California Youth Symphony

The California Youth Symphony (CYS) was founded in 1952 and has earned an international reputation for the excellence of its music programs. In 1963 CYS became the first American youth orchestra to tour overseas. Its guest artists have included such luminaries as Duke Ellington, Jack Benny, and Mary Costa, as well as an ever-expanding roster of rising young talent.

The orchestra begins its 72nd concert season opener with music by one of Spain's most important composers: Manuel de Falla. The final dance from Falla's The Three-Cornered Hat is an exhilarating and wild ride full of Spanish dance rhythms and folk-inspired melodies that are perfectly woven together to create a vivid impression of Iberia.

The world premiere of Memorias Argentinas by Argentenian composer Valeria Pelka is a three-movement work that draws inspiration from the African roots of Argentinian folk music. Specific styles of music and dance, namely the chacarera, zamba, and malambo, are traditionally performed and danced in various regions across Argentina, thus encompassing the country's cultural landscape.

Rin Homma, a 2nd-year student of Professor Inna Faliks at UCLA, is one of CYS Young Artist Competition winners. Performing Maurice Ravel’s jazz-inspired Piano Concerto in G Major, this is Ravel's penultimate work. The composer wrote that his aim was "to write a genuine concerto, that is, a brilliant work, clearly highlighting the soloist's virtuosity, without seeking to show profundity. As a model, I took two musicians who, in my opinion, best illustrated this type of composition: Mozart and Saint-Saëns".

The final work on this exciting program is the ultra-romantic Symphony No. 1 by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. The First Symphony indicates affection for Tchaikovskian melody, with touches elsewhere of the more robust, nationalistic style of Alexander Borodin – when it is not being wholly itself. Sibelius, who once confided in a letter to his wife the similarities he has with Tchaikovsky, was an important early influence on Sibelius, but he later declared the differences were more important than the similarities: “I cannot understand why my symphonies are so often compared with Tchaikovsky’s. His symphonies are very human, but they represent the soft part of human nature. Mine are the hard part.”

Our opening concert is guaranteed to be a breathtaking experience-don't miss it!