The mission of Tyler Youth Orchestra, Inc. is to provide a dynamic, classical music experience in which talented, young East Texas musicians receive high-quality instruction and significant opportunities for orchestral performance. More specifically, TYO, Inc., through its primary components, the Tyler Youth Orchestra, Tyler Academic Orchestra, and Tyler Preparatory Orchestra, and its various smaller ensembles, accomplishes this mission by meeting the following objectives:

• Education.  To expand participants’ knowledge of symphonic literature and to provide them with the opportunity to work with professional musicians and music educators to further develop their technical and musical skills.
• Experience.  To provide participants with experiences involving high-level orchestral performance in a variety of groups and settings under the direction of inspiring leaders.

• Encouragement. To encourage the creative and personal development of participants by nurturing self-confidence, discipline, dedication, and the ability to work harmoniously with others.

• Excellence.  To instill in participants a desire to achieve excellence in all of their undertakings and to challenge them to always strive for the highest level of musical performance.

• Enrichment.  To enrich the musical lives of participants by promoting a life-long love and appreciation of orchestral music and to enrich the musical and cultural life of the community through performance, community involvement, and education.
• Enjoyment.  To enable participants to experience the enjoyment that comes from personal and collective accomplishment, successful performance, and interaction with others who share a similar passion for music.

History

Tyler Youth Orchestra, Inc. began as a violin ensemble for 5th and 6th graders in 1955, reorganized as a string ensemble in 1975 and expanded to a full orchestra in 1979.  The Tyler Preparatory Orchestra began in 1991 to provide musical enrichment and training for beginning string musicians, and in 2006, the Tyler Academic Orchestra formed to serve intermediate musicians who are still honing their skills for the Tyler Youth Orchestra.