Season 68
2019-2020
Senior Orchestra Roster
Associate Orchestra Roster
Win Ensembles Roster
Strings Ensembles Roster
November 2019 Senior Orchestra Concert Overview
The California Youth Symphony Orchestra opened its 68th season on November 17, 2019, with a thrilling performance at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center. Led by Music Director Leo Eylar, who celebrated his 30th year leading CYS this season, the orchestra delivered a program filled with high-energy romance, virtuosic piano playing, and the electrifying rhythms of American musical theater.
The concert began with Richard Strauss's fiery tone poem, "Don Juan." This brilliant piece captures the philosophical and dramatic journey of the legendary rogue—moving from his questing idealism and passionate romantic pursuits to his eventual boredom and dramatic demise. The orchestra was then joined by a featured young soloist for Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15. Building upon the Classical traditions of Haydn and Mozart, Beethoven’s concerto blends a richly colored, virtuosic first movement with a lyrical slow movement and an infectious, good-humored rondo finale.
Following the intermission, the orchestra performed Leonard Bernstein's "Symphonic Dances from West Side Story," bringing the drama of Broadway into the concert hall. The suite weaves together the iconic dance sequences from the musical, capturing the intense rivalry of the Jets and Sharks in the "Prologue" and "Rumble," the competitive energy of the "Mambo," and the tragic romance of Tony and Maria in the "Cha-Cha" and the visionary "Somewhere". The performance served as a spectacular opening for a season that culminated in an international tour to Argentina and Chile.
Featured Soloist: Solomon Ge, Piano
Sixteen-year-old pianist Solomon Ge was the featured soloist for Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1, having won the 2019 CYS Young Artist Competition held at Stanford University. An immensely talented musician, Solomon studies piano with Professor Yoshikazu Nagai at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Solomon has earned top awards at prestigious competitions, including the 2019 International e-Piano Junior Competition, the Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition, and the Los Angeles International Piano Competition. Locally, he is the winner of the Marilyn Mindell Piano Competition, the CAPMT Honors State Competition, the Mondavi Young Artists Competition, and the TSIPF Concerto Competition. Solomon has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, Peninsula Symphony, and Round Rock Symphony Orchestra, and will soon appear as a soloist with the Palo Alto Philharmonic and the Golden State Youth Orchestra.
December 2019 Wind Ensembles Winter Concert Overview
On December 15, 2019, the California Youth Symphony wind program presented its annual Winter Concert at the Cañada College Theater in Redwood City. Under the guidance of Music Director Leo Eylar, this festive performance showcased the musicianship and steady progress of young wind, brass, and percussion players across three dedicated ensembles: Introductory Winds, the Wind Ensemble, and the Wind Symphony.
Conductor Rosita Amador led the first half of the concert, opening with the Introductory Winds. The young ensemble performed Peter Blair’s arrangement of the celebratory "Alleluia" from Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate, followed by the expressive "Largo" from Dvořák’s "New World" Symphony, Paul Dukas’s lively The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Giovanni Gabrieli’s Renaissance brass Canzon. The Wind Ensemble then took the stage with a colorful blend of holiday warmth and spirited band classics. Their selections featured Robert Sheldon’s festive medley A Most Wonderful Christmas, two lively movements from Robert Russell Bennett’s Suite of Old American Dances, Larry Daehn’s tribute Tchaikovskyana, and James L. Hosay’s dramatic tone poem Persis.
The second half turned to the CYS Wind Symphony, conducted by Pete Nowlen. The ensemble opened with Elliot A. Del Borgo’s driving piece Festa!, followed by Dennis Wright’s band arrangement of Gustav Holst’s classic A Moorside Suite, moving gracefully through its playful Scherzo, gentle Nocturne, and dignified March. The Wind Symphony then presented Philip Sparke’s rich setting of J. S. Bach’s chorale Sleepers, Wake! before bringing the afternoon to an uplifting finish with Japanese composer Yo Gotō’s buoyant modern work, Dancing in Air.
