Contemporary Youth Orchestra

Founded in 1995, the award winning Contemporary Youth Orchestra (CYO) is the first and only youth orchestra in the country dedicated to the study and performance of contemporary orchestral literature. Founding Music Director Liza Grossman and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra are the recipients of awards including the ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, the Northern Ohio Live Award of Achievement and the Sunshine Award from Young Audiences for excellence in arts education.

As of 2011, they have performed close to 100 world premieres, all with the composers present.

Each season, CYO commissions several new works, including a concerto that is performed by a local or nationally recognized soloist. They have included well-known artists including the award winning Pacifica Quartet, Cleveland Orchestra members, Mike Garson, Valerie Naranjo, turntabalist Grandmixer DXT and jazz trumpet player Joe Miller.

CYO has collaborated with many composers including Joan Tower, Steve and Julie Bernstein, Jaz Coleman, Bernard Rands, Dmitri Tymoczko, Valerie Naranjo and Mark Mothersbaugh.

CYO's series, 'Music And Its Industry' has been adding installments since 2007, starting with Tunes for 'Toons; Movie Night, TV Themes, Broadway! and Children's Music. They are exposing the members and hundreds of other area children to different potential professions in the industry.

They are well-known for their collaboration with rock artists. They have performed with popular artists and bands including Ray Manzarek of The Doors, Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young), Jon Anderson of Yes, Pat Benatar and her husband Neil Giraldo, Styx, Mike Garson and Jefferson Starship. Their concerts have been recorded and televised on HDNet, PBS, VH-1 Classic and Palladia. They can be heard on iTunes and seen on DVD and Blue-Ray.

External links

• Contemporary Youth Orchestra Official Website
• Styx Official Website
• Contemporary Youth Orchestra at the Internet Movie Database

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