Blues Alley Youth Orchestra

The Blues Alley Youth Orchestra is comprised of accomplished student musicians ranging in age from 13 to 18 years old, and their mission is to preserve and promote the big band jazz art form. The Orchestra rehearses and performs under the musical direction of renowned bassist, Michael Bowie. Now in its 4th decade, the Orchestra has performed at many of the classic venues in the Washington metropolitan area such as The John F. Kennedy Center, The Smithsonian Institution, Voice of America, Carter Barron Amphitheater, Wolf Trap Farm Park, and Blues Alley.

The Orchestra was founded in 1985 along with its parent organization the Blues Alley Jazz Society and performs musical selections by such masterful jazz composers as Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Chick Corea, and Herbie Hancock. The Orchestra typically contains a full complement of brass, reeds and rhythm, and it attracts young jazz musicians from Frederick to Fredericksburg. Orchestra members take part in both civic and educational opportunities as they perform in senior centers, at community functions, and inside houses of worship.