CONTENTS 4 Letters from AYS Leadership 6 AYS Board and Staff 8 About the Orchestra 12 Season at a Glance 16 Orchestra Roster 22 Thank You to our Donors 30 October 20, 2019 OPENING NIGHT CONCERT 40 November 23, 2019 APOLLO 13 IN CONCERT 45 November 3, 2019 SUNDAYS LIVE 45 November 5-14, 2019 GRAND PERFORMANCES PRESENTS AYS HOLIDAY BRASS ENSEMBLE 45 December 15, 2019 LAEMMLE LIVE 48 Glossary AMERICAN YOUTH SYMPHONY 2301 Rosecrans Boulevard, Suite 2160, ADVERTISING El Segundo, CA 90425 Onstage Publications 937-424-0529 | 866-503-1966 310.470.2332 e-mail: [email protected] www.onstagepublications.com www.AYSymphony.org This program is published in association with Onstage Publications, 1612 Prosser Avenue, Kettering, OH 45409. This program may not be Tax ID #95-2076046 reproduced in whole or in part without written Photography: Philip Hollahan permission from the publisher. JBI Publishing is a division of Onstage Publications, Inc. Contents © 2019. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. 3 Dear Friends, Welcome to a new season with the American Youth Symphony! As I begin my fourth season with AYS, there is so much I look forward to sharing with you, our audience, and the amazingly gifted musicians in the orchestra. Together, we'll tackle some of the greatest masterworks of the symphonic repertoire, while continuing our commitment to providing a platform for new voices. Mother Nature has inspired artists across the centuries, and there has been ample material for crafting the 2019/20 season around the theme of celebrating our earth, our planet, our home. Our Opening Night concert showcases the depth of this orchestra’s capability. We’ll pair a piece by a living composer, Joan Tower, with one of the greatest works of all time, Beethoven’s “Pastoral,” and feature the immense talent of the 2019 Concerto Competition winner, our Concertmaster Gallia Kaster, with the Sibelius Violin Concerto. Then, in November, our annual film concert will be a live-to- picture performance of James Horner’s superstellar score for Apollo 13. In 2020, we return to Walt Disney Concert Hall to feature the second year of the Korngold Commission Project. This series, generously sponsored by Peter Mandell and Sarah Coade Mandell, pairs esteemed film and media composers with world-class solo artists. This year AYS has commissioned Los Angeles-based Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers to create a new concerto to be performed by the amazingly talented violinist Charles Yang. We’ll also make use of the beautiful organ at Disney Hall with Saint-Saëns’ third symphony. Our next Spring Concert will present an American premiere by Los Angeles-based Grammy-winning composer, Richard Danielpour. His piece, Ricordanza, for baritone and string orchestra, will be followed by an iconic work of nature, An Alpine Symphony by Strauss. This year’s gala will be extra special for me, as we present a world premiere by Jihyun Kim, in collaboration with American Composers Orchestra, and my own Alabama Symphony Orchestra, where the new work will receive further performances. This will be followed by one of America’s greatest symphonic masterpieces, Copland’s monumental Symphony No. 3. In addition to these large-scale symphonic concerts, chamber ensembles from the orchestra will also be performing at a number of smaller community venues, plus the schools where we operate our Share-A-Stand music education program. Finally, I want to thank all of you for being part of the AYS family. From the Board of Directors, to members, volunteers, audience members, and of course, the extraordinary musicians on stage, you are all vital to the American Youth Symphony's mission to inspire the future of classical music. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed leading this great orchestra for the past three seasons, and I look forward to what we can achieve in years to come. Sincerely, Carlos Izcaray Music Director 4 Dear AYS Community, On behalf of the American Youth Symphony’s Board of Directors, I am honored to welcome you to the orchestra’s 55th season. Led by Music Director, Carlos Izcaray, now in his fourth year with AYS, 2019/20 concerts feature both beloved classics and new works by award-winning composers. We are eager to share another season of extraordinary performances with our community. The mission of AYS is to inspire our young musicians and our audience through the performance of great symphonic works. Achieving this is only possible with our loyal community of supporters and funders. Your generosity and belief in our work sustains us. This season includes programming anchored by Strauss, Beethoven, and Copland, along with premieres from local composers Kris Bowers and Richard Danielpour. In line with season’s theme, the orchestra will perform several of the many works throughout music history that have been inspired by nature, including the “Pastoral” Symphony, An Alpine Symphony, and All Things Majestic. I am constantly inspired by the artistry and dedication of these hard- working musicians on the verge of their professional careers, and year after year, I am thrilled by the success of our brilliant