Our mission is to transform the lives of young people through the power of making music together …one song at a time.

Philadelphia-based Commonwealth Youthchoirs (CY) is a nonprofit choral music education program whose mission is to transform young lives through the power of making music together …one song at a time.  Founded in 2001, CY is a thriving music community of three programs, Keystone State Boychoir (KSB) , Pennsylvania Girlchoir (PG), and Find Your Instrument (FYI) that empowers more than 600 young people from across Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia region to find their voice – to express themselves boldly, and to strive for excellence – in rehearsal, on the stage and as a member of the community. Every week since its founding in 2001, young people between the ages of 7-18, spanning more than 100 schools and 100 zip codes, come together to make music and share life experiences with highly skilled and experienced music educators. More than half of our singers would not have had the opportunity for a music education in their significantly under-resourced public schools and we are proud of a 100% graduation rate for all those who have stayed in CY through their 12th grade year. CY has sung for Popes, Presidents, and Nobel Prize winners, both at home and across the globe, having performed on all seven continents!

Our Core Values

We believe that the deep and caring connection between our Choral Directors and our young Singers is as essential to musical achievement as is musical knowledge. Our choral learning communities promote self-discipline, commitment, camaraderie and leadership in our Singers. We value diversity in repertoire, in the cultural experiences we provide our young singers through touring, and especially in the backgrounds of our members and our audience.

Our Philosophy

Our philosophy is that of Leonard Bernstein’s: Music making should be fun all the time – especially rehearsals, since we spend most of our time in rehearsals. Still, we believe in hard work. If it’s not hard, it’s not special. Membership in Commonwealth Youthchoirs requires great commitment, but the rewards are equally great. A child joins as a singer, but leaves as a Singer-Musician. For participating children, the skills they learn, the music they make, the places they go, and the people they meet are deeply transformative experiences that will serve them and stay with them all their lives.

Our Programs

Commonwealth Youthchoirs offers three programs, which combined serve hundreds of young people each year.

Keystone State Boychoir (KSB) was founded in 2001 to provide an unparalleled outlet for music-making, expression, and youth development. Visit the KSB website…

Pennsylvania Girlchoir (PG) was founded in 2003 to provide an unparalleled outlet for music-making, expression, and youth development. Visit the PG website…

Find Your Instrument (FYI!) was founded in 2008 to bring choral music into under-resourced schools, helping children to discover their singing voices and the profound joy of making music together. Visit the FYI! website…