The Washington DC Youth Orchestra under Evan Ross Solomon (Photo supplied)
The Washington, DC, Youth Orchestra Program (DCYOP) will embark on an international tour to South Africa this July, presenting a series of performances that highlight the power of music to connect young artists across cultures. Led by artistic director Evan Ross Solomon, the orchestra will perform at prominent venues in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town, with collaborative performances with the South African Youth Choir. This international engagement continues DCYOP’s longstanding tradition of global touring and cultural exchange, offering its student musicians the opportunity to share a dynamic orchestral repertoire while engaging with South Africa’s vibrant musical community.
The DCYOP was founded in 1960 by visionary school teacher Lyn McLain at the explicit request of the DC Public Schools system. Established during a transformative era of American civil rights, the programme was built on a foundational mission to make high-quality ensemble training and classical music education accessible to children from all backgrounds across the nation's capital. From its modest beginnings, DCYOP quickly evolved into a cornerstone of the city’s cultural landscape. It holds the historic distinction of being the first youth orchestra ever to perform at the prestigious John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, solidifying its reputation as a pioneer in youth music development.
Over its rich 66-year history, DCYOP has fostered the musical, academic and personal development of more than 60 000 young people. The organisation has received widespread acclaim, including the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award and the DC Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Arts Education. Its ensembles have toured 23 countries across Europe, Asia and Latin America, performing for diplomats and US presidents alike.
The programme's exceptional training has produced a striking array of alumni who have excelled far beyond their school years. In the world of elite music, former students include Daniel Foster (principal viola of the National Symphony Orchestra), Toyin Spellman-Diaz (celebrated oboist of the Imani Winds) and John McLaughlin Williams (Grammy Award-winning conductor). The programme’s diverse impact is equally visible in wider civic and cultural spheres; notable alumni include current Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Saturday Night Live alumnus Ana Gasteyer and former NASA chief information officer Linda Cureton.
Through this tour, DCYOP reaffirms its mission to empower young people through music while fostering international connection, collaboration and artistic excellence.
Evan Ross Solomon (Photo supplied)
Questions for artistic director Evan Ross Solomon:
DCYOP is collaborating directly with the South African Youth Choir. What unique musical and cultural dialogues do you anticipate emerging when young musicians from Washington, DC, and South Africa share the stage?
Our orchestra is enthusiastic about working with the South African Youth Choir. Music has the power to connect people, especially young people. I know the concert performance will be inspirational. But we are also excited to meet the students of the choir and get to know them.
For many of these young artists, an international tour is a life-altering event. Beyond technical musical precision, what core human values do you hope your students will take away from their time in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town?
We hope our students are inspired by the people, culture and natural beauty of South Africa. Beyond the musical enterprise, we hope the students gain a sense of confidence, independence and community.
DCYOP has spent over six decades breaking down barriers to classical music education. How do international initiatives like this tour reinforce the importance of diversity and accessibility in the arts today?
For some of our students, this is their first time leaving the United States. Our students come from a vast variety of backgrounds. DCYOP removes barriers so that students who yearn to contribute can do so. International tours are the culmination of the great work of our students, staff and artists.
We often hear the phrase: “Music is a universal language.” In your experience as a conductor and educator, how does music communicate or heal in ways that spoken language cannot?
Music speaks directly to the heart and soul of humans. It has a power greater than the inadequacies of the spoken word, and binds people, especially the musicians who perform together, at a high level. The higher that level becomes, the greater the impact is for the listener.
When a young person learns to play in an orchestra, they are learning accountability, deep listening and teamwork. How does ensemble training prepare these students to become leaders outside the concert hall?
Orchestral learning sits at the apex of communication, collaboration and cooperation. These are the skills that create leaders in the future workforce. They also produce innovative thinkers and, in the end, create a better world for the musicians’ future selves as well as their communities.
In an increasingly digitised and fast-paced world, what role does classical and collaborative music play in grounding the mental and emotional well-being of the youth?
It’s one of the few places where screens are not wanted, and a place where students come together to achieve something bigger than any one individual.
If your orchestra’s performances could send a single collective message to the world in 2026, what would you want that message to be?
Music has the power to transform individuals and communities.
Performance details
Pretoria: 2 July at 7:00 pm at the University of Pretoria, Aula. Tickets free, but need to be booked: https://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/upso-and-washington-dc-youth-orchestra-program-.
Johannesburg: 5 July at 3:00 pm at the Linder Auditorium. Tickets R100-R300: https://qkt.io/DCYOLinder.
Cape Town: 7 July at 7:00 pm at Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre with the South African Youth Choir. Tickets free, but need to be booked: https://qkt.io/DCYOHugoLambrechts.
Cape Town: 8 July at 7:00 pm at St George’s Cathedral with the South African Youth Choir. Tickets free, but need to be booked: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/376885-washington-dc-youth-orchestra-at-st-georges-cathedral/#/.