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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.

Fee 2

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.

Tuesday, May 5 at 7 PM

Concert Program

The Butterfly Lovers Concerto

Romanian Rhapsody no. 1 in A major, Op. 11

Soirees Musicales, Op. 9

Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88

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.

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Facebook Video Link:

Webp.net-resizeimage 1 ORLANDO, FL (October 8, 2019) – On Thursday, October 17, 2019, from 7:00 - 9:00 pm, Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras, in collaboration with Frost School of Music - University of Miami and Florida State University College of Music, will host the Florida Music College Fair at the Orlando Science Center, located at 777 East Princeton Street Orlando, FL 32803.

Students will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from the top national music and performing arts schools, colleges, universities, and conservatories to jump start their college search. Representatives will be available to discuss admissions, auditions, financial aid, student life, and so much more.

All Central Florida music students (band, orchestra, and choir) are encouraged to attend. FSYO Executive Director, Briana Scales, notes, “This is a great opportunity for students of all ages who may be considering music as a career, not just juniors and seniors. Determining admission and scholarship requirements early will only help in the long run.”

Admission to the college fair is free, however, students are encouraged to register for the event on the FSYO website at www.fsyo.org. For more information please contact FSYO at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

List of Colleges in Attendance:
Arizona State University School of Music

Bard College Conservatory of Music

Berklee College of Music

Boston Conservatory at Berklee

Boston University School of Music

Carnegie Mellon University School of Music

Cleveland Institute of Music

DePaul University School of Music

DePauw University School of Music

Florida International University School of Music

Florida Southern College

Florida State University - College of Music

Frost School of Music - University of Miami

Gettysburg College Sunderman Conservatory of Music

Indiana University Jacobs School of Music

Interlochen Center for the Arts

Ithaca College School of Music

Linda Berry Stein College of Fine Arts at Jacksonville University

Lynn Conservatory of Music

Manhattan School of Music

Michigan State University College of Music

New England Conservatory

Northwestern University

Oberlin Conservatory of Music

Palm Beach Atlantic University

Peabody Conservatory

Rice University - The Shepherd School of Music

Roosevelt University - Chicago College of Performing Arts

Rutgers University - Mason Gross School of the Arts

Samford University, Division of Music

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Southern Methodist University

Stetson University

Syracuse University, College of Visual and Performing Arts

Temple University

The Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University

The Eastman School of Music

The Juilliard School

The New School - College of Performing Arts

University of Central Florida School of Performing Arts

University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music

University of Denver Lamont School of Music

University of Florida School of Music

University of Houston - Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts

University of Maryland School of Music

University of Michigan, School of Music, Theatre & Dance

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

University of North Texas College of Music

University of South Carolina School of Music

University of South Florida School of Music

USC Thornton School of Music

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 with FSYO 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 participate in life-changing experiences of organized tours, alternating between international & national travel every other year.

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 Frost School of Music - University of Miami: The Frost School of Music is one of the most highly acclaimed innovative music schools in the United States. Housed at the University of Miami, Frost is a progressive school where you can BUILD YOURSELF into a self-assured music professional. Allowing you to combine music with another passion, Frost offers a Bachelor of Music degree in 12 majors, the Bachelor of Science in Music Engineering Technology and the Bachelor of Arts.

With you in mind, Frost created the Bachelor of Music in Musicianship, Artistry Development & Entrepreneurship (M.A.D.E.) professional degree. This unique program provides top quality, high-level preparation for qualified performers and creatives to thrive in all aspects of the contemporary music industry.

Frost also offers numerous graduate programs and Ph.D. degrees including Master of Music, Master of Science in Music Engineering and Doctor of Musical Arts. Other graduate degrees include a J.D./M.M. in Music Business offered jointly with the University of Miami School of Law and an M.A. in Arts Presenting which prepares students to profitably manage performing arts venues and festivals.

About Florida State University College of Music: Nationally distinguished as one of the most comprehensive schools of its kind among public institutions, The Florida State University College of Music has offered a high level of professional education in music for more than 80 years. If you expect to become a professional musician, you will gain creative and personal growth in programs designed to create composers, performers, scholars, and teachers.

The College of Music is headquarters to a variety of campus orchestras, bands, choral ensembles, jazz bands, and early music and baroque ensembles; 9 world music ensembles; and numerous chamber groups, as well as the Florida State Opera and the Music Theater Program. Each year the College of Music offers some 350 concerts and productions and regularly hosts national conventions, workshops, and festivals, such as the biennial Festival of New Music.

Learn more: web: www.fsyo.org | FB: @TheFSYO | Twitter: @FSYO | IG: @F_S_Y_O | Youtube: @fsyo

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On Saturday, November 9, 2019, 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, two winners 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.

The 2019-2020 Concerto Competition finalists are, in alphabetical order:

Juan Angulo, violin: Violin Concerto No. 3, Op. 61, Mvt. I - C. Saint-Saens
Ethan Burke, clarinet: Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra - A. Copland
George Lawson, violin: Concerto No. 5 in a minor, Op. 37, Mvt. I - III - H. Vieuxtemps
Isabelle Tseng, violin: Zigeuner Weisen, Op. 20, No. 1 - J. P. Saraste
Isabelle Tseng/Brenton Zhang, violin/cello: Double Concerto in a minor, Op. 102, Mvt. I, J. Brahms
Selina Xu, cello: Cello Concerto in e minor, Op. 85, Mvt. I - E. Elgar
Maggie Yuan, violin: Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219, Mvt. I - W. A. Mozart
Brenton Zhang, cello: Cello Concerto in b minor, Op. 104, B. 191, Mvt. I - A. Dvořák

The recital begins at 5:00 p.m. in the Montverde Academy Sandra O. Stephens Auditorium - 17235 7th St, Montverde, FL 34756. Don't miss the opportunity to hear some of the most talented student musicians in Central Florida! Free admission for all! Please visit www.fsyo.org for more information.

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FSYO ANNOUNCES VIOLINIST MIDORI AS ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

2020 Concerto Competition Finalists' Recital

Eddie Fee Accepts Board of Directors Presidency for 2020-2021 Season

COUCH CONCERT SERIES FT. SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA

FSYO, FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC, AND FSU COLLEGE OF MUSIC TO HOST FLORIDA MUSIC COLLEGE FAIR

2019 Concerto Competition Finalists' Recital