Season 57
2008-2009
Senior Orchestra Roster
Associate Orchestra Roster
Wind Prep Group Roster
String Prep Group Roster
Seniors
December 2008 Holiday Concert (Senior and Associate Orchestra)
Concert Program Overview
The California Youth Symphony ushered in the winter festive season with a spectacular performance that brought together the CYS Associate Orchestra and the Senior Orchestra. Conducting both advanced ensembles, Maestro Leo Eylar led a program packed with celebrated classical overtures and beloved seasonal favorites. The Associate Orchestra opened the first half of the concert with an energetic selection of pieces, including Rossini's William Tell Overture, Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor Overture, ballet music from Gounod's Faust, and Johann Strauss, Jr.'s Die Fledermaus Overture.
Following the intermission, the Symphony Orchestra took the stage to deliver a brilliant interpretation of Franz Liszt’s demanding Piano Concerto No. 1, featuring a guest soloist on the keyboard. To close out the afternoon and share the holiday spirit with the community, the orchestra performed a series of joyful winter classics. These festive arrangements included Leroy Anderson's popular "Sleigh Ride" and "A Christmas Festival", Irving Berlin's nostalgic "White Christmas", a medley of traditional Christmas favorites, and lively selections from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite.
Featured Soloist: Lino Rivera
The orchestra was proud to welcome the celebrated pianist Dr. Lino Rivera as the guest soloist for the Liszt concerto. Born in the Philippines, Dr. Rivera is a widely traveled musician who has performed as a recitalist, concerto soloist, and accompanist across three continents. Outside of his classical concert appearances, he serves as an associate professor in the Performing Arts Department at Saint Mary's College of California.
Dr. Rivera has made it a distinct personal mission to promote and premiere contemporary musical pieces, explore the technical boundaries of piano transcriptions, and bring obscure piano repertoire to light. He holds degrees from the University of Santo Tomas and the University of Hawaii, alongside a doctorate from the University of Maryland. His virtuosic performance of Liszt's standard four-movement concerto was a true highlight of the concert, beautifully matching technical skill with the warm, joyous energy of the holiday season.
57th Season: Senior Orchestra Final Concert Overview (May, 2009)
Concert Program Overview
Under the brilliant direction of Maestro Leo Eylar, the California Youth Symphony concluded its 57th season with a magnificent and high-energy program that celebrated vivid storytelling and exceptional soloist performances. The concert opened with Dmitri Kabalevsky’s Colas Breugnon Suite, an energetic work filled with bright rhythms and optimistic melodies that immediately set an exciting tone for the afternoon. The first half continued with Alexander Glazunov’s Violin Concerto in A minor, a lush and deeply romantic piece written in a single continuous movement.
Following the intermission, the orchestra performed Aram Khachaturian’s Masquerade Suite, enchanting the audience with its dramatic Waltz, expressive Nocturne, and fiery Galop. The program then shifted to Jacques Ibert’s playful and technically demanding Flute Concerto, showcasing the dazzling agility of the woodwind family. To bring the season to a spectacular close, the orchestra performed George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture, beautifully arranged by Robert Russell Bennett. This grand finale brought beloved American jazz rhythms and themes like "Summertime" to life, creating an unforgettable conclusion to a wonderful year of music.
Featured Soloists
Evie Chen, Violin
The orchestra was proud to feature violinist Evie Chen as the soloist for the Glazunov concerto. Evie delivered a performance of incredible warmth and technical brilliance, capturing the rich, lyrical melodies and intense passion of this Russian masterwork. Her performance stood out as a major highlight of the concert series, demonstrating a level of musical maturity well beyond her years and reflecting the high standards of the CYS program.
Tony Jin, Flute
The concert also highlighted the exceptional talents of flutist Tony Jin, who took center stage for Ibert's challenging Flute Concerto. Tony handled the piece's complex, lightning-fast runs and playful rhythms with remarkable ease and confidence. His performance beautifully balanced technical mastery with light-hearted musical expression, earning enthusiastic applause from the audience and serving as a wonderful showcase for the wind section.
Wind Prep Group June 2009 Concert
String Prep Group June 2009 Concert
Bay Area Youth Orchestra Festival (BAYOF) 2009 Concert
On January 18, 2009, the California Youth Symphony joined hands with five other premier regional youth ensembles for the inspirational "BAYOF Hope" benefit concert at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco. Born from monthly meetings among regional orchestra directors, this unique festival allowed young musicians to showcase their talents in a spectacular venue while raising funds to support local organizations serving homeless youth. The performance, guided by Master of Ceremonies Wendy Tokuda, offered a diverse celebration of classical and modern masterpieces.
The California Youth Symphony, under the baton of Maestro Leo Eylar, proudly opened the festival with a brilliant and colorful rendition of Antonín Dvořák’s Carnival Overture, capturing the joyful, festive energy of a bustling Bohemian city. The concert then moved through a rich variety of sounds, including Malcolm Arnold’s Music from Solitaire by the Oakland Youth Orchestra and Gwyneth Walker’s distinctly American Concert Suite by the Peninsula Youth Orchestra. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra followed with Wagner's powerful Siegfried's Rhine Journey , and the Young People's Symphony Orchestra delivered movements from Paul Hindemith’s expressive Symphonic Metamorphoses. The individual showcases concluded with a grand, high-energy performance of the Finale from Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 by the Sacramento Youth Symphony. To close this monumental afternoon, a specially assembled Festival Orchestra united musicians from across the groups to perform a joyous and unified interpretation of Shostakovich's Festive Overture.
Featured Musicians
Evie Chen, CYS Concertmaster
While the festival featured full orchestral masterworks rather than a traditional individual concerto soloist, CYS Concertmaster Evie Chen held a highly prominent role during the event. Serving at the head of the California Youth Symphony, Evie was also chosen as a member of the combined Festival Orchestra that performed the grand finale. A highly accomplished senior at Palo Alto High School, Evie began playing violin at age four and previously debuted with the Fremont Symphony Orchestra at just eight years old. Her stellar pre-college career included winning the Cal-ASTA State Solo Competition and being featured as a soloist with the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra. Following her leadership role in the 2008-2009 CYS season, she planned to major in Violin Performance at the prestigious Eastman School of Music.
CYS Festival Musicians
The strength and depth of the California Youth Symphony were highly visible throughout the afternoon, as a large contingent of CYS players were selected to sit in the combined Festival Orchestra. Alongside Concertmaster Evie Chen, principal players such as cellist Austin Wang, violist Amanda Li, wind players Kevin Tang and Jung Yeon Kim, and percussionist Jason Jin brought their elite technical skill to the final performance. Their participation demonstrated the high standards of musicianship nurtured across all nine CYS programs during its 57th season.
