Season 37
1988-1989
November 1988 Concert
Led by music director Dr. Lauren Jakey, CYS launched its 37th Season with a pair of highly anticipated concerts on Sunday, November 13, at the De Anza College Flint Auditorium and Sunday, November 20, at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center. Coming off a triumphant summer where the orchestra earned Third Place at the International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna, Austria, the ensemble returned to the Bay Area with a refined sense of professionalism and technical accuracy. The program opened with Mozart’s Overture to "The Magic Flute" and featured the world premiere of Paul Setziol’s Four Scenes in Time. The first half of the concert centered on Beethoven’s Concerto No. 3 in C Minor for Pianoforte and Orchestra, Op. 37, while the finale brought a lush, cinematic energy with Gershwin-Bennett’s Porgy and Bess, a Symphonic Picture.
Featured Soloist: Lucy Chang
The centerpiece of the November series was a virtuosic performance of the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 by guest pianist Lucy Chang. Her interpretation of the three movements—Allegro con brio, Largo, and Rondo: Allegro—anchored the first half of the program. Chang's performance represented the high artistic standard maintained by CYS, which drew talented musicians from as far as San Francisco to Gilroy to participate in its 110-member main orchestra.
Leadership in the Spotlight: Roy Seto
The 1988–1989 season also marked the final year for concertmaster Roy Seto, a 17-year-old senior at Monta Vista High School. Having played violin for 13 years and spending four years within CYS, Seto’s leadership was pivotal during the transition from the successful European tour to the new domestic season. His role involved not only leading the first violin section but acting as a crucial link between the conductor and the orchestra to inspire enthusiasm among his peers. Like many of his fellow musicians, Seto balanced his musical dedication with strong academic interests, planning to pursue science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology the following fall.
March 1989 Concert
CYS continued its 37th Season with a sophisticated second concert series in March 1989. Performances were held on Sunday, March 12, at the College of San Mateo Theater and on Sunday, March 19, at the De Anza College Flint Auditorium. The program opened with the evocative maritime themes of Mendelssohn’s The Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave), Op. 26, followed by Mozart’s Concerto in C Major for Pianoforte and Orchestra, K. 467. After the intermission, the orchestra tackled the profound and technically demanding "Mathis der Maler" Symphony by Paul Hindemith, a work in three movements: Concert of Angels, Entombment, and Temptation of St. Anthony. The afternoon concluded with the lively and rhythmic "The Wasps" Overture by Ralph Vaughan-Williams.
Featured Soloist: Sean Botkin
The centerpiece of the March series was the performance of the Mozart C Major Concerto by guest pianist Sean Botkin. Botkin led the ensemble through the work's three movements—Allegro Maestoso, Andante, and Allegro vivace assai—demonstrating the high level of artistry that has become a hallmark of the CYS soloist tradition. His performance followed in the footsteps of a long line of distinguished young artists mentored by the organization, which serves as a premier training ground for talented musicians across the Peninsula and South Bay.
May 1989 Concert
CYS brought its 37th Season to a triumphant close in May 1989 under the baton of Dr. Lauren Jakey. Performances were held on Sunday, May 21, at the De Anza College Flint Center Auditorium and on Sunday, May 28, at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center. The ambitious program featured a heavy emphasis on dramatic orchestral works, beginning with the Introduction to Act Three from Wagner’s Lohengrin and concluding with a powerful rendition of Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 ("New World") in G Major, Op. 95. The program also included Wagner’s iconic "Ride of the Valkyries" and two virtuosic concertos featuring the season’s final youth soloists.
Featured Soloists
Stephanie Anderson (Cello) Seventeen-year-old Stephanie Anderson, a senior at Mountain View High School, was a featured soloist for the first half of the program. A dedicated musician who has participated in CYS for four years, Anderson performed the Allegro moderato from the Boccherini-Grützmacher Concerto for Violoncello in B-Flat Major. Anderson, who previously soloed with the Mountain View Jazz Ensemble, noted that playing in a symphony provided her with invaluable exposure to a larger music repertoire and diverse audiences.
Shana Priwer (Marimba) Marimbist Shana Priwer showcased her percussion skills in Paul Creston’s Concertino for Marimba and Orchestra, performing both the Calm and Vigorous sections. A long-time member of CYS, Priwer began her journey with the orchestra at age 10 as one of the youngest performers to enter the main orchestra. Over her years with the ensemble, she progressed from playing small instruments like the triangle to mastering the timpani and marimba. A student of the San Francisco Symphony’s Tony Cirone, Priwer’s dedication to her craft was a highlight of the season’s finale.
Gala Homecoming: The Inaugural Concert at Villa Montalvo (June 11, 1989)
On Sunday, June 11, 1989, CYS had the prestigious honor of performing the inaugural concert for the opening of the Garden Theatre at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga. Conducted by Dr. Lauren Jakey, this outdoor gala served as a celebratory homecoming for the 108-member ensemble following their internationally acclaimed success in Europe the previous summer. Having recently secured Third Place at the XVII International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna, the orchestra presented a program of masterful works, including selections by Wagner, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Dvorak, showcasing the technical brilliance that won over European judges.
Featured Guest Artist: Wendy Sharp
A highlight of the 1989 season finale was the return of distinguished CYS alumna Wendy Sharp as guest violin soloist. Sharp’s journey with the symphony began years earlier, as she was a dedicated member from 1972 to 1977, holding the position of Concertmaster for her final two years with the ensemble. Her performance at Villa Montalvo represented a full-circle moment, bridging her formative years in CYS with her burgeoning career as a world-class professional musician.
At the time of her 1989 appearance, Wendy Sharp had achieved significant international recognition. A graduate of Yale University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, she was a founding member of the Franciscan String Quartet, which garnered global acclaim after winning first prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition. In addition to her active career as a soloist and chamber musician, Sharp was serving on the music faculty at Dartmouth College. Her return to the CYS stage served as a powerful inspiration for the young musicians, exemplifying the professional excellence fostered within the California Youth Symphony.
