Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras (FSYO) is thrilled to announce visionary artist, activist, and educator Midori as this season's Virtual Artist-in-Residence. As a leading concert violinist for over 35 years, Midori's unique career has been dedicated to exploring and building connections between music and the human experience.
During her time as the Virtual Artist-in-Residence, Midori will work closely with FSYO's four classical orchestras. Beginning November 10, students will participate in five virtual sessions ranging from a violin masterclass and best practice tips, to discussing Midori's role as a UN Messenger of Peace.
Music Director and Symphonic Orchestra Conductor, Hanrich Claassen, said: "We are honored to have been selected by renowned violinist and educator, Midori, for a Virtual Orchestra Residency Program. As we all navigate the 'new normal' of virtual offerings a-plenty, this will be an absolute highlight for our students, parents, and community members!"
As an added bonus, FSYO will open two of the virtual sessions to FSYO parents, the Orlando art community, and Orange County Public School music teachers. Participants are encouraged to email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.
About MIDORI: Midori regularly transfixes audiences around the world, combining graceful precision and intimate expression. Among many significant associations, she has performed with the London, Chicago, and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras, the Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics, and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. She has collaborated with such outstanding musicians as Claudio Abbado, Leonard Bernstein, Emanuel Ax, Zubin Mehta, Christoph Eschenbach, Mariss Jansons, Paavo Järvi, Omer Meir Wellber, Yo-Yo Ma, and Susanna Mälkki.
Midori's diverse discography, released by Sony Classical, Ondine, and Onyx, includes recordings of Bloch, Janáček, and Shostakovich sonatas, and a Grammy Award-winning recording of Hindemith's Violin Concerto with Christoph Eschenbach conducting the NDR Symphony Orchestra. Her traversal of the complete Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin was filmed for DVD at Köthen Castle and was released by Accentus.
Midori is deeply committed to furthering humanitarian and educational goals. She has founded and manages several non-profit organizations, including Midori & Friends, which provides music programs for New York City youth and communities, and MUSIC SHARING, a Japan-based foundation that brings both western classical and Japanese music traditions into young lives by presenting programs in schools, institutions, and hospitals. In recognition of such commitments, she serves as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
Midori was born in Osaka in 1971 and began her violin studies with her mother, Setsu Goto, at an early age. In 1982, the conductor Zubin Mehta invited the then 11-year-old Midori to perform with the New York Philharmonic in the orchestra's annual New Year's Eve concert, helping to lay the foundation for her resulting career.
Midori plays the 1734 Guarnerius del Gesù "ex-Huberman". She uses four bows – two by Dominique Peccatte, one by François Peccatte, and one by Paul Siefried.
On Saturday, November 7, 2020, Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras will present its Annual Concerto Competition Finalists' recital. Showcasing the talent and skill of eight finalists, this adjudicated competition gives students the opportunity to hone their skills as a soloist. At the conclusion of the concert, one winner will be announced who will perform their concerto accompanied by FSYO's Symphonic Orchestra later this season. All members of the Jazz Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, and Symphonic Orchestra are eligible to participate.
Previous winners have gone on to study at Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, The Boston Conservatory, among other prestigious institutions. The experience of performing at the November recital, supported by a piano reduction of the orchestral parts, has proven to be invaluable to the young artists' growth.
The 2020-2021 Concerto Competition finalists are, in alphabetical order:
Liam Daly, Horn: Horn Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, Op. 11, Mvmt. III by Richard Strauss
Molly Dench, Oboe: Oboe Concerto in C Major, Mvmt. I by Joseph Haydn
Aidan Fuller, Trombone: Fantasy, Op. 42 by Paul Creston
Andrea Ignjatic, Violin: The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Carson Long, Bassoon: Concerto in B-flat Major, KV 191, Mvmt. I by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Jared Sta.Ana, Clarinet: Concerto pour Clarinette et Orchestre, Mvmt. I by Jean Francaix
Isabelle Tseng, Violin: Violin Concerto in D minor Op. 47, Mvmt. I by Jean Sibelius
Maggie Yuan, Violin: Butterfly Lovers' Violin Concerto by He Zhanhao, Chen Gang
To help reduce the spread of Covid-19, this year's Concerto Competition will be online only and streamed live on Timucua Arts Foundation's YouTube channel.
As Director of Meter Services at Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC), Mr. Eddie Fee is responsible for electric and water automated metering infrastructure (AMI) including over 400,000 field devices and head-end systems, meter data stewardship, revenue assurance, cut-on/cut-off field operations and mobile meter reading (AMR) activities. His 22-year tenure with OUC includes numerous positions held, including Meter Reader, Field Service Technician, Electric Meter Technician, Revenue Assurance Specialist, Revenue Assurance Administrator, Meter Data Administrator and Manager of Meter Data & Revenue Assurance. A graduate of the University of Central Florida with a degree in Business Administration, Mr. Fee also earned his Master of Business Administration from UCF (University of Central Florida) in 2015.
