In 1967 Frank J. Italiano brought a group of young musicians together, this was the beginning. Two years later, in 1969, the La Crosse Youth Symphony Society became incorporated. The La Crosse Youth Symphony has grown and changed over the years, but it maintains the same purpose to give the youth of the area a way to gain valuable musical experience, to obtain different insights into the techniques of their particular instrument from a faculty of professional musicians and teachers, and finally, to give students the enjoyment of performing in an orchestra and an appreciation of the arts, whether as a performer, a future teacher or an avid audience participant.

In the fall of 1983, the Youth Symphony added the Philharmonic Orchestra. There have been other groups added over the years, such as the Preparatory Stings, the Discovery Orchestra and the Premier Orchestra. Today LYSO has two groups, the Philharmonic String Orchestra and the Italiano Orchestra.

Conductors of the Italiano Orchestra have been: Frank J. Italiano: 1967-1990 Mark Taylor: 1990-1991 Kevin Ryan: 1991-1992 Douglas Diamond: 1992-1994 David Phipps: 1994-1998 Dawson Strutt: 1998-2007 Enaldo Oliveira: 2007-2008 Randall Mastin: 2009 - Present (2016)

Conductors of the Philharmonic String Orchestra have been: Jerry Lehmeier: 1983-1984 Dr. Joseph Cordeiro: 1984 Richard Pinnell: 1985-1990 Marianne Spors Buchanan: 1990-1991 Dawson Strutt: 1991-1994 Elizabeth Becker: 1994-1998 Sharolyn Birdsong: 1998-1999 Randall Mastin: 1999-2003 Dr. Edward Higgins: 2003-2005 Mark Lakmann: 2005-2006 Francis de la Rosa: 2006-2007 Randall Mastin: 2007-2008 Linda Lebakken: 2009 - Present (2016)