Dr. Jindong Cai, Conductor
FORCES OF DESTINY
Tchaikovsky’s final Symphony (“Pathétique”), which premiered just eight days before the composer’s death, is the centerpiece of this fiery, passionate program.
Maestro Dr. Jindong Cai received his early musical training in China, where he learned to play the violin and piano. He came to the United States in 1985 and did his graduate studies at the New England Conservatory and the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati. In 1989, he was selected to study with famed conductor Leonard Bernstein at the Tanglewood Music Center, and won the Conducting Fellowship Award at the Aspen Music Festival in 1990 and 1992.
Over the 30 years of his career in the United States, Cai is recognized as a successful and dynamic conductor, devoted music educator, respected expert of Western classical music in China, and a leading advocate of music from across Asia. He is the founding director of the US-China Music Institute at Bard College Conservatory of Music.
Soloist Kevin Chen has been studying clarinet for four years under the guidance of Debra Gardner. Kevin first started off playing the piano at the age of five, did a brief stint on guitar, and is now focusing exclusively on clarinet. He is a junior at Cupertino High School and very active in the school's marching band. Kevin has also participated in the CBDA All-State band the past three years and was selected into the All-State High School Wind Symphony during both his freshman and sophomore years. In addition to music, he enjoys performing magic, playing basketball, and drinking boba.
Soloist Momoka Yanagisawa, age thirteen, is eighth grader at Price Middle School. She began violin lessons at age four, and currently studies with Tomomi Matsumoto. Momoka is in Senior Symphony, Violin I. She was co-principal of Senior Symphony, Violin II during 2018-2019 season, concertmaster in Sinfonietta in 2018 and Camerata during the 2015-16 season. Momoka is also a member of Young Chamber Musicians. Momoka was three-time winner for GSYO Concerto Competition in 2017, 2018 and 2019. She was awarded first prize in Special Theme Award and third prize in Young Artist Award at United States International Music Competition. She earned second prizes in United States Open Music Competition and DVC/HNU Young Artist Competition.
Golden State Youth Orchestra (GSYO) is distinguished by its unusually large and diverse number of ensembles, a creative structure that enables GSYO teachers to offer an enriching musical education to the widest possible range of youth. The young musicians of GSYO are culturally diverse and range from those at the beginning of their musical training to those ready to establish their creative careers as performing artists. All receive high-quality learning, performance and leadership opportunities.
More than 450 K-12 students from over 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 while participating in the Bay Area's foremost instrumental training and education program.