Symphony Youth Orchestra free online concerts

April 27, 2021

The Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra (SRSYO), the most advanced full orchestra in the Santa Rosa Symphony Institute for Music Education’s Training Young Musicians program, presents “Wanderlust” on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at 7:00 PM on YouTube.

In the much-anticipated debut of the locally sourced, locally made Redwood Violin, the Santa Rosa Symphony's Young People's Chamber Orchestra (YPCO) present a virtual concert on Saturday, May 15, 2021 at 7:00 PM on Zoom, entitled "Underrepresented . . . and great!"

SRSYO Wanderlust on May 11

The SRSYO musicians will perform the first movement of Benjamin Britten’s Simple Symphony, the March movement of Gustav Holst’s Suite in E-flat major and Leonard Bernstein’s “Mambo” from West Side Story. Under the direction of conductor Bobby Rogers, the group has performed six virtual concerts since the pandemic began, beginning with its first one in the spring of 2020.

Rogers says, "This concert celebrates our students’ triumphs through one of the most difficult educational years in our lifetime. The young musicians of the SRSYO share their talents, collaboration and passion, performing together for our audience. This concert will highlight the concepts, strategies and coaching from the prodigious work of the 20-21 season rehearsals. I am very proud of the efforts and progress these young musicians have made and I am sure the audience will agree with me!"

SRSYO students recorded their individual parts in the safety of their homes. The “Wanderlust” repertoire affords the group the opportunity to play in ever-larger ensembles as a transition for the students’ return to live concerts with a full complement in the fall. The whole orchestra will perform Bernstein’s “Mambo.”

This SRSYO free concert streams on the SRS Education YouTube channel at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. Donations to support the programs of the Santa Rosa Symphony Institute for Music Education are gratefully welcomed during and after the event.

YPCO "Underrepresented . . . and great!" May 15

For this once-in-a-lifetime concert, Young People’s Chamber Orchestra will be live on Zoom, discussing the program and introducing the music, which they pre-recorded at The Phoenix Theater in Petaluma in April. This history-making concert features the premiere performance of the Redwood Violin, built by local luthier Andrew Carruthers and played by Co-concertmaster Aeden Seaver (16), who will perform Concertino for Violin and Strings by fellow YPCO member Gwendolyn Przyjazna (17), who has composed the piece specifically for this event.

Young People’s Chamber Orchestra director Aaron Westman says, "The classical music business canonizes and recycles just a tiny fraction of the music that has ever been written. While there are many great reasons to play Bach, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky over and over again, there is an incredible amount of great music by underrepresented composers that typically does not make it to our violins, violas and cellos, and into your ears. This season, YPCO had the amazing fortune to be able to gather each week in the same room, and rehearse relatively normally. We played music by composers of color, women and composers who aren't from the usual musical centers. We can't wait to share these videos and to talk about the music and our experiences working together this season."

In another stand-out first for the ensemble, Santa Rosa Symphony Music Director Francesco Lecce-Chong makes a guest appearance as harpsichordist in the Overture in C by Marianne von Martinez. In addition to Martinez, other underrepresented composers highlighted on the concert are Johan Helmich Roman, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Scott Joplin and William Grant Still.

To view the concert, patrons may submit a request on the YPCO Concert page by 12:00 PM on Friday, May 14, 2021. They will receive a Zoom link, which will give them live access to the presentation. The concert will also be available, beginning the following week, on the SRS Education YouTube channel. Donations will be gratefully accepted for this free concert, during and after the event, to support the programs of the Santa Rosa Symphony Institute for Music Education.

  • WHAT: Young People's Chamber Orchestra concert “Underrepresented . . . and great!”
  • WHO: SRS Young People's Chamber Orchestra
  • WHEN: Saturday, May 15, 2021 at 7:00 PM
  • WHERE: Zoom link provided to registered guests
  • COST: Free, with donations gratefully accepted
  • INFORMATION: Leave message at (707) 546-8742 (Weekdays 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM)