Youth orchestra in East L.A. is back

After recently announcing major cuts to its youth orchestra, the L.A. Phil has secured additional donor funding to ensure the East L.A. branch of the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) program will continue at full capacity until the end of the school year.

- CERYS DAVIES

MUSICIANS with the L.A. Phil's Youth Orchestra Los Angeles rehearse in 2023.

In an email to the students' parents last month, the nonprofit organization announced that it would need to “significantly modify” the programming at the Esteban E. Torres High School site “due to unanticipated financial and funding challenges for the organization.”

With these proposed changes, the site’s teaching artists were laid off, the younger students’ programming was gutted and practices for the older students were reduced.

The students’ parents and the local community rallied together in response to the cuts, creating a campaign on Instagram and organizing at town hall meetings. After hearing this outcry and receiving additional funds, the L.A. Phil has been able to temporarily preserve the Torres site.

In a statement to The Times, LA Phil President and Chief Executive Kim Noltemy said, “We are thrilled our donors recognized that this funding provides vital access to music education for the East LA community.”