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Metropolitan
Youth Symphony:
Lajos Balogh, Music Director & Conductor
since 1974

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MYS Office
503-239-4566

"In a time where music and the arts are not justly represented in schools, it is very easy for a young musician to lose their support group, and to lose their pride in making music. MYS has always been that support [for me]. MYS has always been the musical family that unfortunately not every young musician has been lucky enough to have. However, MYS has also taught pride by example. Their unwavering faith in the belief that music has the ability to connect the most different of people has always been inspiring. It is obvious to see that every conductor, every volunteer, every employee, and every student of MYS has this same sense of pride in what they are a part of, a pride in the goodness of their intention to simply spread the joy of music, one student at a time.

This pride in being a musician is something I will always carry... It is with this pride in the power of music that I move on from MYS to college, where I know I will pursue at least one of my majors in music, and have many more opportunities to grow as a musician. I truly hope that one day I will be able to give back to the family that gave so much to me."

--Monica Rabii from her essay for the Presidential Scholarship