The orchestras and chamber ensembles rehearse every Sunday from September through June at Boston University College of Fine Arts,[5] where BYSO has been in residence since it was established in 1958.
The group performs a wide range of demanding orchestral repertoire and is led by Music Director, Federico Cortese, and Associate Conductor, Adrian Slywotzky.
BYSO has built an international presence with tours and performances in venues in Israel, Columbia, Japan, Germany, Belgium, Yugoslavia, Finland, Sweden, Italy, France, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Ireland, Austria and Hungary.
Members receive group and individual coaching, which enables them to build solid, fundamental technical and musical skills.
From the 2023-2024 season, the position of JRO conductor has been passed on to Yonah Zur,[12] an accomplished violinist with an international performance career.
He has had solo appearances with prominent Israeli ensembles and collaborations with Boston-based groups like A Far Cry and the Boston Chamber Music Society.
Currently a Teaching Assistant at Harvard’s Music Department and a long-time faculty member of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, he has also taught at institutions like Juilliard and the Longy School.