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EMPIRE STATE
YOUTH ORCHESTRA

ETIENNE ABELIN, MUSIC DIRECTOR

Auditions ARE NOW OPEN!

Auditions are now open for the 2024/2025 Season! 

ESYO auditions are held each year for young musicians, like you, who are looking to unleash their creativity and ignite their passion for music. When auditioning for ESYO, you audition by instrument, not a specific ensemble. 

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Audition Excerpts

Click on the button below to go directly to excerpts for 24/25 Auditions.

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Big weekend ahead!

Join us tonight, 7:30pm at SUNY Schenectady Community College for Youth and Repertory Jazz Ensembles. Then swing by Massry Center for the Arts for back to back Mother's Day concerts - Wind Orchestra at 3:00pm and Chamber Music and Fiddle Ensemble at 5:30! Hope to see you all there. 

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ESYO CHIME Program

In 2015, ESYO launched CHIME in Schenectady to address fundamental inequities preventing universal access to high level music opportunities for youth. Today, this free after school program serves more hundreds of K-12 students in partnership with Capital Region school districts.

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Upcoming Concerts

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Empire State Youth Orchestra challenges and inspires young people to achieve excellence through music in a rigorous learning environment leading to high-level performance opportunities.

Our Team

The ESYO family is a network of talented conductors, educators, dedicated administrators, and devoted board members. Together we support our young musicians and help model the excellence that is central to the ESYO experience.