BAYOF 2016, the sixth annual Bay Area Youth Orchestra Festival , will bring together some 500 young musicians in Davies Hall at a Jan. 17 matinee, performing before an audience of 2,800. There is no better time or place to get a full measure of the present and future of music in and around San Francisco.
In addition, BAYOF is a fundraiser for organizations that serve homeless youth. This year’s concert supports InnVision Shelter Network, Homeward Bound of Marin, Covenant House California, Students Rising Above, and DreamCatcher Youth Services. Ticket prices range from $25 to $70, half price for those under 17.
Of the event's fundraising function, flute and piccolo player Maureen Ochi Sides of SFS Youth Orchestra says:
I believe that music exists to benefit people, whether it's the musician who enjoys the act of creating music, or the listener who loves to listen to notes on a page come to life. It only seems fitting to use music to benefit those beyond that, and especially those in need, such as homeless youth. Events like BAYOF are using music in one of the best ways possible, and serving the true purpose of music."
In addition to the host organization, S.F. Symphony Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Donato Cabrera, there are four ensembles taking part in the event. Each ensemble will take a turn performing on the stage, and then a festival orchestra of musicians, selected from the ensembles, will be conducted by Festival Orchestra Director Alasdair Neale. Wendy Tokuda is to be master of ceremonies.
The program is varied and rich, including Tan Dun's Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds (El Camino Youth Symphony, Jindong Cai conductor); the Allegro from Dvorák's Symphony No. 8 (Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra, Ann Krinitsky); excerpts from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet (Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra, Omid Zoufonoun); Jeremy Cavaterra's Marine Safari and Whale Watch and Elgar's "Nimrod" from Enigma Variations (Young People’s Symphony Orchestra, David Ramadanoff); and Ravel's Alborada del gracioso (SFSYO, Cabrera).
For Young People’s Symphony Orchestra co-concertmaster Ally Lee, it's a return to the festival, and she says her favorite time is listening to the concert from the area above the stage at Davies: "I love watching the orchestras perform from this perspective and getting to enjoy the music with my friends. I am most looking forward to the bonding time during the festival. It's a fun time to catch up with old friends as well as meet other young musicians."
Her years with the orchestra, Lee says, taught her about the pressure of auditions, the skills required to play in a large ensemble, and how to be a leader as a section principal. But, she adds, "using music to benefit other people is one of the greatest joys. We, as young musicians, have been given opportunities that are quite rare for most teenagers. It feels great to put my very best into a performance."
CORRECTION NOTE: This article originally identified Ally Lee as concermaster of the SFSYO; she is co-concertmaster of the YPSO.