By Judy Carmack Bross
The Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra celebrates the power of music across cultures in support of its award-winning music education programs at its 2025 Gala: Spanish Rhapsody February 15 at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. Photo by Ed Spinelli
We spoke with Executive Director Jennie Oh Brown, who describes herself as a flutist, collaborator, entrepreneur and mentor, about the CYSO and the power and talent of its performers aged 8-18 who will be representing Chicago in Spain this summer.
Jennie Oh Brown, Executive Director of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. She recently received an Outstanding Achievement Award in the Arts and Humanities by Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs. Photo by Forestt Strong Lafave
CCM: CYSO is almost 80 years old, what is the legacy of the organization? How would you describe your students in terms of their interests and abilities and how much time do the students commit to CYSO?
JOB: CYSO has been a major contributor to the culture of Chicago. Our alums are connected to virtually every major orchestra in the country, and many globally as well. However, what many may not know is that many of our alums also enter into other fields and become great leaders as well. The experience of being in CYSO is tied to so many skills, not only musical, including leadership, collaboration, creativity, and innovation. It is an incredible community of young people, many of whom travel far and wide to be a part of CYSO. Our ensembles rehearse once a week, but some students who choose to participate in multiple activities with CYSO will come multiple times a week.
CCM: You describe CYSO as ensemble focused and of the power of community. Whether with orchestras, sports or almost any other aspect of a child’s life, working together is all-important. Would you elaborate on that?
JOB: We are living in an age when it is so easy to be isolated and polarized, where young people are emotionally impacted by what they see in social media, and where it often feels easier to be disengaged. CYSO is the great counter to all of this, and that is why our young artists view CYSO as their home, where they belong. Imagine not only sitting side-by-side with great friends, but sharing together in creating great art. What does this mean? It’s feeling the essence of the music together (tenderness, anguish, ecstatic joy, and everything in between), it’s analyzing the craftsmanship of a composition like peeling layers of an onion, it’s working with mentors who genuinely care about you, it’s sharing the experience of sometimes achieving great things and sometimes failing, and knowing that you are in a safe space to do it all. There is a palpable joy in exploring the minutiae of a phrase and/or exploding with passion through great music — TOGETHER.
We asked Brown to tell us about her musical training.
JOB: I grew up in the south suburbs, and my family moved to the western suburbs while I was in college. I began playing the flute at age 13,which is quite late. I chose it, honestly, because it was shiny and small. I played string bass during middle school, and perhaps I was looking for a change, although I still regret quitting the bass! I was also quite enamored with its bright and mercurial sound, something I still love today.
I currently live in Elmhurst with my husband and 2 dogs named Kevin and Chester. We have two grown sons, Cameron and Nathan, who I love and admire greatly.
CCM: Did you participate in a youth orchestra, and do you apply some of your own experiences there to working with students today?
JOB: When I became serious about music, I opted to transfer out of my hometown high school, Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, and attend both the National Music Camp at Interlochen and the Interlochen Arts Academy. It was a transformative experience and truly set my course towards a life as a professional musician. I wouldn’t say I necessarily directly apply those experiences to my students today, but I understand the feeling when a profound love of music is sparked. There is nothing more amazing to me than when I see that in this generation.
CCM: Tell us about the Spanish Rhapsody Gala at the Four Seasons Chicago February 15 and the program. How would you describe the audience that you will expect there?
JOB: CYSO’s galas are a celebration of the signature programming that has come to define the CYSO experience for our wonderful young artists. It is an opportunity to gather with friends and family and hear truly world-class performances by our students of all ages. I cannot fully express how inspiring it is to see the next generation performing great repertoire with incredible joy and skill. Audiences will be in for a gourmet dinner, engaging conversation with friends new and old, and incredible music – a perfect antidote to Chicago’s winter cold!
CCM: Where in Spain will you be visiting and what is the variety of Spanish music that you have been working with the orchestra on performing February 15?
JOB: We will be traveling to Valladolid, Utrera, Granada and
Córdoba! One highlight is a piece by Spanish composer Zeltia Montes. Our Music Director Allen Tinkham has been in touch with Montes directly to turn this excerpt of her film score into a piece to be performed onstage. I love these types of endeavors!
CCM: You speak of yourself as Flutist, Collaborator, Entrepreneur and Mentor. Tell us how you implement this roles.
JOB: In many ways, my life now was shaped by my experience as a doctoral student at the Eastman School of Music. During that time, I was a teaching assistant for both the music history and performance areas, I was involved with an excellent chamber ensemble that performed at major festivals and around North America, and my circle of friends and major projects often revolved around the composition department. Now as a seasoned professional, I have had the tremendous blessing of leading a multifaceted career with great friends who are among the music field’s most inspiring artists as performers, composers, and leaders. Now in my second season working as the Executive Director of Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, I am able to bring these experiences to the benefit of the organization. When I look back on my trajectory from those early days to today, I have always known about myself that I am happiest when I have an abundance of projects and people around me, rather than a single focused path.
CCM: When a student reaches 18 and graduates from CYSO, what have you found that they do next?
JOB: CYSO’s graduates go into a multitude of fields, approximately 50% in music and 50% in other fields. We have seen them continue on to stellar careers in every field imaginable. For example Sheila Johnson, the first female African American billionaire, is a graduate of CYSO, and you will find CYSO alums in virtually every major American orchestra and beyond.
CCM: What are challenges and delights of working with children 6-18?
JOB: Throughout my life from a very young age, I have always had a tremendous love and respect for teaching. There is something truly magical about sharing a journey of discovery with a child of any age, and each phase of life has its own beauty. I spent decades teaching flute performance at the collegiate level, but I always kept a private studio at home where I taught very serious younger students. I appreciated my students’ unique perspectives at every stage, whether they were dealing with new braces, beaming with joy over figuring something out, or feeling disappointment when a performance didn’t meet personal expectations. Teaching is truly a privilege, and now as an administrator, it is incredible to see the great mentoring happening in every corner of our organization by our dedicated and skilled artistic staff.
Proceeds from the Gala directly support CYSO’s acclaimed programs, which engage the next generation of talented musicians from throughout the Chicago area, nurturing a lifelong love of music while ensuring access to world-class training, regardless of financial circumstances.
Lourdes Duarte, WGN-TV anchor and investigative reporter, serves as the evening’s emcee. Ross Bricker and Nina Vinik are Gala co-chairs. More than 150 CYSO musicians will entertain guests and showcase their artistry as members of the Kaiso Steel Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra, Preparatory Strings, and Symphony Orchestra. As a tribute to the upcoming trip to Spain, as part of the Gala performances, the Symphony Orchestra offers excerpts from Bizet’s Carmen, Falla’s Three-Cornered Hat, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol.
Gala Note of Excellence Award Winner James Ginsburg. Photo by Elliot Mandel
Jonathan Bailey Holland, also winner of the Note of Excellence Award
This year’s Gala honors two visionaries with its Note of Excellence Award: James Ginsburg, a Grammy-winning music producer and founder and president of Cedille Records, and Jonathan Bailey Holland, an award-winning composer and dean of Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. CYSO has performed Holland’s compositions on numerous occasions and made three recordings for Cedille Records, produced by Ginsburg.
For more information abut CYSO, gala, and its students and alumni, visit: cyso.org.