El Camino Youth Symphony

Transcription

1 El Camino Youth Symphony Association 4055 Fabian Way Palo Alto, CA El Camino Youth Symphony Jindong Cai, Music Director Celebrating Our 52nd Season 2014~2015

2 Welcome to the 52ndSeason of El Camino Youth Symphony! The El Camino Youth Symphony s fiftysecond season of excellence marks the beginning of a new era in artistic leadership as Dr. Jindong Cai lifts the baton as Conductor of the Senior Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of ECYS. The upcoming season features amazing student soloists and spectacular guest artists, all culminating in an exciting tour of Spain in Summer 2015! The concert programs will be highlighted with great masterworks from Gustav Mahler, Maurice Ravel and Rimsky-Korsakov; will include brilliant pieces from great American composers Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein; and features a collaboration with a living Spanish composer, Miguel Roig-francoli. Gustav Mahler s Symphony No.1 The Titan headlines the November 2 Season Opener. Performing this magnificent symphony Young Hye Lee Symphony Holiday Concert will be the orchestra s first in-depth exploration of the life and genius of Gustav Mahler. The Lunar New Year Celebration Concert on February 7 features Jiebing Chen, hailed as one of the foremost erhu soloists in the world, and special guests the California Youth Chinese Symphony. Mark your calendars now for March 14, when the 52nd Anniversary Annual Benefit Concert presents two special guest artists, virtuosic violinist Chen Zhao of the San Francisco Symphony, and radiant piano soloist Sandra Shen. The Symphony will perform the magical Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov, an exotic symphonic tale of a Persian queen. We welcome you to enjoy and support a great music education program that is always looking forward, and always dedicated to the love of music for people of all ages! DR. JINDONG CAI received his early musical training in China, where he learned to play the violin and piano. He came to the United States in 1985 and earned his graduate degrees at the New England Conservatory and the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati. In 1989, he was selected to study with famed conductor Leonard Bernstein at the Tanglewood Music Center, and won the Conducting Fellowship Award at the Aspen Music Festival in 1990 and Jindong Cai joined the Stanford University faculty in 2004 as the first holder of the Gretchen Dr. Jindong Cai, B. Kimball Director of Orchestral ECYS Music Studies Chair and Associate Professor of Music in Performance. Director and He is Music Director and Conductor of the Stanford Symphony Conductor Orchestra, the Stanford Philharmonia Orchestra, and the Stanford of the Senior Symphony New Ensemble. He is also the Artistic Director of the Stanford Orchestra Pan-Asian Music Festival, which he founded in He has held positions as assistant conductor with the Cincinnati Symphony and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. He maintains strong ties to his homeland and conducted several top orchestras in China including the China National Broadcasting Symphony, the National Opera and Ballet Theater of China, and the Shanghai Symphony. Young people are full of curiosity and if they enjoy the learning process, they will be happy, work harder, and perform better. It is also important to challenge young people and to raise the bar of their own expectations always making sure that we help them to meet these. Their experience working in the ECYS should help them to grow as individuals, become disciplined and responsible, gain confidence, and build a life-long relationship with classical music. DR. JINDONG CAI 2 Cover: Dr. Jindong Cai 3

3 Season at a Glance Johnathan Orr El Camino Wind Orchestra & Galbraith Honor Strings Winter Concert November Senior Symphony Season Opener, 15 Sinfonietta Orchestra Fall Classic, SPANGENBERG THEATRE AT GUNN HIGH SCHOOL December 7 Fall Concert: Chamber Players & Camerata Orchestras, Galbraith Honor Strings, El Camino Wind Orchestra MENLO ATHERTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 14 Senior Symphony Holiday Concert, CALIFORNIA THEATRE January Divisa Ensemble and ECYS Honor Ensembles, CSMA at Finn Center February 7 Lunar New Year Concert, Sinfonietta & Symphony March 8 Winter Concert: Chamber Players & Camerata Orchestras, Galbraith Honors Strings, El Camino Wind Orchestra ALBERT & JANET SCHULTZ CULTURAL ARTS HALL 14 Senior Symphony Annual Benefit Concert, Sandra Shen and Chen Zhao, soloists 28 Sinfonietta March Festival WOODSIDE HIGH SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS CENTER May 9 Ice Cream Social Concert: Chamber Players & Camerata Orchestras, Galbraith Honor Strings, El Camino Wind Orchestra ALBERT & JANET SCHULTZ CULTURAL ARTS HALL 23 Sinfonietta Spring Dance MENLO ATHERTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 31 Senior Symphony Season Finale, June 20 Bon Voyage Concert, WOODSIDE HIGH SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 21 Bon Voyage Concert, MENLO ATHERTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 24 Summer Workshops Concert 4 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, PALO ALTO 5 July

