“One month before starting my senior year in high school, I was on an airplane bound for Japan with the DC Youth Orchestra. I could not imagine then how deeply my musicianship, sense of community, and love of learning would be influenced by being a member of DCYOP. The ripples of formative experiences in the program continue to resonate in my life.” – Kenneth Whitley, ’79

1970 DCYO at White House, photo by Louise Bucknell

1970 DCYO at White House, photo by Louise Bucknell

The Nation’s Youth Orchestra since 1960

For over sixty years, the DC Youth Orchestra Program has nurtured the musical growth and development of over 60,000 students from across DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Our alumni have gone on to follow paths that have taken them everywhere from the world’s greatest concert stages to the highest levels of public service. We are proud to call every one of them members of our DCYOP family!

To learn more about our history, please watch the short documentary, Growing up with Music, shown below.

Calling All Alumni!

Fill us in on what you have been up to since your DCYOP days and share your stories and photos. You can join our alumni roster and share your memories by filling out this form. We would love to hear from you!

Many student lists and other historical documents were lost in 2011 when DCYOP moved from Coolidge to Eastern High School, so if you can help us fill in some gaps in our archives, please reach out by emailing rashida@dcyop.org. Thank you!

Alumni List
girl & boy playing trombone