As a FSYO parent, Mr. Fee has been hands on with the organization for the last three years. His daughter, Adrienne, is currently in the Symphonic Orchestra. "Mr. Fee has been an incredible asset to FSYO and its Board of Directors both as a general member and the Vice President. I am excited to work with him closely in his new position and increase the impact of our organization." - Briana Scales, FSYO Executive Director
OUC has been a long-standing partner and print sponsor for FSYO. OUC takes great pride in its responsibility to serve our community as a committed partner, sustainability leader and trusted corporate citizen.
Eddie is among the 13 returning FSYO board members for the 2020-2021 season. Mr. Samuel Thomas (Ernst & Young, LLP) will be moving into a new leadership position as the board Vice President for the 2020-2021 season.
The Butterfly Lovers Concerto - He Zhanhao and Chen Gang
The Maori of New Zealand believe that the soul returns to earth as a butterfly. In ancient Greece, the word "psyche" meant "soul and breath," and was symbolized by a butterfly. Myths about moths and butterflies abound in Celtic lore, and in Aztec and Mayan mythology, sacrifice was deeply associated with the butterfly. But probably the most ancient mythology equating the soul with butterflies comes from China.
Nor is there a lack of cultural lore about star-crossed lovers. The West has Romeo and Juliet, and Tristan and Isolde. China has the ancient love tragedy of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, who, sometime in the 4th Century, were undone by rigid social conventions. The story made its way into the traditional Yueju opera of Zhejiang Province.
This is the tale that composers He Zhanhao and Chen Gang, keenly familiar with the Yueju repertoire, chose as the basis for tonight's beautiful Butterfly Lovers Concerto, which they co-wrote in 1958 while students at the Shanghai Conservatory. At the turn of the 20th Century, "classical" Chinese musicians felt that serious music should be modeled upon Western traditions, and thus began their rigorous study of European composers, especially Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Debussy, and Grieg. But over time, Chinese idioms and modes blended with Western forms and ideas. Of the "Four Generations" of the New School in Chinese music, Zhanhao and Gang were of the Fourth—and last. Only a few years after they wrote this concerto, the Cultural Revolution put an end to everything Western.
Their composition, a marvel of lushness and beauty, is a wonderful mix of the Western symphonic tradition with Chinese folk music and vocal techniques. Zhanhao and Gang originally wrote the concerto for a Western violin, imitating the sound of the erhu. The erhu is a traditional bowed Chinese instrument that has only two strings—and no fingerboard—attached to a resonating body typically encased in snakeskin. The lack of a fingerboard allows for extreme vibrato and bending of pitches. This beautiful, intimately emotive instrument was most often used to express weeping and intense emotion.
Romanian Rhapsody no. 1 in A major, Op. 11 - George Enescu
Enescu's worldwide renown as a composer began with his two Romanian Rhapsodies, composed in 1901, when Enescu was still only 19 years old. The two Romanian Rhapsodies were composed in Paris, and premiered together in a concert that took place on 23 February 1903 at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest. The Second Rhapsody was played first, and Enescu maintained this order of performance throughout his life. Today, the first is the by far the better known. They are comparatively superficial pieces, not representative of even his early style, that emulate Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies. Like Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies, the Romanian Rhapsodies display an improvisatory alternation of slow and fast sections based on gypsy folk elements. Enescu conceived his rhapsodies as orchestral pieces, which showed a sure grasp of orchestral effect, including some never before heard on the concert stage.
Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 begins with one of the first folksongs Enescu learned to play as a 4-year-old, "Am un leu" ("I have a coin and I want a drink"). The orchestration reflects the conditions under which the tune was most often played: Shepherds, amusing themselves during their long days in the field, would fashion wind instruments out of whatever they could lay their hands on—grass, bark, bones. They improvised ornaments on familiar tunes. They might have been far away from home and family, but they were not alone. Enescu's orchestration splits the tune between the clarinet and oboe, as if two colleagues are looking forward to a night on the town together. It even captures the bird songs that might have been heard in the background. That is, if anyone listening to the shepherds had noticed them. After this opening, the tune becomes a dance. The other themes are all dances. Hardworking Balkan peasants turned to dancing and drinking for entertainment.
Soirees Musicales, Op. 9 - Benjamin Britten
In 1935 Benjamin Britten began working for the Film Unit of the British General Post Office, writing and arranging music for various short documentaries. Two years later, he chose three of his Rossini arrangements and added two more to create a suite he called Soirées Musicales, in homage to Rossini.
Britten's wit and energy as a composer are evident in every bar of Soirées Musicales. His orchestra is hardly larger than one of Rossini's day, his harmonies no more daring; yet the ingenuity and playfulness of his arrangements make the suite a perfect amalgam of the mature Italian of the Paris salons and the young Englishman delighting in new sounds and new media like film.
