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December 13, 2006
Leo Eylar, Music Director and Conductor, California Youth Symphony, 12-15-06
Founded in 1952 the California Youth Symphony has taught thousands of students and includes two full symphony orchestras — the CYS Orchestra and the CYS Associate Orchestra, as well as a percussion ensemble and six additional groups for younger musicians.
The 2006-2007 membership of the California Youth Symphony includes almost 500 of the greater Bay Area's most promising young musicians ranging in age from nine to 18 and representing more than 100 elementary, middle and high schools.
Under the direction of Leo Eylar, the CYS Orchestra is the most advanced ensemble reserved for outstanding players whose technical level and musicality is highly advanced. The orchestra has established an international reputation for its outstanding performances. The orchestra performs a seven-concert series between November and May, plus an annual Holiday Concert in conjunction with other CYS ensembles.
In June 2006 the CYS Orchestra toured China. They have also toured Italy, Japan, Taiwan and to Central Europe, where CYS won the Grand Prize at the International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna.
Leo Eylar is currently a professor and conductor at California State University Sacramento, a position he has held since 1988. Since 1990 he has been Conductor and Music Director of the California Youth Symphony. Under his masterful and spirited direction the orchestra soon enhanced its reputation as one of the finest youth orchestras in the world and won first prize in the International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna, Austria, in July 1994. Over the past 16 years of his tenure, the orchestra has performed to great critical acclaim across four continents. He has also guest-conducted extensively throughout Europe and Asia, including prestigious music festivals in Japan, Austria, France, and Australia. Eylar has also been a frequent guest conductor of the San Jose Symphony. With a repertoire of over 250 symphonic works conducted, as well as numerous operas, Eylar brings a vast range of expertise and depth to his conducting.
Posted by David Lemberg at December 13, 2006 03:31 PM Return to ARTSCAPE home page