San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra

The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra is recognized internationally as one of the finest youth orchestras in the world. Founded by the San Francisco Symphony in 1981, the SFSYO’s musicians are chosen from more than 300 applicants in annual auditions. The SFSYO’s purpose is to provide an orchestral experience of pre-professional caliber, tuition-free, to talented young musicians. The more than 100 musicians, ranging in age from 12 to 21, represent communities from throughout the Bay Area. The SFSYO rehearses and performs at Davies Symphony Hall under the direction of Radu Paponiu, who joined the San Francisco Symphony as Wattis Foundation Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra in the 2024–25 season. Jahja Ling served as the SFSYO’s first Music Director, followed by David Milnes, Leif Bjaland, Alasdair Neale, Edwin Outwater, Benjamin Shwartz, Donato Cabrera, Christian Reif, and Daniel Stewart.

As part of the SFSYO’s innovative training program, musicians from the San Francisco Symphony coach the young players each Saturday afternoon in sectional rehearsals, followed by full orchestra rehearsals with Daniel Stewart. Youth Orchestra members regularly meet and work with world-renowned artists: Esa-Pekka Salonen, Michael Tilson Thomas, Herbert Blomstedt, Kurt Masur, John Adams, Yo-Yo Ma, Valery Gergiev, Isaac Stern, Yehudi Menuhin, Wynton Marsalis, Midori, Joshua Bell, Mstislav Rostropovich, Simon Rattle, and many others have worked with the Youth Orchestra. Of equal importance, Youth Orchestra members are able to speak with these prominent musicians about their professional and personal experiences, and about music. The ensemble has toured Europe and Asia, given sold-out concerts in such legendary halls as Berlin’s Philharmonie, Vienna’s Musikverein, Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theater, and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, and won first prize in Vienna’s International Youth and Music Festival.

Radu Paponiu, Music Director

Radu Paponiu was appointed Wattis Foundation Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra at the beginning of the 2024–25 season. He recently completed a five-year tenure as associate conductor of the Naples (Florida) Philharmonic and a seven-year tenure as music director of the Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. He has also served as music director of the Southwest Florida Symphony, assistant conductor of the Naples Philharmonic, and as a member of the conducting faculty of the Juilliard Pre-College.

As a guest conductor, Paponiu has appeared with the Romanian National Radio Symphony, Teatro Comunale di Bologna Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic, Rockford Symphony, California Young Artists Symphony, and National Repertory Orchestra. He has collaborated with soloists such as Evgeny Kissin, Yefim Bronfman, Emanuel Ax, Gil Shaham, Midori, Vladimir Feltsman, Robert Levin, Charles Yang, Nancy Zhou, Stella Chen, and the Ébène Quartet.

Born in Romania, Paponiu began his musical studies on the violin at age seven, came to the United States at the invitation of the Perlman Music Program, and later completed two degrees in violin performance at the Colburn School. He went on to earn a master’s degree in orchestral conducting at New England Conservatory, where he studied with Hugh Wolff.

California Youth Symphony

The California Youth Symphony, founded in 1952, has earned an international reputation for the excellence of its music programs. In 1963 CYS became the first American youth orchestra to tour overseas when it accepted an invitation to visit Japan. Since then, the orchestra has mounted 23 additional tours to many parts of the world, most recently performing in Poland for the first time and revisiting the Czech Republic and Hungary.
The California Youth Symphony’s performances in California have been equally noteworthy and well-received. Its performances have been broadcast on local radio and television. Its guest artists have included Duke Ellington, Jack Benny, and Mary Costa, as well as an ever-expanding roster of rising young talent. The organization comprises additional ensembles, involving nearly 400 participants from over 100 schools in Northern California.

Leo Eylar, Music Director

Leo Eylar is now in his 34th season as conductor and music director of the California Youth Symphony. Under his direction, the orchestra has enhanced its reputation as one of the finest youth orchestras in the world. Mr. Eylar has led the CYS Orchestra on numerous award-winning tours on four continents. He studied conducting at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna and returned to the United States to complete his master’s degree in conducting at San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Mr. Eylar has led the CYS, the San Jose Symphony, and appeared as a guest at prominent international youth festivals. He is also professor emeritus at California State University, Sacramento, having retired after 30 years as the director of symphony orchestra and opera, as well as teaching composition, theory, history, and orchestral conducting. Mr. Eylar is also a composer and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1995 for his Rhapsody for Orchestra. His works have been performed at Carnegie Hall, as well as in England, the Netherlands, Japan, Germany, Austria, and South America.

Golden State Youth Orchestra

Golden State Youth Orchestra (previously El Camino Youth Symphony) was founded in 1963 by William Galbraith, a young conductor who envisioned an orchestra that would give young musicians the opportunity to perform challenging professional repertoire. Two core principles underlie the GSYO mission: music education, to nurture, train and develop young musicians from culturally diverse backgrounds and encourage a lasting appreciation of music; and musical excellence, to provide high-quality performance opportunities for young people and outstanding musical events for the wider community.

