Season 36
1987-1988
Roster
Seniors
August 1987 Camp
November 1987 Concert
Concert Program Overview
Under the direction of Dr. Lauren Jakey, CYS inaugurated its 36th Season with a powerful concert series in November 1987. Performances were held on Sunday, November 8, at the De Anza College Flint Auditorium and Sunday, November 15, at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center. The program was carefully curated to showcase the technical precision and emotional maturity of the 100-member ensemble, featuring works that ranged from contemporary American compositions to the quintessential Russian Romantic repertoire. The concert opened with Paul Creston’s Dance Overture, Op. 62 and Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, followed by the centerpiece of the afternoon, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor. The program concluded with the exotic and rhythmic energy of Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances.
Critics and local media praised the orchestra for its "stunning quality," noting that the young musicians, aged 12 to 17, approached their craft with a level of seriousness and discipline typically found in professional ensembles. The performance of the Barber Adagio was highlighted for its profound depth, while the Borodin finale demonstrated the orchestra's ability to handle complex, high-energy orchestration. Reviewers credited Dr. Jakey’s leadership for the ensemble's "robust confidence," emphasizing that the rigorous four-hour Sunday rehearsals at Foothill College were clearly paying off as the orchestra prepared for its upcoming international competition in Vienna.
Featured Soloist: Joanna Ke-Chuang Chao
The highlight of the November series was the performance by 15-year-old pianist Joanna Ke-Chuang Chao, winner of the 1987 CYS Young Artist Competition. Chao was described as having a "deep command" over Rachmaninoff’s notoriously difficult Piano Concerto No. 2. Her interpretation was lauded for its technical brilliance and its sensitive navigation of the work's lush, romantic themes. As a representative of the high artistic standards maintained by CYS, Chao’s success was seen as a testament to the talent fostered within the organization, which by then had grown into one of the largest youth symphony associations in the world.
March 1988 Concert
Concert Program Overview
CYS continued its 36th Season with a demanding concert series in March 1988 under the direction of Dr. Lauren Jakey. Performances took place on Sunday, March 13, at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center and Sunday, March 20, at the De Anza College Flint Auditorium. The ambitious program featured a stylistic journey from the classical refinement of Haydn’s Symphony No. 99 in E-Flat Major and Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major to the massive, late-Romantic orchestration of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1.
Critics and local media praised CYS's ability to handle professional-level repertoire, noting that the young musicians were "serious in pursuit of excellence" and achieved an "amazing quality" despite their age. The selection of Mahler’s first symphony was a significant undertaking for a youth ensemble, requiring mastery of vast emotional ranges from "ceremonious and measured" to "stormy and agitated" sections. Reviewers noted that Dr. Jakey’s "patience with young people" and "grueling rehearsals" at Foothill College were instrumental in preparing the 100-member main orchestra for such complex works as they neared their upcoming international competition in Vienna.
Featured Soloist: Julie Ha
The highlight of the March series was the performance by 16-year-old violinist Julie Ha, who won the 36th annual instrumental competition of the CYS by outperforming approximately 30 other musicians. A resident of Los Altos Hills and a student at Pinewood School, Ha was described by CYS representatives as having a "deep tone" and an "elegant" spirit that perfectly matched her performance of the Mozart concerto. Despite her rigorous academic schedule and 4.0 grade-point average, Ha maintained a disciplined routine of waking at 5:30 A.M. to practice, a dedication that led her to numerous awards, including first prize in the Hillsborough Humanities Festival. Critics lauded her "vivacious, springy" interpretation of Mozart, remarking that she possessed a command of the instrument that made the sunshine-infused themes of the music spread vividly through the concert hall.
May 1988 Concert
The California Youth Symphony (CYS) concluded its 36th Season with a spectacular concert series on Sunday, May 15, at the College of Notre Dame Theatre and Sunday, May 22, at the De Anza College Flint Auditorium. Led by Dr. Lauren Jakey, the orchestra presented a rich, technically challenging program that served as a final public showcase before the ensemble traveled to Europe to compete in the International Youth Festival Competition in Vienna, Austria. The program opened with Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture, followed by two concerto works featuring the season's premier soloists. After the intermission, the orchestra performed the massive and evocative four-movement suite Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade.
The concert was a celebration of the professionalism found within the 100-member main orchestra, which drew talented teenagers from 30 different Peninsula communities. Dr. Jakey, who emphasized that "winning isn't everything" but rather a "learning experience," utilized these performances to sharpen the young musicians for the challenge of returning to the cradle of Western orchestral music. The finale was a testament to the community's support, with hundreds of attendees gathered to support the students—many of whom were graduating seniors preparing for prestigious universities like Cal Tech and University of Pennsylvania.
Featured Soloists
Matthew Class (Cello)
Senior at Saratoga High School, Matthew Class performed Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33. A six-year veteran of CYS who began playing cello at age 12, Class studied under nationally renowned teacher Irene Sharp. Critics and program notes highlighted his dedication to the "technically difficult and challenging" piece, which he spent months perfecting. Despite his immense musical talent, Class—a National Merit Finalist and NASA intern—planned to pursue a career in physics at Cal Tech, viewing music as a "very relaxing" but serious hobby.
Nicole Bloom (Clarinet)
Seventeen-year-old Nicole Bloom, a senior at San Mateo High School, was the featured soloist for Debussy’s Premiere Rhapsodie. Bloom brought a diverse set of achievements to the stage, including being a member of the State Honor Band and Orchestra and a recipient of the Peninsula Symphony Award. Having studied with Don Carroll of the San Francisco Symphony, her performance was noted for its technical ability and time management, as she balanced her music with being a National Merit Commended Scholar and a member of several academic clubs. Following the tour, Bloom planned to attend the University of Pennsylvania to study mechanical engineering.
1988 European Tour
The summer of 1988 marked one of the most prestigious chapters in the history of CYS. Under the baton of Dr. Lauren Jakey, the orchestra embarked on a historic tour of Austria and Hungary, culminating in a competitive appearance at the XVII International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna. As one of only three American youth orchestras invited to this elite global gathering, CYS carried the musical standard of the San Francisco Bay Area to the very "cradle of Western orchestral music".
The tour’s primary objective was to compete against world-class youth ensembles at the legendary Musikverein in Vienna. Performing in one of the world's most acoustically perfect halls, the 100-member main orchestra delivered a professional-grade performance that earned them Third Place in the international symphonic category. This achievement was a profound testament to the rigorous preparation of the musicians, who had spent months perfecting a repertoire designed for a professional stage.
To showcase the technical depth of the ensemble, Dr. Jakey curated a demanding program of Romantic and 20th-century masterpieces. The competitive repertoire included:
Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade: A vibrant showcase of symphonic color and individual virtuosity.
Mahler’s Symphony No. 1: A massive work requiring immense emotional and technical maturity.
Solo Virtuosity: The tour featured standout performances by Matthew Class on Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme and Nicole Bloom on Debussy’s Premiere Rhapsodie.
Beyond the competition, the two-week journey provided life-changing cultural immersion for the students, many of whom were junior high or high school age. The itinerary included a visit to Mozart’s birthplace in Salzburg and performances across Baden, Germany and Nuremberg, where the orchestra’s concerts were broadcast to a nationwide radio audience. This ambitious undertaking was made possible by the incredible support of the Peninsula community through extensive fundraising efforts, including the annual Viennese Ball and a special "Vienna Take-off Concert". As Dr. Jakey noted, the tour was less a contest to be won and more a "learning experience" that challenged these young musicians to meet the highest artistic standards on the global stage.
