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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Central Florida Foundation Awards Funding to the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra for New Instruments

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Central Florida Foundation recently awarded the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra $7,200 in grant funding to purchase violins for low-income youth and provide resources for associated maintenance.

"We are extremely appreciative of the Central Florida Foundation and their support," said Heide Evans Waldron, FSYO Executive Director. "This grant will allow the FSYO to assist students that may not otherwise have the means or opportunity to participate in music programs."

In addition to purchasing the violins, including bows and cases, the funds will be used to buy Etude violin outfits with shoulder rests and support programmatic needs for instrument care.

This project was funded by the Central Florida Foundation's Community Investment funds.

"Our Community Investment funds are targeted at increasing the capacity of nonprofit organizations," said Michelle Chapin, Vice President of Community Investment. "We are happy to partner with FSYO to support the expansion of its services to low-income youth."

About Central Florida Foundation: The Central Florida Foundation is a public grant-making foundation headquartered in Orlando, Florida, that serves as a trusted philanthropic home for more than 400 charitable funds established by generous individuals, families and corporations. The Foundation manages and invests funds, offers personalized service and expert giving advice, connects donors with charitable organizations that they feel passionate about, and empowers them to make informed decisions that make a difference in the community. The Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses, professional advisors and nonprofits. For more information on the Foundation, please visit www.cffound.org.

About FSYO: The Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra aims to educate and inspire Central Florida's top young musicians through programs committed to strengthening musical talents and developing appreciation of the arts through classical music. The FSYO, in its 57th concert season, comprises three full orchestras, one string training orchestra and various chamber groups, made up of more than 250 students from eight Central Florida counties, including Orange, Osceola, Lee, Seminole, Brevard, Lake, Highlands and Volusia. Programs are sponsored in part by the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs; the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; Darden Restaurant Foundation; Universal Orlando Foundation; Central Florida Foundation and United Arts of Central Florida. We thank these groups for their generous support. The FSYO is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. For more information, please visit our website at www.fsyo.org.

New Bio Mauricio 1

We are excited to announce that Dr. Mauricio Cespedes Rivero will take over for Matthew Davis as the Prelude Orchestra Conductor for our upcoming 2014-2015 season.

For more information on Dr. Cespedes please read his bio:

Dr. Mauricio Cespedes Rivero was born in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and started the violin and later the viola with his father Fredy Cespedes, concertmaster of the Bolivian Symphony Orchestra, and his mother Maria Eugenia Rivero, principal cellist of the Bolivian Symphony Orchestra. An active performer, Dr. Cespedes has served as principal violist of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra since 2008. Previously, he was principal viola of the Bolivian National Symphony Orchestra, New World School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra, Miami Symphony Orchestra, Florida State University Orchestra, Lansing Symphony, and Ash Lawn Opera Festival Orchestra in Charlottesville, Virginia. He also was assistant principal violist of the Sinfonicum Europae Orchestra in the Millennium Concert at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center with principals of the New York Philharmonic. In 2011, he won the You Tube Symphony Orchestra competition and performed at the Sydney Opera House with Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas. He has collaborated with composers such as Mason Bates, Stella Sung, Ellen Tafte Zwilich (Naxos Recording), and John Williams.

As a chamber musician, Dr. Cespedes has performed in Europe, Asia, Australia, South and North America. He has been featured at the Aspen, Mimir, and Sewanee music festivals, and at the Michigan Chamber Music Society. Dr. Cespedes has collaborated with notable artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Charles Pikler, Glenn Dicterow, Cynthia Phelps, Suren Bagratuni, Randolph Kelly, Jonathan Crow, Robert DeMaine, Seunghee Lee, Susana Perry Gilmore, Anton Neil, Roger Benedict, Colin Jacobsen, Stefan Jackiw, Zoya Leybin, and Richard Tognetti.

Dr. Cespedes has been a winner of the 2002 New World School of the Arts Concerto Competition, Ibero American Symphony Competition, and Aspen Music Festival fellowship, and participated in the 2005 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition, sponsored by the Japan Chamber Music Foundation.

