Welcome!

The Ironhorse Consortium for Young Musicians exists to inspire, educate, and connect people through music. All ensembles introduce classical and contemporary music literature to student musicians of all ages and provide a strong foundation of rehearsal and performance techniques. Through repertoire and educational opportunities, ICYM brings students and audiences a community connection to other cultures and social issues facing our society.

In 2005, Kevin Cleary brought together a handful of young string musicians who wanted opportunities to perform challenging orchestral literature. With the help of several years of dedicated students and talented conductors, teachers, and coaches, that small string ensemble has grown into Ironhorse Youth Music and all the programs it administers.

In 2016, Jillian Newton and Maren Marchesini rebooted the Helena Youth Chorus and led a dedicated group of young singers through a fantastic first season. With the youth orchestra venturing into new territory, it was a perfect time to forge a unique partnership that has grown into the Ironhorse Consortium for Young Musicians.

In the upcoming 2023-2024 season, Ironhorse Youth Music is excited to rehearse all our various ensembles while continuing to offer classes and private lessons that were popular at the start of the pandemic. (You can find detailed information about all our educational endeavors in the programs link of the main menu.) We are looking forward to excellent and diverse performances this year and invite you to join these passionate young artists as they explore and bring beautiful music to the Helena community!

4 weeks ago

The Ironhorse Youth Music Winter Concert in 2022 was so engaging that even pets were captivated by our live stream. We look forward to sharing the 2023-2024 season with human and animal supporters ... See more

4 weeks ago

As Ironhorse Youth Music prepares for the coming 2023-2024 season, it is inspiring to celebrate last year's many accomplishments. Whether touring around town, performing at the beautiful St. Paul's ... See more

1 month ago

Ironhorse Youth Music offers a wide variety of programs for all musicians! Whether you are a singer, an instrumentalist, or a lover of music, there is a place for every student in our programs. We ... See more

1 month ago

Students had so many meaningful rehearsals and performance with Ironhorse last year, so we are excited about all that our 2023-2024 season will bring. Enroll anytime at ... See more

1 month ago

Enrollment is finally open for the Ironhorse Youth Music 2023-2024 season! We are as thrilled about returning to rehearsals as we are about exploring new programs this year. Check out everything that ... See more

1 month ago

1 month ago

A favorite music theory activity at Last Chance Lesson Camp is rhythm hopscotch. Each group was asked to draw rhythms with sidewalk chalk, then they had to jump the rhythms drawn by another group. It ... See more

1 month ago

More activity excitement from Last Chance Lesson Camp 2023!

1 month ago

Today was finally time to play Super California Surfer at Last Chance Lesson Camp. These groups picked it up quickly and performed nearly as speedily by the end of our warm up block!

1 month ago

It is a joy to watch instructors at Last Chance Lesson Camp share their many clever ideas with young music students. Spitting cherry pits and popcorn kernels outside did wonders for these beginning ... See more

Ironhorse Music appreciates the generous support of our corporate sponsors!