Mary Lyon Youth Orchestra

Mary Lyon Elementary School, located in the west side Chicago neighborhood of Belmont Cragin, is the home of the flagship ChiMOP program the Mary Lyon Youth Orchestra. MLYO started in the fall of 2013 and has since offered free youth music programming to more than 300 students over the last ten years.

MLYO provides high quality daily music training at the beginning to intermediate levels to sixty young musicians. In addition to instrument lessons, orchestra rehearsals, chamber music work, and other music electives such as choir, bucket band, or electronic music composition, students have many opportunities to learn about themselves and explore the human condition through our human values curriculum.

Musicians of the MLYO have performed more than a hundred concerts in the Belmont Cragin community and beyond. Part of the ChiMOP mission is to grow community through music and we believe it is essential to fill the halls of the school and the streets of the neighborhoods with frequent free concerts to which all are welcome.