alumni. AYS is without question one of the best orchestras of its kind, and its success is directly connected to the support of its audience. Thank you for helping us achieve excellence. Yours sincerely, Kevin Dretzka Chairman of the Board of Directors 5 AYS BOARD AND STAFF Honorary President Zubin Mehta Founders Mildreth Sheinkopf Samson Mehli Mehta Music Director Carlos Izcaray Board of Directors CHAIRMAN EMERITUS Hebert M. Gelfand CHAIRMAN Kevin Dretzka VICE CHAIRMAN Krystyna Newman TREASURER David Papale SECRETARY Peter Mandell* Shoshana Claman* Mary Levin Cutler Beverly Gelfand James Newman Howard Russ Lemley Saul Levine Steven A. Linder Ilene Nathan David Newman* Doreen Ringer-Ross Peter Ross* Wendy Ruby William Sullivan STAFF Tara Aesquivel, Executive Director Isabel Thiroux,* Director of Orchestra Operations Mandy Matthews, SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR AYS Manager of WITH A COOL T-SHIRT! Community Engagement Mia McNeil, Available in men’s & women’s Development Associate sizes in the lobby or online at: Rich Johnson, https://aysymphony.threadless.com/collections Operations Specialist Max Mueller,* Share-A- Stand Lead Instructor 6 Dear AYS Community, Welcome to the American Youth Symphony’s 55th season! I’m so glad that you have joined us to celebrate great music and the extraordinary talent of our musicians. We continue to explore how music is interconnected with many aspects of our lives with a new season theme: A Celebration of Nature. Music is everywhere, and it's no surprise that composers and musicians across centuries have been inspired by or have tried to emulate the sounds of nature. Philosophers across the ages have also been inspired to explain the mysteries of the natural world through musical ideas, like the music of the spheres or string theory. From everyday sounds, like a melodious bird song, to musical masterpieces, I hope our Celebration of Nature will encourage our audience members to enjoy the music all around. Acoustics are a natural phenomenon, and the orchestra is a collection of beautifully-crafted instruments designed to produce specific frequencies and sound waves. Woodwinds and brass are powered by the wind of breath. String sections resonate through instruments constructed from wood. Reeded instruments produce sound through the vibration of thinly sliced canes. They all come together to produce a magnificent symphonic sound. Every year, through the changing themes of each season, AYS strives to prepare orchestra fellows for careers as professional musicians. This includes mastery of beloved classics— such as Beethoven, Copland, and Strauss—and curating new experiences, like the three world and U.S. premieres on our program. Our talented young musicians will perform in world-renowned Royce Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall, as well as getting hyper-local in the community at our expanding variety of chamber concerts. These unique experiences and growth opportunities are only possible because of the generosity and dedication of the vibrant AYS community. To our donors, members, sponsors, audience members, volunteers, and our wonderful Board of Directors: thank you! Thousands of people are connected to the rich, creative, dynamic power of music because of your support. Although season themes will change year to year, I am committed to “inspiring the future of classical music” to be one that is more equitable and accessible for all people, for decades to come. Thank you for joining us on this journey. Sincerely, Tara Aesquivel Executive Director 7 ABOUT THE ORCHESTRA A Training Ground of the 21st Century The American Youth Symphony’s mission is to inspire the future of classical music by providing advanced artistic training and professional development opportunities to virtuosic young adults and exceptional, innovative, and free concerts to the Los Angeles community. Competitively selected, our orchestra is comprised of 100 musicians who represent extraordinary talent from all over the world. By offering remarkable concerts at world-class venues, we remain committed to creating access and opportunity for everyone to experience the inspiration of this beautiful art form. AYS is designed to prepare the concert artists of tomorrow for leadership in 21st century orchestras and ensembles. Musicians receive in-depth exposure to a wide variety of symphonic music, from classical masterworks to world premieres and unforgettable film scores. AYS is a tuition-free program, and each AYS Fellow receives an annual stipend ranging from $1,400-$4,000. Fellows perform at renowned venues like Royce Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall, and work alongside world-class guest artists such as Sarah Chang, Daníel Bjarnason, Anna Clyne, Glenn Dicterow, Johannes Moser, John Williams, David Newman, Alan Silvestri, Takeshi Furukawa, and Lera Auerbach. Designed to challenge, nurture, and inspire, the American Youth Symphony is a musical laboratory where musicians not only master their parts and develop a deep understanding of musical scores, but also explore their roles as artist citizens within their community.