6:00 PM Season Finale
Wind Ensembles and Wind Symphony

Our season finale continues at 6:00 PM on May 19th with a performance of the CYS Wind Ensembles, under the direction of Maestro Anthony Lanzino, and the Wind Symphony, under the direction of Maestro Pete Nowlen. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear a very diverse repertoire of engaging music for winds. Mr. Lanzino will lead the Chamber Winds in works by J.S. Bach, Gavin Lendt, and Peter Terry. The Wind Ensemble, also led by Maestro Lanzino, will perform works by Brian Balmages and George Gershwin. A very special treat is in store for our audience as the Wind Ensemble and the Wind Symphony combine forces to perform Katahj Copley’s AYO: Rhapsody for Band. Copley has been called “one of the most extraordinary composers of his generation,” and AYO is a remarkable work that requires nine percussionists playing 18 different percussion instruments! The Wind Symphony, under the direction of Maestro Nowlen, will offer works by Yo Goto, Joe Hisaishi, and Alan Hovhaness. In addition, we are very pleased to announce the winners of the Wind Symphony Concerto Competition for the 2023-24 season! Xiwen Liang will play Cécile Chaminade’s evocative and mesmerizing Concertino for Flute, and Tristan Liao will perform the Fandango for Mallet Percussion and Band by Oscar Stover. This is sure to be a very special event, so please join us for a brilliant evening of music! 

Concert Highlights

Chamber Winds
Lendt: Dragonstone
J.S. Bach/Moehlmann: Prelude and Fugue in Bb Major
Terry: Wild Horses

Wind Ensemble
Balmages: Fanfare Forza
Gershwin/Custer: Summertime
Ticheli: Sun Dance

Wind Symphony
Hisaishi/Morita: Selections from Princess Mononoke
Chaminade/Wilkins: Concertino for Flute (Xiwen Liang, flute)
Hovhaness: “Andante espressivo” from Three Journeys To A Holy Mountain
Stover/Clark: Fandango for Mallet Percussion and Band (Tristan Liao, marimba)
Goto: Dancing in Air
Hisaishi/Goto: Studio Ghibli’s Anime March Medley
Copley: Ayo (Wind Ensemble & Wind Symphony)

Wind Symphony Solo Competition Winners

Tristan Liao, age 12, is a marimba player from Fremont. His journey began at the age of 9, under the mentorship of Tammy Chen, where he discovered a deep passion for this instrument. 

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Xiwen Liang is a current sophomore at the Henry M. Gunn High School where she is a member of the school’s Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra. She has been playing the flute for 7 years and is a student of Lance Suzuki.

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Wind Symphony Solo Competition

California Youth Symphony's annual SOLO COMPETITION for the Wind Symphony is in its second year and offers its current students a special challenge and an opportunity for public recognition. All students in the Wind Symphony are encouraged to compete.