Sacramento Youth Symphony Mission
The mission of the Sacramento Youth Symphony & Academy of Music is to educate and advance the musical skills of the youth of our communities in ways that engage, challenge and inspire them to reach their highest potential.
The repertoire is often difficult and always challenging, and the young musicians are selected by open auditions held in June of each year.
Values
- Transforming youth and building capable young citizens with a love of music
- Excellence in musicianship and scholarship through challenging and attractive musical opportunities
- Excellence in leadership training and skill development – professionalism, education, integrity, and preparation
- Music education
- Appreciation and mutual respect
- Financial soundness
Community
The Sacramento Youth Symphony & Academy of Music strongly encourages its young musicians to participate in their school music programs. SYS strives to schedules events to avoid conflicts with school activities, and defines an excused absence to include a school musical program.
In addition, SYS works alongside local and regional music and arts organizations in strategic efforts to make the case at all levels of education and government regarding the important role of music and arts in education and society.
Sacramento Youth Symphony History
February 20, 1956: The Northern California Junior Philharmonic Orchestra was born, chaired by Mel Spear, and sponsored by the Sacramento Philharmonic Association. It's four main goals:
- To extend cultural opportunities for youth in the area.
- To stimulate interest in symphonic literature in young people by giving them an opportunity actually to play the music.
- To provide musical opportunities for young musicians with outstanding talent.
- To give sound background to young people for their future support of symphony music in the role of intelligent listeners and patrons.
March 24, 1957: The 70 member Junior Philharmonic, conducted by Fritz Berens, played their first concert at the San Juan High School Auditorium. The one hour program included short works from Schubert, Bach, Wagner, Bizet, Tchaikovsky, and Smetana.
1960: The Sacramento Philharmonic Association changes its name to the Sacramento Symphony Association.
1962: The orchestra changes its name to the Northern California Junior Symphony.
March 1965: Paul Bellam, concertmaster of the Sacramento Symphony, is name conductor.
Nov 1966: Ross Shub named conductor. Mr Shub is also the new associate conductor of the Sacramento Symphony.
1967: The Superior California Youth Orchestra is added, conducted by Ross Shub. It is an advanced youth orchestra. The Northern California Junior Symphony Orchestra becomes a preparatory orchestra feeding the Superior California Youth Orchestra.
1969: Daniel Geeting conducts what is now called the Sacramento Symphony Youth Orchestra, which now consists of about 60 musicians.
1972: Monroe DeJarnette named conductor.
1975: Ben Glovinsky is named conductor.
1979: Michael Neumann named conductor of the Sacramento Symphony Youth Orchestra (now the Premier Orchestra) as well as Assistant Conductor of the Sacramento Symphony. The Youth Symphony goes back under the umbrella of the Sacramento Symphony.
1990: Susan Lamb Cook founds and directs the Chamber Music Workshops, which she still does to this day.
1991: The Sacramento Symphony ceased operation and the Sacramento Youth Symphony became incorporated as an independent, 501(c) 3 non-profit organization.
1995: The loss of the Sacramento Symphony, drastic cutbacks and elimination of music programs in the public schools challenge the SYS to assume a greater role in the music education of youth. The Academy of Music is added.
1996: The Academic Orchestra, our intermediate orchestra is established under the direction of John Abigana, taken over in 2002 by Angelo Moreno.
1997: The Junior Orchestra, formerly the Junior Music Sponsors, joined SYS as our beginning level orchestra under the direction of Maryll Goldsmith.
2000: The Sacramento Youth Symphony Foundation is established.
2003: A preparatory strings program is added, which has now morphed into the Vivace Strings Orchestra under the direction of Greg Brucker. This is to meet the musical needs of musicians not yet ready for placement in an orchestra and to increase the technical proficiency of advanced musicians.
2005: Alan Ginter launches a jazz program as the intermediate level Lab Band (Now Jazz Band) and advanced level Big Band. These groups moved under the direction of Jeff Alkire in 2006. A preparatory flute choir is also added under the direction of Alice Lenaghan.
2007: The flute choir is split into intermediate (Sarabande) and advanced (Saltarello) ensembles.
The Youth Symphony has achieved international recognition. In the summer of 1984, the Youth Symphony attended the 13th International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna, Austria. Competing against other youth orchestras, the Sacramento Youth Symphony placed second in the Youth Orchestra division. Three years later, SYS went to China. There they performed concerts in Beijing, Nanjing, Wuxi and Sacramento's sister city, Jinan. SYS returned to Vienna and competed in the 24th International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna, Austria, where the orchestra won First Place as well as the Prize of the City of Vienna. In the summer of 2003, the Premier Orchestra went on its first concert tour of South America, exploring the regions of Brazil. They performed to standing-room only crowds at some of the most historic concert halls in Brazil. The Youth Symphony just concluded an exciting concert tour of Russia, Estonia, and Finland in the summer of 2007.
Now in its 54th season, the SYS has established and maintained a tradition of excellence for our musicians and for the audiences who benefit from the skills of our talented young musicians. The SYS inspires and nurtures an appreciation of orchestral music in young people of the greater Sacramento region.
The SYS has grown from one orchestra to a program in which musicians can advance through a variety of beginning, intermediate and advanced ensembles.
Fritz Berens
Paul Bellam
Daniel Geeting
"Educate and advance the musical skills of the youth of our communities in ways that engage, challenge and inspire them to reach their highest potential"
