At the Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to make music—regardless of financial circumstance or access to an instrument. Musical Bridges is our new initiative designed to remove the most common barriers that keep young musicians from participating.

Through this program, CYSO provides free loaner instruments, partial scholarships, and direct support to school music teachers, ensuring that students who want to play are not held back by cost or limited resources. Many Anne Arundel County schools do not have enough instruments for all of their interested students, and Musical Bridges helps fill that gap by placing violins, woodwinds, and brass instruments directly into students’ hands.

We work closely with AACPS music teachers to identify students who would benefit most, making sure the program supports and strengthens school music programs—not replaces them. Musical Bridges is built on partnership, community investment, and the belief that music changes lives.

Donate an Instrument

If you have an instrument sitting unused in a closet, attic, or storage space, please consider donating it to CYSO. Your donation will go directly to a student who needs it and will immediately make a meaningful impact.

To donate an instrument, please email Dane Krich at execdir@cysomusic.org.

Support the Program

Financial contributions help us maintain donated instruments, purchase additional inventory when needed, and fund scholarships for students who require them. Every gift, large or small, helps open the door to a young musician’s future.

To make a contribution, click here.
To ensure your gift is allocated to the Musical Bridges program, please write “Musical Bridges” in the comment section of the donation form.

Together, we can build bridges—one student, one instrument, and one opportunity at a time.