Featured Director: Pete Nowlen
Pete Nowlen serves as the Director of the CYS Wind Symphony and Co-Director of the CYS summer music camp, having worked with CYS musicians as the orchestra’s brass coach since 1992. Highly regarded throughout Northern California, Nowlen has served on the music faculty at the University of California, Davis, since 1988, where he directs the concert band program. In addition, he serves as Artistic Director for Camerata California Chamber Choir, the Rancho Cordova Civic Light Orchestra, and the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band.
Nowlen’s guest conducting highlights include appearances with the Sacramento Symphony, the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra, the Sacramento State University Symphony Orchestra, the Camellia Symphony, and the Music in the Mountains Festival Orchestra. In the theater, he has conducted widely across opera, ballet, and musical theater, leading productions of La Bohème, Hänsel und Gretel, The Magic Flute, Orpheus in the Underworld, Billy the Kid, L'Histoire du Soldat, and Company.
An accomplished French horn soloist and orchestral musician, Nowlen has performed with premier ensembles including the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Ballet, Symphony Silicon Valley, the Sacramento Symphony, and the International Orchestra of Italy. He earned third prize at the 1992 International Competition for Solo Horn of the Castle of Duino in Italy and was a semifinalist in the 1994 American Horn Competition. Outside the concert hall, Nowlen founded Sacramento’s VITA Academy, an organization devoted to revitalizing classical music through educational outreach and interactive school music programs.
December 2019 String Ensembles Winter Concert Overview
On December 15, 2019, at 1:00 PM, the California Youth Symphony presented its String Ensembles Winter Concert at the Cañada College Theater in Redwood City. Celebrating the musicianship and collaborative spirit of the organization's young string players, the afternoon performance brought together both the Junior Strings Ensemble and the Intermediate Strings Ensemble under the direction of conductor Kati Kyme, operating within the artistic vision of CYS Music Director Leo Eylar.
The performance opened with the Junior Strings Ensemble presenting a delightful selection of Classical and early Romantic works. The young players set a lively tone with the brisk, buoyant "Presto" from Joseph Haydn’s Quartet in B-flat, Op. 1, No. 1, followed by the familiar rhythmic stride of Franz Schubert’s "Marche Militaire". They brought their set to a graceful close with the classical polish and poise of the "Allegro maestoso" from Luigi Boccherini’s Quartet in A Major, Op. 6, No. 6.
The Intermediate Strings Ensemble took the stage next with an expansive program highlighting expressive color and dynamic range across multiple musical eras. Beginning with the intense, driving momentum of the "Allegro di molto" from Haydn’s Sinfonia No. 49, the ensemble transitioned seamlessly into the lush, gentle harmonies of George Gershwin’s "Lullaby". They continued with the lighthearted, skipping textures of the "Canzonetta" from Felix Mendelssohn’s Quartet in E-flat, Op. 12, before concluding the concert with the rhythmic joy and Bohemian warmth of the "Scherzo" from Antonín Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings.
March 2019 Festival Concert Overview
On March 3, 2019, at 1:00 PM, the California Youth Symphony presented "A Festival Concert" at the Smithwick Theatre at Foothill College. Highlighting the depth and versatility of the organization's training ensembles, the afternoon brought together the Intermediate Strings, the CYS Wind Symphony, and the CYS Associate Orchestra for an expansive program of classical masterworks, wind band staples, and vibrant dance suites. The event was led by CYS Music Director Leo Eylar, Guest Wind Symphony Director Dr. Matthew Sadowski, and Intermediate Strings Director Kati Kyme.
The concert opened with the Intermediate Strings, conducted by Kati Kyme. The ensemble began with the dramatic energy of the Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus, followed by the refined Classical wit of the "Allegro Scherzando" from Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet in D Major, Op. 20, No. 4. They concluded their portion of the concert with the spirited momentum of the "Allegro Giocoso" from Johannes Brahms’s Symphony No. 4.
Next, the CYS Wind Symphony took the stage under the direction of guest conductor Dr. Matthew Sadowski. The ensemble delivered a dynamic set that opened with the driving, relentless pulse of "Mars" from Gustav Holst’s The Planets in an arrangement by William Owens. They continued with Norman Dello Joio’s playful and rhythmic Satiric Dances before finishing with the fiery, relentless Latin energy of Alberto Ginastera’s "Danza Final" from Estancia, arranged by Robert Longfield.