4 6 Annual Benefit Concert Dr. Jindong Cai and the Senior Symphony present an evening of exotic and passionate splendor featuring Special Guest Artists Chen Zhao, violin Sandra Wright Shen, piano San Francisco Symphony violinist Chen Zhao and the ECYS concertmaster will open the concert with a pyrotechnic performance of Pablo Sarasate s Spanish-themed Navarra for Two Violins. Then luminous pianist Sandra Shen will cast a spell with Manuel de Falla s mysterious Nights in the Gardens of Spain. For the finale, the Symphony sets sail with Rimsky-Korsakov s romantic showpiece Scheherazade, the composer s triumph of imagination inspired by The Arabian Nights. Guest Chen Zhao will mentor and perform with the violins. Chen Zhao joined the San Francisco Symphony in August Since then he has participated in highly acclaimed performances and recordings of Mahler s symphonies and the Keeping Score PBS documentary films under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. Chen is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He is currently on faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Stanford Symphony Orchestra. Sandra Shen has appeared at the Kennedy Music Center in DC, the Chicago Cultural Center, the Frankfurt Cultural Center in Germany, the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, and the Taiwan National Concert Hall. Sandra won first prizes in the International Piano Competition of France, Hilton Head International Piano Competition, the Mieczyslaw Munz Piano Competition, and the Taiwan National Piano Competition. SARASATE Navarra for Two Violins DE FALLA Noches en los jardines de Espana (Nights in the Gardens of Spain) RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scheherazade SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015, 7:30 PM FLINT CENTER, DE ANZA COLLEGE Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino Tickets: $38/28 available at Ticketmaster.com and at (Service fees may apply) 7

5 Senior Symphony Dr. Jindong Cai Music Director & Conductor Cassandra Chum Symphony Season Opener SEASON OPENER SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2014, 4:00 PM Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino Featuring Young Artist Cassandra Chum, cello BARBER Adagio for Strings ELGAR Cello Concerto, Mvt. IV, Cassandra Chum, soloist MAHLER Symphony No. 1 in D Major ( Titan ) HOLIDAY CONCERT SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2014, 2:30 PM CALIFORNIA THEATRE 345 South First St, San Jose ALUMNI FREE! Featuring Young Artists Young Hye Lee, violin, and Linus Lu, viola Please visit for the complete program. LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2015, 4:00 PM Tickets: $25/15 may be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and at For complete details, see pages 10 11! ANNUAL BENEFIT SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015, 7:30 PM Featuring stunning pianist Sandra Shen and San Francisco Symphony s own Chen Zhao, violin Tickets: $38/28 may be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and at For complete details, see pages 6 7! SEASON FINALE SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2015, 7:30 PM Featuring Young Artists Emma Cockerell, violin, and Bennet Huang, cello ROIG-FRANCOLI Perseus from Cinco Piezas para Orquesta TCHAIKOVSKY Variations on a Rococo Theme, Bennett Huang, soloist SAINT SAENS Violin Concerto No. 3, Mvt. I, Emma Cockerell, soloist RAVEL Daphnis et Chloe: Suite No. 2 BON VOYAGE CONCERTS Two Performances! For program details, see pages 12 13! SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2015, 7:30 PM WOODSIDE HIGH SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS CENTER SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015, 2:30 PM MENLO ATHERTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Tickets to all performances are available at the door. All Flint Center tickets are 8 available in advance at Ticketmaster.com (Service fees may apply). All tickets are $15/8 with the exception of the Lunar New Year and Annual Benefit concerts. 9

6 Lunar NewYear Celebration Concert! Celebrate the Year of the Sheep with the Senior Symphony, Dr. Jindong Cai, Conductor, renowned erhu soloist Jiebing Chen, and featuring the California Youth Chinese Symphony! The spectacular East meets West program also features the Sinfonietta Orchestra, Dr. Camilla Kolchinsky, Conductor, and violin soloist Jonathan Lin. For complete program details, visit Jiebing Chen, erhu CHEN & HE Butterfly Lovers Concerto Jonathan Lin, violin SARASATE Zigeunerweisen SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2015, 4:00 PM Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino California Youth Chinese Symphony Tickets: $25/15 available at Ticketmaster.com and at (Service fees may apply) 10 11

