GBYO/BSYO Alumni

For 50 years, generations of young musicians have come together in Baltimore to rehearse, perform, learn from extraordinary teachers and conductors, and discover what it means to be part of an orchestra.  

The story began in 1977, when Baltimore Symphony Orchestra clarinetist Chris Wolfe founded the Greater Baltimore Youth Orchestras (GBYO). Over the decades that followed, GBYO grew into a multi-ensemble organization providing advanced orchestral training for young musicians throughout the Baltimore region.   

GBYO musicians performed at home and around the world. Under longtime Artistic Director Jason Love, who led the organization for 13 years, the program expanded its partnerships and community connections and toured internationally to Austria, Japan, Russia, the Czech Republic, and Estonia.   

In 2011, Ken Lam became Music Director of GBYO. Executive Director Nana Vaughn and Maestro Lam began meeting with members of the Baltimore Symphony Education team to explore ways the two organizations might work together more closely. What began as conversations about partnership led to an exciting idea: Could a merger between GBYO and the BSO benefit both organizations and better serve young musicians? 
 
The idea offered exciting possibilities. As part of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, youth orchestra musicians would gain unprecedent access to the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall stage, meaningful mentorship from BSO musicians, opportunities to work with renowned conductors and guest artists, and greater visibility throughout the region. The connection would deepen students’ understanding of the professional orchestral world and inspire the next generation of performers, educators, arts supporters, and lifelong music lovers. 
 
For the BSO, the partnership represented an opportunity to invest directly in the future of orchestral music. By bringing a youth orchestra program into the organization, the orchestra could play a more active role in developing young musicians, fostering audiences of the future, and strengthening connections with families and communities throughout Maryland. 

On September 1, 2012, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra established the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestras (BSYO), carrying forward GBYO's 35-year legacy as an official program of the BSO. Today, that legacy continues as BSYO welcomes a new generation of young musicians from across Maryland.  Although the organization entered a new chapter as BSYO, the traditions, values, and spirit of the program continued through the thousands of alumni who helped shape its first 35 years. 

In 2027, we celebrate 50 years of GBYO/BSYO and the thousands of students, families, conductors, coaches, volunteers, supporters, and alumni who have made this remarkable community possible.