The Vanderbilt Youth Choirs Program was established as part of the precollege division of the Blair School of Music in 1988. VYC has a distinguished history of sharing the love of music with hundreds of children, developing fine musicians, and offering quality concerts to the Nashville community. The VYC has performed numerous times with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, including recent performances of Leonard Bernstein's Kaddish, Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, Roger Waters' Ca Ira, and Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. They are also the performing choir for the Nashville Symphony's annual performance of Home Alone.

In recent years the chorus has toured nationally and internationally, with performance tours of Budapest, Prague, Ireland, Costa Rica and in summer 2024 - Italy. Our students have had the opportunity to study with the most significant pedagogues of vocal youth music education, including Doreen Rao and Bob Chilcott. Graduates of the Vanderbilt Youth Choirs have earned music scholarships at some of the nation's finest universities. While many pursue music careers, all retain a lifelong love and appreciation for music. Whatever their long-term pursuits may be, VYC graduates find that the poise, self-confidence and discipline learned in choir equips them well for the challenges ahead.

The program is classically based, with strong emphases on healthy vocal production, music reading skills and performance. The singers, who are in grades 1-12, come from throughout Middle Tennessee. What brings these students together is a love of music, a desire to sing and make friends with other singers, and a dedication to achieving significant musical goals.