SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Youth Orchestras of San Antonio (YOSA) is building its first permanent headquarters, a facility that will bring together rehearsals, instruction and administrative operations under one roof, with completion targeted for late summer 2027.
YOSA Music Director Troy Peters said the organization purchased the former Shearer Hills Baptist Church property on Oblate Drive in the summer of 2024 and began renovations in May.
“We purchased a property actually two years ago now in the summer of 2024, and we were able to buy what was the original home of Shearer Hills Baptist Church on Oblate Drive in San Antonio,” Peters said. “Construction began in May, and so we are now actively renovating this space to create a spot where we can teach and learn and rehearse and make music.”
Peters said YOSA expects to move into the new headquarters in August or September next year.
The facility will provide rehearsal, instructional and performance spaces for YOSA’s 600 student musicians, who are divided into 11 ensembles. Peters said the headquarters will allow multiple groups to rehearse or perform simultaneously in different rooms.
“This is a project we’ve been talking about for more than a decade,” Peters said. “We have 600 young musicians in 11 different groups.”
Currently, YOSA students rehearse at multiple locations while the organization’s administrative office operates elsewhere.
“They rehearse every weekend in multiple locations, and our office is in a completely different location,” Peters said.
Peters said consolidating operations into one location will reduce travel for students and their families while expanding opportunities for music education.
“At the core of it, it has been about unleashing possibility for young musicians to have great experiences,” he said. “A place where real impact is happening for young people who want to learn more about all kinds of music.”
Although YOSA plans to host some performances at its new headquarters, Peters said the Tobin Center will remain the organization’s primary public performance venue.
He added that the permanent headquarters will provide a dedicated space focused on the organization’s students and music programs.