7 In the summer of 2015, the Senior Symphony will embark on a performance tour of Spain with concerts in Seville, Granada, Valencia, and Barcelona. Sandra Shen The tour will feature soloist Sandra Shen, and a collaboration with Miguel A. Roig-Francolí a Spanish/American composer and music theorist, born in Ibiza (Spain). He holds the Título Superior de Composición from the Royal Superior Conservatory of Music of Madrid, and an MM in composition and a Ph.D. in music theory from Indiana University. Mr. Roig-Francolí will collaborate with the orchestra during the season and on tour. Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona, Spain BON VOYAGE CONCERTS SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2015, 7:30 PM WOODSIDE HIGH SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 199 Churchill Ave, Woodside SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2015, 2:30 PM MENLO ATHERTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 555 Middlefield Rd, Atherton COPLAND Appalachian Spring DE FALLA Noches en los jardines de Espana with Sandra Shen, piano ROIG-FRANCOLI Perseus from Cinco Piezas para Orquesta RAVEL Daphnis et Chloe: Suite No Miguel A. Roig-Francolí Tickets $15/8 available at and at the Box Office 13

8 DR. CAMILLA KOLCHINSKY served the musicians of ECYS for 20 years, as Music Director and Conductor. Currently Conductor of the Sinfonietta and Galbraith Honor Strings, she received a Master of Music Degree with distinction from the State Music Conservatory of Moscow and completed the doctoral level program in conducting at the State Music Conservatory of Leningrad (St. Petersburg). FALL CLASSIC SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2014, 7:30 PM SPANGENBERG THEATRE AT GUNN HIGH SCHOOL 780 Arastradero Rd, Palo Alto HAYDN Symphony No. 103 ( Drumroll ) BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1, Mvt. I, Rachel Liu, soloist SCHUBERT Rosamunde Overture JOPLIN The Entertainer LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2015, 4:00 PM FLINT CENTER, DE ANZA COLLEGE Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino Tickets: $25/15 may be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and at For complete details, see pages 10 11! MARCH FESTIVAL SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015, 7:30 PM WOODSIDE HIGH SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 199 Churchill Ave, Woodside HANDEL Prelude and Fugue MOZART Symphony No. 40 SAINT SAENS Morceau du Concert, Kyle Liang, soloist TCHAIKOVSKY Waltz from Sleeping Beauty OFFENBACH Orpheus in the Underworld Sinfonietta Orchestra Dr. Camilla Kolchinsky Conductor Kyle Liang Sinfonietta March Festival Rachel Liu Sophia Lin SPRING DANCE SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2015, 7:30 PM MENLO ATHERTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 555 Middlefield Rd, Atherton BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1, Mvt. I CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 2, Mvt. I, Sophia Lin, soloist BACH Fugue GRIEG Peer Gynt Suite No All tickets are $15/8 with the exception of the Lunar New Year Concert 15

9 Preparatory Orchestras Galbraith Honor Strings Conducted by Dr. Camilla Kolchinsky Chamber Players & Camerata Orchestras Conducted by Dr. Michail Gelfandbein El Camino Wind Orchestra Conducted by Dr. Richard Roper FALL CONCERT SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2014 MENLO ATHERTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 555 Middlefield Rd, Atherton 1:30 pm Chamber Players & Camerata Orchestras Featuring soloist Samuel Cotta, cello 3:15 pm El Camino Wind Orchestra, Galbraith Honor Strings Featuring soloist Evelyn Dimov, piano WINTER CONCERT SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015 ALBERT AND JANET SCHULTZ CULTURAL ARTS HALL 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto 1:30 pm Chamber Players & Camerata Orchestras 3:15 pm El Camino Wind Orchestra, Galbraith Honor Strings Featuring soloists Johnathan Orr, tuba, and Cherin Koh & Ashley Chon, flutes TALENT A LA MODE ICE CREAM SOCIAL CONCERT! SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015, 6:15 PM ALBERT AND JANET SCHULTZ CULTURAL ARTS HALL Chamber Players & Camerata Orchestras, El Camino Wind Orchestra & Galbraith Honor Strings Featuring soloist Ethan Cotta, violin DR. MICHAIL GELFANDBEIN received his PhD at the Leningrad Conservatory of Music under M. Rostropovich, with post-graduate study in conducting with I. Musin, and served as Principal Cellist of the Leningrad Philharmonic for 25 years. DR. RICHARD ROPER holds degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Yale School of Music, and the University of Maryland. Committed to arts education, Dr. Roper serves on the faculties of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College/Adult Extension department, UC Santa Cruz, College of San Mateo, and the Community School of Music and Arts in Silicon Valley. Tickets Dec. & Mar: $15/8; May $15/no passes. For expanded conductor bios please see Debra Gardner, Assistant Conductor and Director of Winds Summer Workshops Directed by Dr. Michail Gelfandbein and Ms. Debra Gardner STAY TUNED-UP OVER THE SUMMER! PERFECT FOR AGES 6 14 JULY WEEKDAYS ONLY, PALO ALTO WORKSHOP I BEGINNING ORCHESTRA (ALL INSTRUMENTS) WORKSHOP II INTERMEDIATE STRING ORCHESTRA WORKSHOP III INTERMEDIATE WIND ENSEMBLE The Workshops conclude with a festive performance on the evening of July 24. For a special Early Bird Discount, register before 3/1/ For more information, visit 17

