YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles)
Local and National Programs
YOLA provides young people, ages five through eighteen, with free instruments, intensive music instruction, and opportunities to perform on stages in their communities and around the world.
The work of YOLA is focused in two areas: Local programs, which directly serve communities across Los Angeles, and national programs which provide opportunities for young musicians, teaching artists, program administrators, and other stakeholders to learn from and create community with one another.
YOLA Local
Learn about YOLA's sites across Los Angeles. Though all are guided by a unified philosophy and mission, each site is designed differently to serve the specific needs of its community.
Beckmen YOLA Center
YOLA at Inglewood offers free after-school music programming for Inglewood students, at the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center.
YOLA National Festival
An intensive orchestral training program, the YOLA National Festival is open to students aged 12-18 from Sistema-inspired programs and similar initiatives from across the country that are invested in youth and community development through music education.
YOLA National Accelerator
The YOLA National Accelerator seeks to foster a trusting community of educators and artists who share a common vision and purpose, underscored with a sense of urgency that our current climate requires.
YOLA National Institute
Open to musicians participating in the YOLA National Festival, the YOLA National Institute (YNI) offers in-depth training and support to a cohort of young musicians interested in pursuing a career in music.
Partners in Music Learning
This regranting initiative provides organizations in select regions across the U.S. with support to help unite, galvanize, and advance creative youth development and music programs.
YOLA National at Home
Watch past recorded sessions from the free, online learning experience for students, educators, and artists that ran in July 2020.
Learning FAQs
FAQs about our learning programs that take place in the community and Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Your support is instrumental
Even with every advantage in the world, the odds of having a successful career in orchestral music are slim. As a greater number of graduates from YOLA and programs like it consider pursuing a college education and career in music, the LA Phil aims to support them at critical junctures along the pathway to their future success.
Support These Programs