Inspired by the global movement for recognition of female artists, creators, and leaders, AYS has dedicated the 2018/19 season to celebrating the tremendous talent and vision of female composers and soloists at the top of their game. From Grammy and Pulitzer Prize Winning Composer, Jennifer Higdon, to global sensation violinist, Sarah Chang, every woman featured is a titan in the field. AYS is honored that they are part of this year’s program, and proud to be on the industry’s leading edge in the conversation around female representation and diversity in classical music.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2018, 7:00 pm
ROYCE HALL
Opening NightConcert
Carlos Izcaray, Conductor Sérgio Coelho, Clarinet
Joan Tower: Tambor
John Corigliano: Clarinet Concerto
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3
The American Youth Symphony kicks off its “Year of the Woman” with Tambor from Grammy-winning composer Joan Tower! Led by Music Director Carlos Izcaray, the concert also features Rachmaninoff’s groundbreaking third symphony, and a showcase performance from 2018 Concerto Competition winner, Sérgio Coelho, of John Corigliano’s Clarinet Concerto.
Tickets: Free
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2018, 11:00 am
MONICA FILM CENTER
Laemmle Live Presents
AYS Woodwind Quintet
Eugene Bozza: Scherzo for Woodwind Quintet, Op.48 Charles Lefebvre: Suite for Woodwind Quintet, Op. 57 Jean Françaix: Woodwind Quintet No. 1 Malcolm Arnold: Three Shanties for Woodwind Quintet Paquito D’rivera: Aires Tropicales, Contradanza
Enjoy the debut performance of the AYS Woodwind Quintet at the LAEMMLE LIVE performing arts series at the Monica Film Center in Santa Monica.
Tickets: Free
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2018, 6:00 pm
LACMA’S BING THEATER
Sundays LIVE
Beethoven: String Quartet in D major, Op. 18, No. 3 Ravel: String Quartet in F Major
The AYS Principals String Quartet returns to LACMA’s Sundays LIVE concert series! Programmed by Concertmaster Gallia Kastner this charming classical program can be enjoyed live and in-person, or at your leisure on KUSC.org!
John Williams: Raiders of the Lost Ark OriginalScore
Take your friends and family on a wild ride with AYS and Indiana Jones! Maestro Izcaray will lead the orchestra in a live-to-film performance of John Williams’ iconic original score for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Experience this classic adventure in an exciting new way, as the entire movie is projected above the 100-piece AYS orchestra, performing those unforgettable themes in their full symphonic glory!
Tickets: $15 for General Audiences, Free for AYS Members
Hollywood Project Dinner, 7:00 pm
Celebrate and support AYS at an Indiana Jones themed dinner you won’t soon forget! Join with Maestro Izcaray and the AYS Board of Directors in honoring Randy Spendlove, Paramount’s President, Film & TV Music, who has helped shape the landscape of film music for over 20 years. Concert and Dinner Packages start at $350.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2019, 7:00 pm
ROYCE HALL
AYS Celebrates the Year of the Woman
Carlos Izcaray, Conductor Susan Botti, Soprano, Composer Ted Atkatz, Percussion
Lera Auerbach: Icarus Susan Botti: EchoTempo, for Soprano, Percussion and Orchestra Jennifer Higdon: Concerto for Orchestra
Celebrate works by three inspired composers representing the best and brightest in the field today: Lera Auerbach, also an acclaimed concert pianist, poet, and visual artist; Susan Botti, joining the orchestra as a soloist for her much-lauded EchoTempo; and Jennifer Higdon, winner of two Grammys and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Music.
Presented in Partnership with the Feminist Majority Foundation and Ms. magazine.
Tickets: FREE
SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2019, 7:30 pm
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
LA Phil Presents: Sounds About Town
With AYS & National Children’s Chorus
Carlos Izcaray, AYS Conductor Luke McEndarfer, NCC Conductor Jessica Rivera, Soprano Gloria Cheng, Piano
Gabriel Fauré: Messe Basse Nico Muhly: World Premiere, Co-Commissioned by the LA Phil, AYS and NCC Igor Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms Alexander Scriabin: Symphony No. 5, “Prometheus, Poem of Fire”
We return to LA Phil’s Sounds About Town Series in collaboration with the National Children’s Chorus (NCC), to present a world premiere commission from Nico Muhly. Continuing the theme of the season, this concert features two extraordinary female soloists, Soprano Jessica Rivera, hailed as “vocally luminous” by the New York Times, and Grammy and Emmy winning pianist Gloria Cheng, described as “breathtaking” by the Washington Post.
Tickets: $15-45 (25% off for AYS Members)
SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2019, 5:00 pm
ROYCE HALL
54th Annual Gala Concert
Carlos Izcaray, Music Director & Conductor Sarah Chang, Violin Jessica Bejarano, Guest Conductor Fil Eisler, Composer
Dmitri Shostakovich: Festive Overture – Conducted by Jessica Bejarano Fil Eisler: For J.E. Concerto for Violin and Orchestra – World Premiere featuring Sarah Chang Anna Clyne: This Midnight Hour Richard Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier Suite
Sarah Chang, widely regarded as one of the great violinists of our time, joins AYS for the inaugural Korngold Commission, a project developed and sponsored by Peter Mandell and Sarah Coade Mandell, pairing world-class solo artists with critically acclaimed film composers. The composer in this case is Fil Eisler, a BMI and SXSW award-winner, best known for scoring hit television series Empire and Revenge. Along with crowd-pleasing offerings from Shostakovich and Strauss, the program also features This Midnight Hour by Anna Clyne, whose work has been described by the New York Times as “virtuosic,” “inventive,” and “dreamlike.”
Gala Dinner, 7:30 pm
After the concert, AYS friends, orchestra members, and guest artists celebrate the continuing success of the American Youth Symphony at the 54th Annual Gala Dinner, our biggest fundraising event of the season. Join AYS in supporting the future of classical music at a sumptuous dinner under the stars! Concert & Dinner packages start at $500.
Mother’s Day Sunday, May 12, 2019, 2:00 pm
The York Manor
Citizen Musician Concert
AMERICAN YOUTH SYMPHONY String Quartet
Anna Kouchnerov, Violin Jessi Livermore, Violin Anna Vosbigian, Viola Alex Thompson-Sánchez, Cello
Amy BEACH
Quartet for Strings (13 min)
Rebecca CLARKE
Comodo et amabile(9 min) Poem(8 min) Lullaby and Grotesque for viola & cello (6 min)
Kaija SAARIAHO
Cloud Trio for violin, viola and cello (16 min)
Julia WOLFE
Early that Summer(12 min) Dig Deep(14 min) Four Marys(11 min)
Tickets: FREE
This program has been specially selected by our 2018/19 Citizen Musician Fellow, Anna Vosbigian, to complete the “Year of the Woman” season with a selection of works by female composers throughout history.
Anna collaborated with Maestro Izcaray and AYS staff to plan and program this year’s Citizen Musician Concert. This is the second year for this project — inspired and supported by a program Yo-Yo Ma developed at the Civic Orchestra of Chicago — teaching leadership in the use of classical music to transform lives and build community. The aim is to bridge the gap between high art and community art, and in the words of Yo-Yo Ma “transcend technique in order to seek out the truths in our world in a way that gives meaning and sustenance to individuals and communities.”
The Citizen Musician Fellowship is Sponsored by Peter Mandell and Sarah Coade Mandell
New Venue: The York Manor4908 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042