Britten opens with a jaunty soldiers' March taken from William Tell, with the tune passed among several soloists, including xylophone. It's followed by a graceful, balletic "little song," the Canzonetta (Rossini's Soirées musicales no. 1, "La promessa"). Next is a Tyrolese (Soirées musicales no. 6, "La pastorella dell'Alpi"), with a clodhopping triple meter and a yodeling trumpet. The Bolero (Soirées musicales no. 5, "L'invito") is a slow, sinuous Spanish dance to which Britten adds castanets among other flourishes. To finish the suite he offers a Tarantella, the rapid, swirling Sicilian "tarantula" dance, though his Rossini source is actually a religious chorus ("La charité" from 3 Choeurs religieux).
Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88 - Antonín Dvořák
From its inception, Antonín Dvořák's Symphony in G Major was more than a composition; in musical terms it represented everything that made Dvořák a proud Bohemian. The Eighth Symphony broke new ground from the moment of its premiere, which Dvořák conducted in Prague on February 2, 1890. Op. 88 was, as the composer explained, meant to be "different from the other symphonies, with individual thoughts worked out in a new way." This "new way" refers to Dvořák's musical transformation of the Czech countryside he loved into a unique sonic landscape. Within the music, Dvořák included sounds from nature, particularly hunting horn calls and bird songs played by various wind instruments.
During a rehearsal of the trumpet fanfare in the last movement, conductor Rafael Kubelik declared, "Gentlemen, in Bohemia the trumpets never call to battle – they always call to the dance!" After this opening summons, cellos sound the main theme. Quieter variations on the cello melody feature solo flute and strings, and the symphony ends with an exuberant brassy blast.
About Couch Concert Series: Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras board and staff had to make a tough decision to cancel the season finale concert. We have a commitment to provide educational programs to our students and quality performances to the community, and that is no exception now! Join us each week as students from all programs of FSYO showcase their talent in an intimate online setting. The Couch Concert Series was created as a way to give our patrons a unique concert experience from the safety and comfort of your home.
Follow along every Tuesday and Thursday throughout April and May on the FSYO Facebook page to see the incredibly talented students and staff. We encouage you to watch beginning at 7 PM and interact with us during the live video. Don't have a Facebook account? No problem. The Couch Concert Series is available to view without an account.
ORLANDO, FL – On Sunday, February 9, 2020, Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras (FSYO) will present its third annual POPS in the Garden concert. Grab a blanket and enjoy a picnic in the park accompanied by some of your favorite movie themes, show tunes, and popular hits. This afternoon performance will feature FSYO’s Overture Strings, Prelude, Philharmonia, Jazz I, and Jazz II orchestras.
In partnership with FSYO, the Central Florida Composers Forum invited current members to apply for one of five composer residencies with ensembles within the FSYO organization. Residencies will take place during FSYOs 63rd concert season with the unifying theme for all residences being PULSE. Each composer was left to interpret that theme in any meaningful and appropriate way. Overture Strings will premiere a commissioned piece by composer Ryan McQuinn during the POPS concert.
"My piece for the young children in Overture Strings embraces unity while celebrating diversity,” says McQuinn. “It's wonderful to witness the youngest musicians learning to walk. I hope that my piece helps them feel more sure-footed and inspires confidence that bolsters their journey."
The Grove at Mead Botanical Garden is an open-air pavilion designed for musical performance, theatrical productions, film viewings and educational programming, located in the heart of the 47-acre public garden in Winter Park. It was constructed for FSYO after a generous and long-time anonymous supporter of the orchestras donated $250,000 to build the multi-faceted pavilion.
The concert will begin at 3:00 p.m. at The Grove at Mead Botanical Garden - 1500 S Denning Dr, Winter Park, FL 32789. Tickets range from $10 to $15 and can be purchased at www.fsyo.org or at the door day of show. As always, academic and music educators receive complimentary admission to this concert.
About FSYO: Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras exists to encourage children and young adults, through the practice and performance of orchestral music, to become passionate leaders, thinkers, and contributors in their local community and beyond. In its 63rd concert season. Today, FSYO serves almost 300 students and is comprised of seven ensembles - three symphony orchestras, one string-training orchestra, a chamber orchestra, two jazz orchestras - and two supplementary programs - Stringmania Summer Camp and Sing-Song, String-Along.
FSYO programs are carefully structured to encourage student growth throughout their primary and secondary years. Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras’ full range of ensembles gives each student a place to excel with peers at a similar level, and an opportunity to collaborate with seasoned music professionals on local, national, and international levels. During summers, Symphonic Orchestra students have the opportunity to participate in life-changing experiences of organized tours.