As a viola soloist, he has appeared with the New World School of the Arts Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Maitland Symphony, Bolivian National Symphony Orchestra, La Paz Symphony Orchestra, COFES International Festival Orchestra in Bolivia, Festival del Sol Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Concertante of Cochabamba, National Conservatory of Bolivia Symphony Orchestra and El Alto Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Cespedes is the principal conductor of the New Score Chamber Orchestra, and conductor of the Chamber Orchestra at a Gift for Music. As a viola teacher and sectional conductor, he served as faculty of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan for six years and led master classes at Sam Houston State University, Wyoming State University, and New World School of the Arts.

He holds degrees from New World School of the Arts, Michigan State University, and Florida State University where he obtained his Doctorate degree.

Besides music, Mauricio holds a degree in Environmental Engineering with an emphasis in Management of Protected Areas in Bolivia. Mauricio has two younger sisters, Adriana who plays Bass, and Wara who plays violin. He is happily married to his wife, Emily, who plays violin and accompanies him on piano. Together they just welcomed the newest addition to their family, a son named Michael.

Did you miss our season finale? Want to learn more about our programs? Check out the season finale insert from our 2013-2014 finale concert.

For Immediate Release

March 6, 2014

FSYO Presents StringMania Summer Camp 2014

ORLANDO, Fla. – With the summer of the 57th concert season fast approaching, The Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra is calling young, high spirited musicians to join StringMania! StringMania is an annual, two-week, summer day camp meant to enrich, inspire and educate young string players, ages 7 to 15. Camp enrollment is open to FSYO members and non-FSYO members alike. There are no auditions for this program; however, students are expected to be playing at a Suzuki book level 2 or higher. Students will participate in diverse musical activities designed to challenge and enhance their talents in both orchestral and chamber ensembles. Fun team-building activities such as chamber group coaching, culture based dance exercises, and fiddling and improvisation workshops will also be incorporated. Previous StringMania programs included an introduction to stage crafting and a performance field trip to the downtown Orange County Public Library. There will be a celebratory closing concert to complete the program. To obtain more information and apply, please visit www.fsyo.org. Applications are due no later than June 20, 2014.

Camp Dates: StringMania takes place Monday through Friday for two weeks, starting July 14, 2014 and concluding on July 25, 2014. StringMania will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily for full-days and 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for half-days.

Camp Location: StringMania meets daily at the College Park Baptist Church, 1914 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, FL 32804.

Camp Tuition: Tuition is $400 for the two-week program. Half-day camp programs are available for two weeks for $300. A non-refundable tuition deposit of $100 must accompany this application. Checks made payable to FSYO. The remainder of the total tuition is due on or before the first day of camp. As always, in line with FSYO's commitment to the community, no student will be turned away from this program due to lack of funds; scholarships are available for those who qualify.

About FSYO: The Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra aims to educate and inspire Central Florida's top young musicians via programs committed to strengthening musical talents and developing appreciation of the arts through classical music. The FSYO, in its 57th Concert Season, comprises three full orchestras, one string training orchestra and various chamber groups, made up of more than 250 students from eight Central Florida counties, including Orange, Osceola, Lee, Seminole, Brevard, Lake, Highlands and Volusia. Programs are sponsored in part by the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs; the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; Darden Restaurant Foundation; Universal Orlando Foundation; and United Arts of Central Florida. We thank these groups for their generous support. The FSYO is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. For more information, please visit www.fsyo.org.

FSYO101313-0359 Today, we announce the departure of one of our long-time conductors and FSYO Alumni. We wish Mr. Dupuis nothing but the best. He has played a large role in growing the Philharmonia Orchestra and his leadership has been invaluable. Mr. Dupuis will finish the remainder of the 2013-2014 season, assist us with auditions for 2014-2015 and return to FSYO in future seasons as a guest conductor.

