HOLIDAY CONCERT
WIND SYMPHONY, ASSOCIATE & SENIOR ORCHESTRAS
Gather with the California Youth Symphony on Sunday, November 29, 2026, at 2:30 PM at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center for our cherished annual Holiday Concert—a centerpiece highlight of our landmark 75th Anniversary Season. Bringing together three of our premier ensembles, this celebratory afternoon weaves together centuries of orchestral beauty, dynamic modern voices, and joyful seasonal spirit.
Under the baton of Pete Nowlen, the CYS Wind Symphony opens the celebration with vibrant momentum, blending the sparkling theatrical wit of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide Suite, the evocative textures of Li Chan’s Folksong of MIDU, and a whimsical holiday twist in Chris Sharp’s Christmas in a Nutshell.
Music Director Leo Eylar then leads the CYS Associate Orchestra through a sweeping journey across musical genres. Listeners will travel from the brassy patriotic bravado of Morton Gould’s American Salute and the exotic orchestral colors of Ippolitov-Ivanov’s Caucasian Sketches to the high-energy world of modern gaming in Ralph Ford’s Suite from Video Games Live, concluding with the fiery, passion-filled rhythms of Tchaikovsky’s Marche Slav.
The CYS Senior Orchestra brings the afternoon to a memorable height with two featured soloists. Exceptional young clarinetist Brandon Lin displays effortless phrasing and virtuosic flair in the opening movement of Louis Spohr’s Clarinet Concerto No. 1. Then, adding heartfelt historic resonance to our 75th anniversary year, renowned pianist Natsuki Fukasawa returns to the CYS stage for George Gershwin’s dazzling, syncopated Variations on "I Got Rhythm". Having first captivated audiences as a guest soloist on CYS’s 2004 tour of Italy, Fukasawa’s reunion with Maestro Eylar and our orchestra honors a decades-long tradition of musical excellence and artistic family.
Complete with beloved seasonal favorites to lift your spirits, this afternoon offers an unforgettable celebration of community, tradition, and the extraordinary young musicians who keep the magic of orchestral music alive.
Concert Highlights
Wind Symphony
Bernstein: Candide Suite
Chan: Folksong of Midu
Mahr: A Diamond Celebration
Sharp: Christmas in a Nutshell
Associate Orchestra
Ford: Suite from Video Games Live
Gould: American Salute
Ippolitov-Ivanov: Caucasian Sketches
Tchaikovsky: Marche Slav
Senior Orchestra
Spohr: "Adagio-Allegro" from Clarinet Concerto No. 1 (Brandon Lin, clarinet)
Gershwin: Variations on "I Got Rhythm" for Piano and Orchestra (Natsuki Fukasawa, piano)
Plus Classical and Seasonal Favorites!
