The Dresden Young Symphony Orchestra at the Saxon State High School of Music Carl Maria von Weber claims a permanent place in Dresden's musical life with its concerts. As an essential part of musical education, it offers all orchestral instrumentalists a basis for artistic practice and communication under the guidance of experienced musicians from the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden and the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra. An annual soloist audition allows students to qualify for a solo performance with orchestra. The ensemble's permanent conductors include Rudolf Neuhaus, Klaus-Dieter Stephan, Stefan Bilz, Ulrich Kern, Tilo Schmalenberg, Wolfgang Behrend and Eckehard Stier. The young musicians have welcomed Sir Colin Davis, Gustavo Dudamel, Michael Sanderling and Wladimir Jurowski as special guests. Several times the Junge Sinfonieorchester Dresden was first prize winner at the German Orchestra Competition.
The ensemble participated in events within the framework of the Dresden Music Festival and realized musical cooperations with European partner schools, such as joint concerts with the Mozart Choir Linz in the Brucknerhaus, with the orchestra of the Musikgymnasium Berlin at the Choriner Musiksommer or the Atheneum Kamerorkest from the Royal Conservatory in The Hague in the concert hall of the HfM Dresden. In March 2018, the Young Symphony Orchestra Dresden made its debut in the new concert hall of the Dresden Palace of Culture.