SPRING CONCERT
Join Maestro Eylar and the California Youth Symphony Senior Orchestra for an evening of sweeping drama, virtuosic brilliance, and symphonic power. This Spring Concert traces a compelling expressive arc—from operatic exuberance to lush lyricism and, finally, to one of the most monumental symphonies of the twentieth century—showcasing the orchestra at its most expansive and expressive.
We open the program with the Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin by Richard Wagner, one of the most exhilarating curtain-raisers in the orchestral repertoire. Bursting with radiant brass fanfares and propulsive rhythmic energy, the prelude captures the celebratory atmosphere of Elsa and Lohengrin’s wedding with dazzling immediacy. Its brilliant orchestration and forward-driving momentum make it an electrifying way to launch the evening, immersing the audience instantly in Wagner’s richly imagined sound world.
CYS is delighted to welcome Young Artist Competition winner Kayla Lee, who joins the orchestra as soloist in Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto. A work of sumptuous lyricism and cinematic sweep, the concerto draws on themes from Korngold’s celebrated film scores, transforming them into a virtuosic and emotionally charged concert work. The violin sings with soaring intensity—by turns rhapsodic, nostalgic, and exuberant—set against a lush orchestral backdrop. Kayla’s dual role as soloist and Co-Concertmaster of the orchestra adds a special dimension to this performance, highlighting both her artistry and her deep musical partnership with the ensemble.
We close the program with Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5, a towering symphonic statement composed during the final years of World War II. Prokofiev described the work as “a hymn to free and happy humanity,” and its expansive scale, bold themes, and powerful rhythmic drive reflect that ambition. From its broad, noble opening to its electrifying finale, the symphony demands both technical mastery and emotional depth, offering the orchestra an opportunity to display its full range of color, precision, and expressive force.
We invite you to join us for an unforgettable evening of operatic brilliance, lyrical beauty, and symphonic grandeur.
PROGRAM
Richard Wagner (1813-1883): Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin (arr. Toscanini)
Erich Korngold (1897-1957): Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35 - Kayla Lee, violin
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953): Symphony no. 5 in B-flat major, op. 100
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Erich Korngold -
Sergei Prokofiev -
Richard Wagner
Young Artist Competition Winner
Kayla Lee, violin
Kayla Lee is a senior and fourth-year Honors Fellow at Valley Christian High School in San Jose. She studies violin with Zhao Wei at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-college Division. Kayla has earned top prizes at the United States Open Music Competition, Korean-American Music Supporters’ Association (KAMSA), and the Silicon Valley Music Competition. She has also received awards from the Pacific International Music Competition, the Burlingame Music Club Young Musicians Competition and the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra Young Musicians Competition. She has previously appeared as a soloist with the Palo Alto Philharmonic, KAMSA Youth Orchestra, Temple Hill Symphony, and the California Youth Symphony (CYS) Associate Orchestra.
Kayla has received national recognition as a winner of the National YoungArts Competition for three consecutive years (2024–2026). She toured internationally with the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA) from 2023 to 2025, including the 2023 NYO2 tour to the Dominican Republic as principal violinist and the 2024 NYO-USA tour to South America. In 2025, she returned to NYO-USA as concertmaster under conductor Gianandrea Noseda, performing at Carnegie Hall and on an extensive Asia tour with violinists Ray Chen and Clara-Jumi Kang.
In addition, Kayla has performed in masterclasses with distinguished artists including Emanuel Ax, Danielle Belen, Kurt Sassmannshaus, Herbert Greenberg, Qian Zhou, Christopher Costanza (the St. Lawrence String Quartet), Fred Lifsitz (the Alexander String Quartet), the Gryphon Trio, Daniel Ching (the Miró Quartet), and the Balourdet Quartet. She has received coaching from esteemed musicians such as Jinjoo Cho, Paul Kantor, the Esmé Quartet, Janet Ying (the Ying Quartet), Jeremiah Shaw (the Telegraph Quartet), and members of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Kayla has attended the ENCORE Chamber Music Institute and the Bowdoin International Music Festival in past summers. As a passionate chamber musician, Kayla is a member of the Orenda String Quartet at Young Chamber Musicians in Burlingame and currently serves as co-concertmaster of the CYS Senior Orchestra.
CYS Young Artist Competition
Each spring the California Youth Symphony holds its Young Artist Competition to select soloists for the following season. The Competition is open to pianists and instrumental soloists under age 19. Two young artists will be chosen by a panel of three judges to perform with the CYS Orchestra during the November or March concert series of the following season.
Application form becomes available in January!
