The Dr. Shirley Linzy Young Artists Orchestra of Las Vegas (YAO), also known as the Las Vegas Young Artists Orchestra, is a tuition-free & professional training youth orchestra founded by conductor Yunior Lopez in 2015. Today, the YAO consists of four primary ensembles with nearly 150 students and young professionals up to age 22. Our mission is to educate, promote, and develop the talent of our s
tudents through high quality music education & performance, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement. Unique to the program is the detailed exposure to traditional and modern orchestral repertoire, collaborations with nationally and internationally recognized guest artists, chamber music opportunities, and community outreach events. Concerts and collaborations span a variety of styles and genres including classical, jazz, hip-hop, opera, and world music. Since 2015, the YAO has presented over 100 concerts & events to the metropolitan area of Las Vegas making it one of the largest presenters of music programming in the state. Other youth programs include music competitions, summer camps, group classes for kids, masterclasses, and an instrument bank to allow students to benefit from the use of high quality instruments that would otherwise not be available to them. In late 2017, the organization was renamed to honor one of its biggest supporters, the late Dr. Shirley Linzy, who passed away unexpectedly in September of 2017.
