Season 60
2011-2012
Senior Orchestra November 2011 Concert
Concert Overview
The California Youth Symphony proudly opened its spectacular 60th anniversary season on November 20, 2011, with a powerful performance at the Flint Center. Under the brilliant leadership of Music Director Leo Eylar, the Senior Orchestra presented a diverse program that explored the depth of American and British orchestral traditions. The concert opened with Aaron Copland’s famous Billy the Kid ballet suite, which beautifully captures the vast landscapes of the American West by weaving traditional cowboy tunes into modern orchestral textures. Following this classic, the orchestra delivered the world premiere of Stephen Blumberg’s Subterranean River, a fascinating new piece that uses rich instrumental colors to take listeners on an imagined voyage through underground spaces.
The second half of the program shifted toward deep romanticism with William Walton’s elegant Cello Concerto, featuring a stellar performance by our guest soloist. To bring the historic afternoon to a triumphant close, the orchestra performed Leonard Bernstein’s dramatic symphonic suite from On the Waterfront. This concert work transformed Bernstein's legendary film score into a powerful tone poem, moving from mournful jazz melodies to aggressive, high-energy rhythms. It was an unforgettable start to a celebratory music season that will also see our advanced young musicians travel to New Zealand for an international summer concert tour.
Featured Soloist: Naomi Benecasa, Cello
CYS was honored to present eighteen-year-old cellist Naomi Benecasa as the featured soloist for Sir William Walton's lyrical and challenging concerto. Born into a musical family, Naomi has shared a deep passion for the cello for over a decade. Her musical journey has taken her across the country, leading to solo appearances with several prominent ensembles, including the Houston Youth Symphony and the Houston Civic Symphony.
Before arriving in California, Naomi spent two years commuting 200 miles every weekend to study privately in St. Louis, where she served as the co-principal cellist for the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra and debuted the Walton concerto at Powell Hall. Her exceptional talent also earned her a featured performance on National Public Radio’s popular From the Top program. A veteran of prestigious summer music festivals, Naomi was a freshman cello performance major studying under Desmond Hoebig at Rice University at the time of this concert. Her expressive and mature performance with CYS perfectly matched the celebratory spirit of our 60th season.