10 Chamber Music at ECYS HONORS CHAMBER MUSIC PROGRAM The Divisa Ensemble, ECYS Ensemble-In-Residence, oversees the Divisa Honors Program, which is offered to select ECYS musicians in the Chamber Music Program. The selected students will be invited to study and perform with the ensemble. OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN CHAMBER MUSIC In addition to the prestigious Divisa Honors Program, ECYS Chamber Music is open to students of the Senior Symphony, Sinfonietta, ECWO and Galbraith Honor Strings who play: violin, viola, cello, oboe, flute, clarinet, bassoon, or French horn. Members of the Divisa Ensemble will serve as faculty for the student ensembles. Each ensemble is coached weekly and closely studies a work of the major repertoire. Interested members may apply spring through early fall, through the ECYS website. PERFORM ANCES AND DIVISA MASTER CLASSES In addition to regular community outreach performances, students will also participate in competitions and master classes. Dates will be posted on the website. Admission is free. Divisa Ensemble: Stephanie Ng, Meave Cox, Sara Styles, Tomiko Tsai, Eugenia Wie 18 Emma Cockerell Symphony Season Finale On Saturday, January 24, 2015, at 8:00 pm, ECYS will present the Divisa Ensemble and Divisa Honors Ensembles in recital at the Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) at Finn Center, 230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View. Admission is free. 19

11 Thank you for your support! For five decades, the El Camino Youth Symphony has been an exemplary arts education organization. As the Bay Area s foremost non-profit instrumental training and education program, ECYS has given nearly 10,000 youths at all levels of musical training the opportunity to develop both socially and artistically. At a time when opportunities for music education are being extinguished, while the power of musical education to make a profound difference in the lives of youth has never been more universally understood, ECYS invites you to reach out and to fill a critical gap in public funding of the arts. We welcome you to join us as advocates of young artists and their place in the grand tradition of musical education and excellence. We depend upon generous friends to fund our program, as tuition and ticket sales cover only a portion of our expenses. On behalf of the ECYS Board of Directors, thank you for your interest in music education, and thank you for considering supporting the El Camino Youth Symphony Association. We would be honored for you to join our family of supporters. Cathy Spieth, Executive Director El Camino Youth Symphony Association Left to right: Grace Lai, Board President; Jennifer Matthews, Secretary; and Petra Clark, Vice-President Supporting Our Mission Bennet Huang Symphony Season Finale 20 21

12 Membership & More Musicians ages 6 to 20 are invited to make an audition appointment with ECYS. Contact the ECYS office or visit for more information and an online application form. Learn more about ECYS by visiting our website and finding us on Facebook at The El Camino Youth Symphony Association provides the financial and administrative support necessary to maintain the ECYS music education and performance programs. The Association s Board of Directors is composed of parents and interested community members who volunteer their time and effort. Funding comes from a variety of sources, including membership dues, concert ticket sales, benefit concerts, and donations by individuals, foundations, and corporations. We invite you to become an ECYS patron and contribute to the music education of our young musicians. Your donation may be sent to: Sponsors ANN AND GORDON GETTY FOUNDATION C.M. CAPITAL FOUNDATION FOOTHILL ARTS ALLIANCE HELEN ZHANG HURLBUT-JOHNSON FUND AN ADVISED FUND OF SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION MELLAM FAMILY FOUNDATION THE DAVID AND LUCILE PACKARD FOUNDATION THE REINHOLD FOUNDATION El Camino Youth Symphony 4055 Fabian Way Palo Alto, CA PH: (650) FAX: (650) ecys@ecys.org For more information, please visit the ECYS website Follow us on Twitter.com/ElCaminoYouth. Like us on Facebook. UNION BANK FOUNDATION 22 Linus Lu Symphony Holiday Concert All programs subject to change. Musician Portraits courtesy of: Capture Positive Photography (capturepositive.com) Spain photo courtesy of: Jiuguang Wang Other photos courtesy of: Cathy Spieth, Chiung-chi Chen and Huaiyu Mi Design: Nancy Singer Back cover: Symphony double bassists Timothy Chiao, Ben Drake and Andrew Kim 23