HOLIDAY CONCERT: WIND SYMPHONY, ASSOCIATE ORCHESTRA, SENIOR ORCHESTRA
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 Information
November 29, 2026 | 2:00 PM
San Mateo Performing Arts Center | 600 N Delaware St, San Mateo, CA 94401
FREE ADMISSION
Programs
Wind Symphony
Leonard Bernstein: Candide Suite
Li Chan: Folksong of Midu
Timothy Mahr: A Diamond Celebration
Chris Sharp: Christmas in a Nutshell
Associate Orchestra
Ralph Ford: Suite from Video Games Live
Morton Gould: American Salute
Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov: Caucasian Sketches
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Marche Slav
Senior Orchestra
Louis Spohr: Clarinet Concerto No. 1 (1st movement)
Plus Classical and Seasonal Favorites!
