THE CYS 2019-2020 CONCERT SEASON

11:30 AM Rehearsals; 2:30 PM Concerts, unless otherwise indicated. Tickets will be available at no cost to members, with the exception of the March 8 Grass Valley concert and May 31 Season Finale concert. Students are allowed to sell General Admission, General Family, or Family Season tickets, for which they get to keep entire proceeds.

* March 8 - Amaral Family Center, Nevada County Fairgrounds, Grass Valley, CA - Bus transportation provided for students. Details TBD.

FULL SEASON CALENDAR

* Changes made as of September 2019. This schedule supersedes any previously published calendars.

Senior Orchestra Calendar

GOOGLE CALENDAR

Click on the icon to view the Senior Orchestra season calendar. You have the option of importing this calendar to your own personal calendars by clicking on the Google Icon at the bottom right corner of the calendar page.

SUMMER CAMP

Each summer, the Symphony Orchestra starts off the season with a mandatory summer camp which takes place from Saturday afternoon through Saturday morning on the first week of August. This annual event involves full orchestra rehearsals, sectionals, and social opportunities for the students.

WEEKLY REHEARSALS

Weekly Sunday rehearsals are held from 2:30 - 5:30 PM (occasionally 2:30 - 6:00 PM) inside the Multipurpose Room at Almond Elementary School, 550 Almond Avenue, Los Altos, CA 94022, unless otherwise indicated. Please arrive 15 minutes early to get your instrument out and tuned. We also need the additional help of students and parents to clean the rehearsal room each week. Rehearsal schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the Music Director. Please refer to the newsletters provided throughout the season and this site for further details.

REHEARSALS ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE CONCERT

Attendance at rehearsal one week prior to the concert is mandatory. This is when any extra players arrive and/or or private teachers of the soloists attend to work with the orchestra. Students are not required to wear concert dress for these rehearsals.

CONCERT DAY DRESS REHEARSALS

The rehearsals are an opportunity for the students to become familiar with the acoustics and conquer nerves associated with playing on stage before the actual performance. These rehearsals are crucial for the students to feel comfortable on stage and thus give their best performance at the concert. Students are not required to wear concert dress for these rehearsals, except for the last concert of the season in May. Attendance at dress rehearsals is mandatory.

CONCERT ATTIRE

Option A: Black dress slacks, black long-sleeved collared dress shirt (button-up) with long black tie. Black socks, shined black shoes. 

Option B: Black ankle-length dress/skirt/dress slacks with black blouse that cover shoulders. Black socks, stockings, tights, black polished dress shoes. 

NOTE: Black shoes (no tennis shoes), black socks/stockings/tights. No shiny or sparkling jewelry, hair ornaments, belts or other accessories. Back, shoulders and midriffs must remain completely covered in all postures.

WORKSHOPS

We hold six (6) mandatory workshops designed to provide additional assistance in preparing season repertoire. Workshop schedule is from 2:15 - 6:00 PM. Please note the different times and locations. The first half of the workshop is combined sectionals. Full orchestra resumes from 4:30 - 6:00 PM. 

What to bring to rehearsals & workshops:

1. Your music. CYS will charge $25 to replace lost music.
2. Music stand (important)
3. A pencil (always have this ready)
4. Extra reeds, strings, mutes, tuners, slide/valve oil, etc.

REHEARSAL HALL friendly reminders:

• Please put your instrument cases to the sides of the room or on stage, neatly out of the walkway and not next to your chairs (even if you sit at the very back of the section). This also applies to winds & brass, take only what you need to your chair. 
• Please clean-up after yourselves. Please also keep the washrooms tidy.
• Let's help keep our rehearsal room clean by picking up little items off the floor (i.e. napkins, pencils, water bottles, etc), even if the item does not belong to you.
• Eat your snacks, sip your drinks outside the rehearsal room and, please, do not make a mess outside.

TOURING

California Youth Symphony has enjoyed a rich tradition of international touring. In 1963, CYS became the first American youth orchestra ever to tour overseas when we accepted an invitation to visit Japan. Over the following years, twenty-two (22) additional tours to all parts of the world have earned us universal praise. This rich tradition of international touring provides students with unparalleled experiences and invaluable opportunities to perform abroad in internationally prestigious venues, as well as to experience different cultures. CYS tours are an amazing bonding experience for students and a preciously cherished memory for alumni. Biennial tours occur on even-numbered ending seasons (i.e. 2019-2020).

GRADUATING SENIOR CONCERTO COMPETITION

The CYS Senior Orchestra holds an annual Concerto Competition in December, offering its current graduating seniors an exciting opportunity to showcase their talent on our season finale concerts in May. Winners perform either a movement from a concerto or a one movement concert piece accompanied by the CYS Senior Orchestra. Complete guidelines and application are listed on the Concerto Competition page.