Greater Miami Youth Symphony

The Greater Miami Youth Symphony was created in 1958 by Robert Strassburg in order to provide an independent, complementary program to music education in the schools. Three years later, Strassburg’s Orchestra completed a concert tour of Colombia in a cultural exchange program entitled “Youth for Youth”. In November of 1972, the Orchestra was officially renamed the Greater Miami Youth Symphony, and became a Florida non-profit corporation. Today, the Greater Miami Youth Symphony is an inclusive year-round, multi-tiered music training program consisting of over 600 students ranging in age from 5 to 18. GMYS is served by a full-time Executive Director, Jessica Munch-Dittmar, and Marketing and Operations Coordinator, Michelle Sanchez, as well as other administrative and artistic support, led by Artistic Director, Huifang Chen. GMYS offers beginning music classes on most instruments of the modern orchestra, as well as large ensembles which include 4 orchestras, 2 wind bands, and 2 jazz bands. GMYS also boasts numerous small chamber groups including jazz combos which perform throughout Miami Dade County and a thriving summer camp program in 3 locations.