This year’s concerto competition was held in Korisheli’s former Morro Bay music studio.
The San Luis Obispo Youth Symphony’s upcoming Winter Concert features this year’s concerto competition winner Emerald Shanks performing the first movement from the Haydn Piano Concerto No. 11 in D Major.
The annual competition was held in the Morro Bay music studio that once belonged to Wachtang “Botso” Korisheli, who founded the Youth Symphony 60 years ago. He died in 2015.
The Winter Concert, scheduled Monday, February 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the Harold J. Miossi Cultural and Performing Arts Center at Cuesta College, also features the 88 members of the Youth Symphony who make up four different ensembles: Concert Orchestra led by Christopher J. Woodruff, Academy Strings Orchestra led by Tanya Streder, Symphonic Winds led by Al Streder, and Preparatory Strings led by Grace Seng.
Seng, who also serves as music education manager for the Youth Symphony, says local student musicians audition each year for placement in the ensembles. “Prior to the pandemic we had more than 200 members,” she says. “We look forward to growing back to that size.”
The orchestra has toured to Germany/Switzerland, Vancouver/Victoria, Guatemala, Alaska, and Chicago, and has made day trips to perform at Disneyland, Magic Mountain, and Universal Studios.
Many former Youth Symphony members now find themselves members of the SLO Symphony.”
Many former Youth Symphony members now find themselves members of the SLO Symphony, which in 2006 folded the student group into its music education programs. Alumni include Principal Timpanist John Astaire, Principal Horn Galvan, English Horn Heidi Butterfield-Yi, and many of its string players.
Alumni who have made their mark outside SLO County include Hamburg State Opera Music Director Kent Nagano, L.A. Philharmonic Principal Horn Jerry Folsom, Berkeley Symphony Principal Cello Carol Rice, The Hague Netherlands Bach Society Baroque Cello Alex Baker, and Quartet San Francisco Violin Joseph Christianson.
“We will invite SLO Youth Symphony alumni to join us to play Sibelius’ Finlandia at our May Finale Concert,” Seng says. “We also recognize our graduating seniors at this concert.”
Seng urges everyone to come early to the SLO Symphony Classic Concerts to hear one of the Youth Symphony ensembles performing in the PAC SLO lobby before the evening concert starts.