The CYS Associate Orchestra, led by Leo Eylar, presented the final portion of the afternoon. The orchestra opened with the brilliant themes of Mozart’s Overture to The Magic Flute. Featured soloist Joy Xu then joined the orchestra for the opening movement of Édouard Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole, showcasing both technical precision and Spanish flair. The orchestra then journeyed through the dramatic and colorful movements of Aram Khachaturian’s Masquerade Suite—including the famous Waltz, Nocturne, Mazurka, Romance, and Galop—before concluding the concert with the sparkling orchestral colors and festive rhythms of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnole.
Featured Soloist: Joy Xu, Violin
Thirteen-year-old violinist Joy Xu was featured as the guest soloist with the Associate Orchestra, performing the first movement of Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole after winning the CYS Associate Orchestra Concerto Competition.
Joy has pursued music with dedication from an early age, beginning the violin at age five and piano at age six before choosing the violin as her primary instrument. She currently studies with Mr. Zunxian Zhou. A freshman at Palo Alto High School, Joy balances her musical commitments with a wide variety of activities, including choral singing, playing chess, reading, and traveling.
On May 26, 2019, the California Youth Symphony presented an afternoon of music at the Cañada College Theatre in Redwood City, spotlighting both the CYS Wind Symphony and the CYS Associate Orchestra under the artistic guidance of Music Director Leo Eylar. The season finale program brought together contemporary wind band works, vibrant percussion showcases, and beloved orchestral classics, highlighting the expressive range and dedication of the organization's intermediate and advanced ensembles.
The concert began with the CYS Wind Symphony, conducted by Pete Nowlen. The ensemble opened with the powerful "Finale" from Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, followed by J. Eric Schmidt’s reflective Adoration. They then explored the intense sonic colors of modern wind literature through John Mackey’s rhythmically charged Lightning Field and Brian Balmages’s driving work Industrial Loops.
The CYS Associate Orchestra, conducted by Leo Eylar, took the stage for the second half. Percussion Director Artie Storch first led the orchestra's percussion section in two engaging, high-spirited features: Michael Aukofer’s Jug Heads and Frank J. Halferty’s lively Street Dance. The full orchestra then returned with the crisp, satirical "March" from Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges. Two featured young soloists then performed: eighth-grade cellist Ethan Chen delivered a graceful rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, and clarinetist Zhenyu (Johnny) Wang presented the spirited "Rondo. Allegretto" from Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 1. Anchored by the regal brass and noble melodies of Wagner’s Overture to Die Meistersinger, the afternoon reached an exhilarating finish with the triumphant "Finale" from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.
Featured Soloists
Ethan Chen, Cello
Eighth-grade cellist Ethan Chen was featured as the soloist in Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme as the winner of the 2018–19 CYS Associate Orchestra Concerto Competition. Born into a third-generation musical family, Ethan began studying cello at age six and served as Principal Cellist of the Associate Orchestra during his second season with CYS. An active chamber musician and soloist, he made his Carnegie Hall debut in June 2018 as a first-place winner in the American Protégé International Competition. He also won First Place at the 2019 DVC/HNU Young Artist String Competition (after earning Second Place in 2017) and advanced as a finalist in the 2019 Palo Alto Philharmonic Concerto Competition. Outside the rehearsal hall, the BASIS Independent Silicon Valley student enjoys basketball, swimming, and cars.
Zhenyu (Johnny) Wang, Clarinet
Clarinetist Zhenyu (Johnny) Wang joined the Associate Orchestra as guest soloist for the finale movement of Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 1. A versatile musician, Johnny currently plays in the San Francisco Youth Symphony and has previously performed with the El Camino Youth Symphony. His summer studies include prestigious programs with the Philadelphia International Music Festival, the Eastern Music Festival, and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) Young Artists Orchestra. He studies with Carey Bell at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and credits mentors Debra Gardner and Boris Allakhverdyan for shaping his artistic voice.
