Youth Orchestra
It's difficult to narrow down in just a few sentences what playing in the SFSYO meant to us. There was the first-class instruction by the dedicated coaching team, the repertoire, and touring. We realized then and now that we were given a gift of a premier musical experience….
- Chandra Cervantes, French Horn, 1988-1995 and Rachel Dann, Viola, 1988-1992
Alumni Information
Calling all alumni! Please keep in touch with us – we love to hear from you!
The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2007, which brought together many of its one thousand-plus alumni. Read some of the memories alumni submitted on the occasion:
Memories from the Youth Orchestra Alumni
Read words from a few of the many YO alumni with careers in orchestral performance
Here are a few of the memories some alumni submitted:
I look back at my time in SFSYO under Alasdair Neale as one of the most amazing periods of my life. It was a spectacular opportunity, both musically and personally. I made friendships that continue even today. Being in such a high-quality musical environment as a teenager was inspiring and gave me a good start toward pursuing music as a career….
- Cathy Lum-Peterson, Flutist, Colorado Symphony
Another amazing memory is of our free day in Paris on the 2004 European tour. The oboe section planned an excursion to the original Lorée factory (the company that made all of our oboes). After a few zippy Metro rides and a brief visit to the Louvre, we arrived at 48 Rue de Rome as five giddy, over-zealous foreigners with no real purpose other than adventure. The store manager seemed to pick up on this and made us feel right at home, allowing us to try the instruments on display and gawk at the shiny accessories. Finally, she bid us goodbye with free T-shirts, posters, and a fantastic memory.
- Kendra Cheney, Oboe, 2003-2005
The YO was truly a life-changing experience for me. Without it, I'm not sure I would have made music my career! In high school, our Saturday YO rehearsals were the highlight of my week. More than anything, I remember the general feeling and attitude we had in rehearsals: Everyone was excited to be there, exploring new music, learning new skills, working to live up to Alasdair's and [violin coach] Zoya Leybin's standards.
- Rebecca Corruccini, Violin, 1997-2000