[1] Previous conductors of the orchestra have included Victoria Bond, Eiji Oue, Paavo Järvi, Francisco Noya, Jin Kim, Burton Kaplan, Helen Cha-Pyo, and Carlos Ágreda.
Other ESYO ensembles routinely perform at the Massry Center for the Arts, The College of Saint Rose, as well as at area high schools.
[citation needed] In June 2011, ESYO won 2nd prize for Adventurous Programming (Youth Division) from ASCAP (American Society of Composer, Authors, and Publishers).
[5] The award was presented to Music Director Helen Cha-Pyo at the League of American Orchestra's annual conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
[7] During Day 3 of the festival, ESYO unveiled the first ever 360° video At-Home Orchestra, which featured 125 musicians performing "Ay Caray", an original composition by Carlos Ágreda in a 3d environment.
[8] The Youth Orchestra embarked on a fifth international tour in the summer of 2012 after accepting an invitation to perform at the 2012 World Expo in Yeosu, South Korea.
Through free, daily music instruction and mentorship, ESYO CHIME provides young musicians from poor communities comprehensive support at both the elementary and middle school levels.