The organization works with students in underserved neighborhoods through the Ambassador Program, which brings Chamber Music ensembles to neighborhood schools to perform interactive concerts; after-school ensembles; free community and education concerts; and partners with institutions including Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and The People's Music School.
They first met on Saturday mornings at the Wurlitzer Music Store on South Wabash Avenue, and in November 1947, 100 young musicians held the first performance at Chicago's Orchestra Hall, featuring a program of Frescobaldi, Beethoven, MacDowell, and Kodaly.
CYSO's Symphony Orchestra also performs regularly at Millennium Park's Jay Pritzker Pavilion, appearing in the past at the Grant Park Music Festival Independence Day Salute and with Blue Man Group.
During the 2014 Tour of China, CYSO's Symphony Orchestra students performed in Beijin at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (China), Xi'an Concert Hall, in Hangzhou at the Opera Hall of the Hangzhou Grand Theater, and at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center.
On the most recent tour of Central Europe in 2017, CYSO performed at Belgrade's Kolarac Hall, Budapest's Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, at the Jihlava Mahler Festival at the Church of the Holy Cross, and in a sold-out joint concert with the Symphony Orchestra of the Music High Schools of Prague at Dvorak Hall of the Rudolfinum.