Alton Youth Symphony, in collaboration with the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake Michigan, will be hosting 87 young musicians from Germany for three nights this summer. The musicians, ages 13-19, comprise three performance groups: a choir, a string orchestra, and a big band. Alton will be the last stop on their two-week tour of the Midwest.

AYS is seeking host families to provide housing for three nights beginning August 4, as well as meals and transportation to performance venues on August 5 & 6. In addition to sharing their talents with our community at several performances in Alton & Godfrey, the musicians are here to experience the American way of living. On Tuesday, August 5 we hope the families will be able to show the guests some of the sites around the Alton area.

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To date we have 30 students still needing host families. To find out more about hosting, please contact Barb Strack at the Alton Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau 618-465-6676, or look on the AYS website for further details: www.altonyouthsymphony.org 

About Alton Youth Symphony

The Alton Youth Symphony was formed in 1969 to extend musical opportunities to area youths and is still touching young lives today! The orchestra benefits up to 100 student musicians each year. Believing that an investment in our children’s future offers the greatest returns, AYS is the only youth orchestra in the region that does not charge a membership fee for students and offers scholarships for private lessons and music camps to deserving members. Its members are young musicians in grades 6-8 that play string, wind, and percussion instruments in a full orchestral setting. In addition to generous contributions from individuals and businesses in the area, AYS receives support from Alton Community Service League, Boeing Employees Community Fund and Target Corporation. AYS is partially supported by Jacoby Arts Center and by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. About Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp Blue Lake is best known for the Fine Arts Camp it operates each summer in Twin Lake Michigan. Blue Lake’s International Exchange Program began in 1969 when a 90-voice choir toured England, Belgium and Germany. Since then, over 10,000 high school musicians wearing Blue Lake uniforms have visited 650 communities throughout Europe. In return, nearly 10,000 members of 550 European bands, orchestras, choirs and dance groups have performed throughout the Midwest. 

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