YOLA National Programs
YOLA National Programs extend the mission of YOLA beyond our city by connecting young musicians, educators, and organizations across the United States. Through a range of initiatives—including immersive festivals, educator convenings, advanced training opportunities, and grant-supported partnerships—these programs strengthen the national network of creative youth development and music education.
YOLA National Festival
Each summer, the YOLA National Festival convenes exceptional young musicians from community-based music programs across the country for a powerful week of learning, collaboration, and performance in Los Angeles, celebrating artistic growth and the unifying power of orchestral music.
Educator Accelerator
The YOLA National Accelerator brings together educators, artists, and leaders working in youth music programs to share ideas, strengthen collaboration, and advance the field of creative youth development. Through focused gatherings and peer exchange, participants explore new approaches to empowering young people through music.
YOLA National Institute
The YOLA National Institute is an advanced training opportunity for select musicians from the YOLA National Festival who are interested in deepening their artistic development. Through mentorship, collaborative learning, and year-round engagement, students explore their creative potential and pathways in music.
Partners in Music Learning
Partners in Music Learning supports organizations across the United States that are working to expand access to music and creative youth development programs. Through funding, professional development, and a collaborative peer network, the initiative helps strengthen programs serving young musicians and their communities.
YOLA National FAQs
What is YOLA National?
YOLA National brings together those who believe that music education has a powerful role to play in youth and community development. Designed to respond to the changing needs of the field, YOLA National offers an ever‐growing number of opportunities for young musicians, teaching artists, program administrators, and other stakeholders to learn from and to create community with one another. Through this work, the LA Phil aims both to empower young people from populations that have been historically excluded from intensive music training and to foster a dialogue among practitioners that will help shape the future of the field.
What is the history of YOLA National?
YOLA National is the next phase in the evolution of the LA Phil’s investment in progressive music education under the leadership of Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, who is a product of and champion of the El Sistema youth orchestra movement. The LA Phil introduced the Sistema‐inspired YOLA program in 2007. The program’s influence grew rapidly, and in 2012, the Take a Stand initiative—a partnership between the LA Phil and Longy School of Music of Bard College—was introduced to promote social change through music on a national stage. The initiative resulted in an annual convening of Sistema‐inspired music educators, a Masters of Arts in Teaching degree program, and in 2015, the creation of the student‐centered National Take a Stand Festival.
In 2018 the LA Phil introduced YOLA National in order to unify and expand upon these activities, with the exception of the Masters of Arts in Teaching degree program, which continues to be administered by the Longy School of Music of Bard College, now in partnership with Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) and Street Symphony. Under the “YOLA National” umbrella, the LA Phil seeks to be a nimble and expert resource for the field, continuing to host annual convenings for educators and students, but also introducing new programs and entering into new partnerships that respond to the changing needs of the field.