble training to the diverse population of Hampton Roads. As an established cultural organization in our community, BYOV recognizes that we have a unique responsibility to create an environment where our young musicians, families, audiences, and staff are able to participate fully regardless of race, class, gender, ethnicity, culture, religious belief, sexual orientation, or physical and cognitive ability. We acknowledge the history of systemic racism, marginalization, socio-economic inequities, and under-representation of Black, Indigenous, and people of color in classical music. BYOV is committed to operating with the maximum degree of action, competency, intentionality, accountability, and dedication to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the following areas which include, but are not limited to:
- Artistic programming and repertoire selection
- Reaching musicians and audience members of all backgrounds
- Sharing our resources with the underserved members of our community.
- Recruiting and selecting staff, board, and guest artists
- Identifying, auditioning, and selecting underrepresented young musicians
- Supporting underserved community events
- Presenting performances in culturally diverse venues
- Expanding marketing and advertising opportunities
- Cultivating diverse donors and sponsors
- Continuing education in equity, diversity and inclusion
BYOV FEATURED ON WTKR NEWS! Learn about our long standing tradition of the Bay Youth and Virginia Symphonies performing side by side annually. Watch the news clip!
JUST RELEASED ON YOUTUBE! BYOV and the Virginia Children’s Chorus performing the premier of Hailstork’s Gift of the Magi in 2013. https://youtu.be/6fyqbeDVcrQ
BYOV has a YouTube Channel! Subscribe to our channel to view educational resources and much more! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsCExJ5vaTKuECnxa7zV2yA
ANNOUNCEMENT: Bay Youth Orchestras of Virginia is the proud recipient of a generous gift from Newman Financial in the form of scholarship funds. This gift allows us to cover tuition assistance to students in need for two entire seasons! This fund will remain a named Scholarship Fund for BYOV. Susan Newman is a BYOV Alumna, former board president, world traveller, and raffle coordinator extraordinaire! We are so grateful to Newman Financial for their dedication to supporting our organization with this generous gift.
Want to perform with Hampton Roads’ premier youth orchestras? It begins with the audition process.
BYOV Sponsors