Sally Kell, one of the first female conductors in the nation, founded the Berkeley Youth Orchestra in 1969 to showcase the talents of the younger brothers and sisters of East Bay high school musicians. BYO offered elementary and middle school students a full symphony orchestra experience that they lacked in their schools. Subsequent conductors Yair Strauss, J. Karla Lemon, John MacLean, Judith Williams Gartrell and Ann Krinitsky led the ensemble through more than 30 years of strong musical accomplishment.

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Jay Lehmann started at BYO as a parent before becoming the brass section coach in 2000. In 2003 the Board of Directors named Jay as BYO's conductor. Jay’s vision of coaches supporting all sections of the orchestra resulted in the Artists-in-Residence (AiR) program. Our Artists in Residence are present at every rehearsal to teach, serve as role models, and support our members. AiR enables our Chamber Program, where BYO's young musicians showcase their hard work and talent by playing in a smaller ensembles. BYO serves between 60-100 young musicians from 20+ cities in the Bay Area and Central Valley.

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In 2024, Jay retired from teaching and Sam Wilde joined as BYO's Conductor and Music Director, becoming just the 8th person to lead the orchestra in its 50+ year history.

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BYO is the first full symphony orchestra experience for many Bay Area young musicians. We teach them music as well as discipline and teamwork. We also give them the opportunity to shine in our Chamber Program. And our community of parents teach by example, volunteering at BYO and demonstrating what it means to be an active member of a caring and supportive musical community.