Our Story

 The Mid-Valley Prelude Sinfonia youth orchestra program was started in 2007 by parents who wanted to create an opportunity for youth in the Albany area to learn the violin, viola, cello, or string bass. There was no youth orchestra program in the schools, and very few private instructors.

From a single small class in 2007, we have expanded our program to five different orchestral levels and added piano, choir, and other classes. 

2021 also marked a banner year with a name change to Albany Youth Orchestra and a move to a new home, the AYO Music Center at 1405 Pacific Blvd, next to Browsers' Bookstore. We are retaining MVPS for business reasons, so you will see both names. Our new location allows us to offer classes to students from any school, offer a wider range of classes, more efficiently serve our partner schools, and be able to serve our growing student population more effectively.

Impact on Students and the Community

For decades, researchers have found that having music education in schools can improve students’ cognitive skills, executive functions, social abilities, and behavior. As under-funded schools lose arts programs, it is important that someone fill the gap to provide access to musical education for students in our community. Furthermore, it is not just the students that benefit from our program: families and other community members are able to enjoy music in a new way and are often inspired to pursue music themselves.

Removing Barriers

 We believe that great music education should be accessible to every student. We are dedicated to removing as many barriers as possible that may inhibit a child from receiving a musical education.