Oklahoma Youth Orchestras

Oklahoma Youth Orchestras offers Festival Strings, Festival Winds, OYO, OYP, OYW, PERC, COFA, SINF, FS OKC, FWBL01, Festival Strings Edmond, and Festival Strings Norman. The program has 10 ensembles that meet weekly from September to May, with schedule patterns listed for each ensemble.

Programs

• Festival Strings — Weekly, September–May
• Festival Winds — Weekly, September–May
• OYO — 6:00pm-8:30pm
• OYP — 5:30pm-7:20pm
• OYW — 7:30pm-9:20pm
• PERC — Generally 6:00pm-9:30pm
• COFA — 7:15pm-8:30pm
• SINF — 5:45pm-7:00pm
• FS OKC — 6:00pm-7:00pm
• FWBL01 — 5:30pm-6:45pm
• Festival Strings Edmond — 5:30pm-6:30pm
• Festival Strings Norman — 5:00pm-6:00pm

At a glance

• Ages: 8–18 years old
• General schedule: 10 ensembles meeting weekly from September–May.

About the provider

Oklahoma Youth Orchestras serves over 400 young musicians from across the region. Its stated mission is to provide quality instrumental music education programs for students and accessible cultural offerings for the community, with opportunities for artistic excellence to central and western Oklahoma. The program reports serving 400+ students and families each year and awarded more than $15,000 in scholarships and financial aid in 2020. It also received ARPA funds through the Oklahoma Arts Council.

Locations and Times are subject to change. Rehearsal locations include Oklahoma City University at the Wanda L. Bass Music Center, Sequoyah Middle School in Edmond, and Whittier Middle School in Norman.

What families say

“The opportunity to work with other young musicians in the Oklahoma Youth Orchestra on the great orchestral repertoire was an important part of my learning experience. The teamwork, individual preparedness, and spirit of willingness required to make music on this scale are values that every teenager should cherish, and these have carried me through my musical development.” — Joshua Roman, cellist and OKYO Alumnus

Last updated September 5, 2026.