More than 450 students in grades K–12, from more than 100 schools from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, train and perform in five orchestras and two ensembles, led by the award-winning, internationally recognized Symphony Orchestra. Concerts, tours, retreats, summer workshops, masterclasses, and music festivals form a vital part of the GSYO experience, creating opportunities for youth at all levels of musical experience to develop socially and artistically. No student is denied admission or excluded for reasons of financial need. A vibrant repertoire challenges young musicians to excel as ensemble and solo players. An ongoing program of performance and ticket outreach makes these programs accessible to a diverse community of underserved youth, families, and seniors.

Yun Song Tay, Music Director

Yun Song Tay has guest conducted orchestras across Asia, Europe, and North America, and was appointed music director of the Golden State Youth Orchestra in 2022. He previously served as assistant conductor for Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestras from 2020–21 and Arizona State University Orchestra from 2018–21. He has also appeared with the Phoenix Symphony, Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina, Berlin Sinfonietta, European Youth Wind Orchestra, Dutch Royal Guards Band, Cleveland Heights Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Collective (Singapore), MusicaNova Orchestra, and the US Army Field Band, and Cleveland Institute of Music New Music Ensemble. Dr. Tay received his doctorate of musical arts in orchestral conducting from Arizona State University and his master’s degree in orchestral conducting from Cleveland Institute of Music.
 

Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra

Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra is recognized as an outstanding Bay Area music program, receiving numerous awards from ASCAP. The Youth Orchestra presents several classical and outreach concerts each season. Consisting of nearly 90 talented students (ages 12–22) from 46 schools and more than 30 cities, the Youth Orchestra is open by audition to all qualified young people from Bay Area schools. No musician is excluded for reasons of financial need.

Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra maintains a commitment to cultural exchange through international tours every three years. Touring destinations have included many countries in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, as well as the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Mexico, Cuba, Australia, and New Zealand.

Omid Zoufonoun, Music Director

Omid Zoufonoun, music director of the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra, is a conductor, guitarist, educator, and award-winning composer. His musical commissions aim to blend his Persian musical heritage, learned under the guidance of his father Ostad Mahmoud Zoufonoun, with Western practices of counterpoint, harmony, and orchestration. Recent commissions include a cello sonata for the duet Martha & Monica, a guitar octet for the Guitar Foundation of America, a choral setting of four Rumi poems for the Pacific Mozart Ensemble, and a four-movement orchestral work for the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra. He conducted the premiere of this latter work at the Scottish Rite Temple, and a professional premiere followed by the Oakland East Bay Symphony under the direction of Michael Morgan. As a conductor, Mr. Zoufonoun’s recent recording of Bill Horvitz’s suite A Long Walk was featured as an Editor’s Pick in Downbeat magazine.
 

Young People’s Symphony Orchestra

Celebrating its 87th season in 2023–24, Young People’s Symphony Orchestra is the oldest youth orchestra in California and the first independent youth orchestra in the nation. YPSO was founded in Berkeley in 1936 by Jessica Marcelli, a pioneering woman who was bold enough to create a space for young musicians to hone their craft, while also making a career for herself at a time when it was rare to see a woman conductor. YPSO has developed the musical talents and skills of thousands of students in the Bay Area, serving musicians in 31 cities and seven counties including Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano, and Sonoma. Many YPSO alumni are internationally distinguished musicians and prominent community members.
 

David Ramadanoff, Music Director

David Ramadanoff has been music director and conductor of Young People’s Symphony Orchestra since 1989. He began his professional studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Temple University, and was a doctoral candidate at
the Juilliard School until Seiji Ozawa offered him the position of Assistant Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony. He performed regularly on the San Francisco Symphony subscription series, continuing as Associate Conductor under Edo de Waart. He developed and strengthened the Symphony’s educational programs and community concerts.

In 1980 Mr. Ramadanoff won the Leopold Stokowski Conducting Award and in 1982 made his Carnegie Hall debut with the American Symphony. He served as director of orchestral activities at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music from 1984 to 1988 as well as principal conductor of the SFCM Orchestra. He has also appeared with the Kansas City Philharmonic, North Carolina Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony, Napa Symphony, Santa Cruz Symphony, and Fort Collins Symphony. In addition to YPSO, Mr. Ramadanoff is music director of the Master Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra and conductor of the California Sound Collective. He previously served as music director of the Vallejo Symphony.

Wendy Tokuda is an award-winning journalist who worked as a prime-time news anchor in local television for almost 40 years, primarily at CBS station KPIX5 in San Francisco. Her signature series on low-income kids, Students Rising Above, earned a Peabody Award, a national Emmy Award, and the national Sigma Delta Chi Award.

She has won seven regional Emmy Awards for reporting and numerous lifetime achievement awards, including the Governor’s Award from the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences, the NORCAL Radio and TV News Directors Lifetime Achievement Award, and the AP Stan Chambers Award for Extraordinary Achievement.

Ms. Tokuda began her career as a reporter at KING5 news in Seattle and went on to anchor prime-time evening newscasts for KPIX CBS5 and KRON4 in San Francisco and NBC4 in Los Angeles. She was the first Asian American to anchor weekday primetime newscasts in San Francisco.

Students Rising Above led to the creation of a nonprofit by the same name, which has raised millions of dollars to help send first-generation students to college. Ms. Tokuda is also the author of two children’s books with Richard Hall: Shiro in Love and Humphrey the Lost Whale, which remains in print after more than 20 years.