| What: Washington D.C. Youth Orchestra Program tour South Africa When: July, 2026 Where: Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town PERFORMANCES & TICKET LINKS: PRETORIA: July 2, 2026, 19:00 | University of Pretoria, Aula Tickets FREE, but need to book: https://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/upso-and-washington-dc-youth-orchestra-program- JOHANNESBURG: July 5, 2026, 15:00 | Linder Auditorium Tickets R100-300: https://qkt.io/DCYOLinder CAPE TOWN: July 7, 2026, 19:00 | Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre with the South African Youth Choir Tickets FREE, but need to book: https://qkt.io/DCYOHugoLambrechts CAPE TOWN: July 8, 2026, 19:00 | St. George’s Cathedral with the South African Youth Choir Tickets FREE, but need to book: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/376885-washington-dc-youth-orchestra-at-st-georges-cathedral/#/ |
The incredible classical music producer, Classical Movements, is presenting The Washington, DC Youth Orchestra Program (DCYOP) tour of South Africa, conducted by its Artistic Director Evan Ross Solomon. Concerts will be in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town, with collaborative performances with the South African Youth Choir. Established in 1960, the DCYOP, the orchestra celebrates the power of music to connect young artists, internationally. It was the first youth orchestra to perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and has toured over 20 countries and has performed with great artists such as Copland, Yo-Yo Ma and Dudamel, Rostropovich. For its tour to SA, July 2026, the repertoire includes works by two young composers who are members of the DCYOP: Kalman Levitin andRaffie McEachin. They are under 20 years old and are already the recipients of awards and acclaim. Amazing! The work of these young composers, will be performed alongside Brahms, Dvořák, a work by Evan Ross Solomon and other composers. Read on for more:
Washington D.C. Youth Orchestra to Tour South Africa This July, Celebrating Global Connections in the America 250 Era
The Washington, DC Youth Orchestra Program (DCYOP) will embark on an international tour to South Africa this July, presenting a series of performances that highlight the power of music to connect young artists across cultures. Led by Artistic Director Evan Ross Solomon, the orchestra will perform in Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Cape Town. The tour will include appearances at prominent venues in each of these cities, with collaborative performances with the South African Youth Choir.
This international engagement continues DCYOP’s longstanding tradition of global touring and cultural exchange, offering its student musicians the opportunity to share a dynamic orchestral repertoire while engaging with South Africa’s vibrant musical community.
Founded in 1960, the DC Youth Orchestra Program is one of the nation’s most respected youth music organizations, serving hundreds of young musicians each year and providing high-quality ensemble training and performance opportunities. Through this tour, DCYOP reaffirms its mission to empower young people through music while fostering international connection, collaboration, and artistic excellence.
PERFORMANCES & TICKET LINKS:
PRETORIA: July 2, 2026, 19:00 | University of Pretoria, Aula
Tickets FREE, but need to book: https://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/upso-and-washington-dc-youth-orchestra-program-
JOHANNESBURG: July 5, 2026, 15:00 | Linder Auditorium
Tickets R100-300: https://qkt.io/DCYOLinder
CAPE TOWN: July 7, 2026, 19:00 | Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre
with the South African Youth Choir
Tickets FREE, but need to book: https://qkt.io/DCYOHugoLambrechts
CAPE TOWN: July 8, 2026, 19:00 | St. George’s Cathedral
with the South African Youth Choir
Tickets FREE, but need to book: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/376885-washington-dc-youth-orchestra-at-st-georges-cathedral/#/
CONCERT REPERTOIRE: For Pretoria and Johannesburg
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Ballade in A Minor (12’)
Raffie McEachin, DCYOP Composer Work
The Primordial Orb Dances (5’30”)
Norman Dello Joio
Variations, Chaconne, and Finale (20’)
Kalman Levitin, DCYOP Composer Work
Chimera (5’30”)
– Intermission –
Evan Ross Solomon
Hematite (5’30”)
Antonín Dvořák
Symphony No. 8 in G Major (35’)
CONCERT REPERTOIRE For Cape Town
Norman Dello Joio
Variations, Chaconne, and Finale (20’)
Raffie McEachin, DCYOP Composer Work
The Primordial Orb Dances (5’30”)
Johannes Brahms
Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny), Op. 54 (18’)
(with South African Youth Chorus)
Kalman Levitin, DCYOP Composer Work
Chimera (5’30”)
– Intermission –
Evan Ross Solomon
Hematite (5’30”)
Antonín Dvořák
Symphony No. 8 in G Major (35’)
| Social Media: Website: https://www.dcyop.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dcyopmusic/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dcyop YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DCYOPmusic4all LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dc-youth-orchestra-program |
Classical Movements presents
WASHINGTON DC YOUTH ORCHESTRA
Evan Ross Solomon, Artistic Director
About the Washington DC Youth Orchestra Program
The Washington, DC Youth Orchestra (DCYOP) is one of the United States most respected youth orchestra and music education organizations. Founded in 1960 at the request of the DC Public Schools, DCYOP was created to give young musicians in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area high-quality ensemble music training and performance opportunities.
DCYOP’s mission is to empower young people to transform their lives through music and community. It achieves this by providing accessible, ensemble-based music education that welcomes students of all backgrounds, abilities, and socioeconomic statuses — from beginner lessons through advanced orchestral performance.
Over more than six decades, DCYOP has had a profound impact on the cultural life of Washington, D.C. and beyond. It was the first youth orchestra to perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and has toured over 20 countries, performing for U.S. presidents and international audiences alike. The Orchestra has worked with luminaries such as Copland, Yo-Yo Ma, Dudamel, Rostropovich, and many others.
DCYOP’s ensembles serve students ages 4½ to 18, and today the organization enrolls hundreds of young musicians from more than 200 schools across the DC metro region. The program focuses not only on musical excellence but also on building life skills such as teamwork, confidence, and leadership through collaborative performance and instruction.
Alumni of DCYOP have gone on to distinguished careers in music — including positions with the National Symphony Orchestra and acclaimed chamber groups — as well as success in fields such as writing, science, and civic leadership, including the mayoralty of Washington, D.C. Through performances, tours, and community events, the Washington, DC Youth Orchestra Program continues to celebrate the transformative power of music and nurture the next generation of artists and citizens.
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