Marena and Roger Gault hosted a summer soiree at their home for the board of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra. The organization celebrates 45 years of excellence in the community.

Each season, GDYO serves more than 450 musicians, ages 6-18, from more than 50 communities in Dallas and North Texas. The funds raised from the spring gala support the Scholarship Fund and Tour Fund, allowing deserving students a chance to not only experience the GDYO program, but also to be further enriched by experiencing new cultures while traveling and performing with their peers. Each year, young musicians in GDYO receive $20,000 in scholarships, and that number doubles in a tour year.

The GDYO is funded in part by the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, TACA, and the Texas Commission on the Arts, with funding from the State of Texas and the National Endowments for the Arts. 

The Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra was founded in 1972 by parents, educators, and members of the Dallas music community.  It has grown to include:  The Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, the Philharmonic, the Wind Symphony, the Sinfonietta, the Dallas String Ensemble, the Young Performers Orchestra, the Flute Choir, and the Jazz Institute.

In addition to performing at the Meyerson, the GDYO tours internationally including China in the summer of 2007, a tour of Germany and the Czech Republic in 2012, and a tour to China in 2015. The Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra program offers training to 480 talented youth musicians, ages 8 to 18.

Photo by Deborah Brown