Who We Are
Young Performers International is a nonprofit children's performing arts company with classes in three San Francisco Bay Area counties. We believe that making music should be fun. We believe that expressing oneself through the performing arts is a natural component of childhood and should be accessible to all.
What's New?
Beginning as a summer program in a corner of the Oakland Mormon Temple Auditorium in July of 2000, Young Performers International, or YPI, has grown to include schools in 3 Bay Area counties, a wonderful staff of professional musicians and teachers. We are true to our mission of helping young people to creatively express themselves through music instruction, music performance, composition and other performing arts and serve over 250 students. This is a critical area of focus as most of our public schools have had arts curriculum slashed from their budgets and children are being exposed to artistic outlets with less frequency now than ever before. In addition to our work in the San Francisco bay area, our outreach program also extends internationally to schools in Zimbabwe and El Salvador.
The YPI curriculum is rooted in experiential learning. We believe that expressing oneself through musical and performing arts mediums comes naturally to children and should be fostered as such.
We begin by engaging the child in activities in which they are most comfortable expressing themselves such as: singing, playing an instrument, dancing or acting. As the child gains confidence and competence with their chosen form of expression, we then add a little structure with written theory and harmony. As children progress, through dedicated instruction, their knowledge deepens and their ability to express themselves artistically flourishes.
Children love our classes; one parent remarked, "It is his reason for coming to school!" Our teachers are all respected, accomplished professionals in their respective field. Every YPI instructor teaches for the love of the art and with the memory that somewhere at some time they too were inspired and/or helped and now they want to give that back.
YPI tuition is set at what it actually costs to run the class: However, full or partial scholarships are offered to students who cannot afford the full fee. For more on getting help with the tuition fees please e-mail your inquiry to
YPI has three major components:
In-school Programs: we offer a complete curriculum for grades Pre-Kindergarten through 8th Grade with year-long, sequential instruction in music through singing, eurhythmics, instrumentation, dance and percussion.
After School and Individual Programs: In the following areas:
Intermediate and Advanced Choral Performance
Jazz Band
Rock Band
Individual Guitar/Bass Private Instruction
Individual Saxophone/Woodwind and Trumpet Private Instruction
Individual Drums and Percussion Private Instruction
Performance and Outreach: We have two primary and many smaller concerts at venues such as Café Royale, Yoshi's, Caf é Du Norde. Students meet and renew friendships at luncheons held after the rehearsals, which both students and parents find almost as much fun as the concerts! At the global level, we are in partnership with the Asante Choir of Rwanda, giving our students an international awareness of music from around the world.