Programs are sponsored in part by the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs; the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; Orlando Utilities Commission; The City of Orlando, Mayor's Matching Grant; and United Arts of Central Florida. We thank these groups for their generous support.
About Ryan McQuinn: Ryan McQuinn's music has been performed live by Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra and Alterity Chamber Orchestra. Through the years, he mastered various recording software and played in different rock bands, most notably Bedlam Stories. After years of songwriting, recording, and playing live, 2012 presented him with an opportunity to work on the score for Dungeons & Doritos.
McQuinn has worked on various video games and podcasts such as Interstellar Space: Genesis, Lotia, Dungeons & Doritos, Call of Cthulu Mystery Program, Liberty: Vigilance, and Dark Dice. He is currently creating sfx for Axe Cop, scoring and doing sound design for the Lightning Dogs short film, and writing orchestral versions of Johnny Cash music for Cash & Friends.
About Central Florida Composers Forum: Founded in 2011, the Central Florida Composers Forum is an organization of composers and new music practitioners dedicated to engaging the creative and larger community of Central Florida through the promotion of original and innovative music programming. Central Florida Composers Forum strives to be part of a larger cultural conversation where the musical, visual and other performing arts connect with audiences, foster vital collaborations, and produce multidisciplinary performances. Cultivating an audience for new music through education, workshops and outreach programs that create memorable artistic experiences for youth and community members are also central to our mission.
ORLANDO, FL – On Saturday, February 8, the Celebration Foundation is hosting Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras as part of its 18th annual Concert Series. This will mark FSYO’s eleventh appearance in the Celebration Foundation Classical Concert Series.
FSYO’s Symphonic Orchestra will be performing with a featured performance from George Lawson, violinist. Lawson will perform Concerto No. 5 Op. 37 by Henri Vieuxtemps accompanied by our Symphonic Orchestra led by Music Director and Symphonic Orchestra Conductor, Hanrich Claassen. Additional pieces to be performed by FSYO are by Dvořák and Montgomery.
“Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras has played an important role in my life for the last five years and has taught me so much. I have grown both as a musician and as a person during my time with the organization. I am looking forward to performing Vieuxtemps’ Concerto No. 5 as it will be my first time performing as a soloist with FSYO. The first movement introduces three dramatic themes and ends in an extended cadenza that leads directly into the slow movement. The piece ends in a highly dramatic coda that reuses themes from the first movement. ” - George Lawson, violin
Tickets for the event are $25 general admission. Tickets may be purchased online at www.celebration foundation.org or at the door. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Celebration Community Presbyterian Church - 511 Celebration Avenue, Kissimmee, FL 34747.
About FSYO: Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras exists to encourage children and young adults, through the practice and performance of orchestral music, to become passionate leaders, thinkers, and contributors in their local community and beyond. In its 63rd Concert Season, FSYO serves over 300 students and is comprised of seven ensembles - three symphony orchestras, one string-training orchestra, a chamber orchestra, and two jazz orchestras - and two supplementary programs - Stringmania Summer Camp and Sing-Song, String-Along.
FSYO programs as carefully structured to encourage student growth throughout their primary and secondary years. Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras' full range of ensembles gives each student a place to excel with peers at a similar level, and an opportunity to collaborate with seasoned music professionals on local, national, and international levels. During summers, Symphonic Orchestra students have the opportunity to participate in life-changing experiences of organized tours.
Programs are sponsored in part bt the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs; the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; Orlando Utilities Commission; The City of Orlando, Mayor's Matching Grant; and United Arts of Central Florida. We thank these groups for their generous support.
About George Lawson: Born in Switzerland in 2004, George Lawson began playing the violin at the age of 6. Since moving to the U.S. in 2014, he has been taught by Lev Gurevich. Lawson is currently the concertmaster of the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras. During his time at Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras, Lawson has participated in recent tours to Europe (including concerts in Vienna (Musikverein), Salzburg, Prague and Munich), New York (Carnegie Hall) and, last year, to China. Currently, he is the concertmaster of FSYO. Lawson has been a regular participant at local and state competitions and earlier this year won the Florida Federation of Music Clubs Senior Violin Concerto competition and earned an advanced diploma with the UK Royal Schools of Music.
ORLANDO, FL – On Sunday, February 9, 2020, Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras (FSYO) will present its third annual POPS in the Garden concert. Grab a blanket and enjoy a picnic in the park accompanied by some of your favorite movie themes, show tunes, and popular hits. This afternoon performance will feature FSYO’s Overture Strings, Prelude, Philharmonia, Jazz I, and Jazz II orchestras. 
ORLANDO, FL – On Saturday, February 8, the Celebration Foundation is hosting Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras as part of its 18th annual Concert Series. This will mark FSYO’s eleventh appearance in the Celebration Foundation Classical Concert Series. 
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