"I appreciate everything that FSYO has given me, both as a student and as a conductor. I hold this establishment in high regard, and believe it provides an outstanding place for young musicians to develop. I've had 7 great years with FSYO and am very thankful to all who have helped me along the way. As a student in FSYO, I was afforded many musical performance opportunities that I would not have found elsewhere. As a conductor, I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to conduct both the Philharmonia and Symphonic Orchestras, and will always remember these great experiences as I continue my music education career. I would like to thank Andrew Lane, Donna McCue, Heide Waldron, all of my students/parents, and everyone else who has believed in my abilities and trusted me with the great task of teaching our community's musicians. I always have and always will believe that FSYO is one of the best places for Central Florida's musicians to flourish." - Best wishes to all members of the FSYO family, John Dupuis Conductor Philharmonia Orchestra

"John Dupuis talent has brought something very special to FSYO and the Philharmonia Orchestra. John has a clear understanding of how to inspire young musicians. Under his leadership, he developed the orchestra into an ensemble capable of performing major orchestra repertoire. He will be missed but his contribution to FSYO will not be forgotten." - Andrew Lane, FSYO Music Director and Symphonic Orchestra Conductor

"In his tenure with FSYO, John Dupuis has distinguished himself as a student musician, composer, teacher and conductor. We are proud of the role FSYO played in his music education as a high school student, and grateful for his contributions as a member of our staff for the last seven years. We wish him well in this new chapter of his life. John is a valued member of the FSYO family, and we look forward to a continued relationship with him." - Donna McCue, FSYO Board President

FSYO101313-0486

We are thrilled to announce that Matthew Davis will take over for John Dupuis as the Philharmonia Conductor for our upcoming 2014-2015 season. Mr. Davis is the current FSYO Prelude Orchestra Conductor.

More Information on Mr. Davis:

Matthew Davis is currently Director of Strings at the Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts in Lakeland, Florida. In addition to conducting the Harrison Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, Mr. Davis also teaches music theory, music composition, and chamber music. Under his direction, the Harrison Symphony Orchestra was selected to perform at the 2007 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago and the 2010 Festival des Anches in La Croix Valmer, France. Currently, Mr. Davis is on the faculty of the Florida State University Summer Music Camps, where he co-conducts the Symphony String, Guarneri and Chamber orchestras. An active All-County clinician, Mr. Davis has conducted middle school and high school honors orchestras in Tampa, Fort Myers, and Naples, Florida as well as San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Davis holds a Master of Music Education from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Music in cello performance from Indiana University.

Mr. Davis was recently awarded a Surdna Arts Teachers Fellowship to travel to the Netherlands to study Baroque cello at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He has also been named Harrison School for the Arts Teacher of the Year for 2011-12. Previously, Mr. Davis served as Director of Orchestras at Denton High School in Denton, Texas, during which time his orchestra was named first runner-up in the Texas Honor Orchestra Competition. In 2004, Mr. Davis was presented with the Marjorie Keller Young Teacher Award by the Texas chapter of the American String Teachers Association.

As a cellist, Mr. Davis has studied with Lubomir Georgiev, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Helga Winold, Nathaniel Rosen, and Richard Aaron and served as the assistant principal cello of the Tallahassee Symphony. He performed on tour with the American Russian Young Artists Orchestra in the United States, Russia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, and in chamber music programs at the Encore School for Strings, the Quartet Program, and the Chautauqua Institute. Mr. Davis is a member of the American String Teachers Association and the Florida Music Educators Association. He currently serves as the All-State Music Committee Chair and District 12 Chair for the Florida Orchestra Association.

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The Central Florida Foundation Awards Funding to the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra

FSYO Announces Dr. Mauricio Cespedes Rivero, Incoming Prelude Orchestra Conductor for 2014-2015 Season

Read all about it! 2013-2014 Season Finale Insert

FSYO to host Stringmania Summer Camp

FSYO says Farewell to John Dupuis

FSYO Announces Matthew Davis, Incoming Philharmonia Conductor for 2014-2015 Season