Focus Area: Youth Development

Grant Amount: $10,000

Located in St. Paul. Founded in 1972, GTCYS is a youth orchestra serving over 1,000 students in the Twin Cities. In 2016, in response to a request from parents in St. Paul’s West Side, GTCYS launched the Harmony program to serve youth with music opportunities not otherwise available to them. Harmony is offered as a before-school program in partnership with Riverview Elementary School – 77% of Riverview students qualify for free/reduced lunch, and 93% are students of color.

Grant supports expansion of the Harmony program, which offers high quality violin and cello instruction for 65 3rd-5th graders. During the school year, students meet 3 days a week before school, learning with talented teaching artists in small and large groups. They perform in various concerts throughout the year, including at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis and in collaboration with GTCYS’ orchestras. The program is expanding to a new program site in the east Metro. The grant also supports a week-long Harmony orchestra camp and a week-long Mariachi camp for all Harmony students.