The First International Youth Music Festival of San Francisco 2006

Launched by Youth Music International, the 1st International Youth Music Festival of San Francisco in 2006 was originally founded as a partnership of Youth Music International, The National Youth Strings Academy in England and SFSU's School of Music and Dance and was sponsored by Grace Cathedral, Mission Dolores and St. Mary's Cathedral.

The festival brought together gifted young musicians from different countries as well as an international faculty. By engaging their differing cultural and artistic perspectives, ideas and insights the young people were able to arrive at an unprecedented level of creative inspiration and musical imagination. In this enriching aesthetic environment (and with additional artistic guidance from a stellar and eminent faculty from the US and UK) these talented young musicians prepared four unforgettable and diverse programs of chamber music and chamber orchestra at the most beautiful landmarks in San Francisco: Grace Cathedral, Mission Dolores and St. Mary's Cathedral as well as Knuth Hall at San Francisco State University. It proved to be a powerful and unrivaled experience for both the British and American students and faculty as well as the audiences who experienced them.

The Beginning...

The festival began with the British organization, the National Youth Strings Academy arriving from the UK and coming together with the Americans students on July 31st. The first few days were spent with the American students preparing for the first chamber music concert later that week and the British students recovering from jet-lag, seeing some of the sights of San Francisco and rehearsing their own orchestral program.

Opening Concert of the Festival at St. Mary's Cathedral (National Youth Strings Academy)...

On August 2nd the Festival opened with tremendous excitement and anticipation in the grandiose setting of St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco with a concert by the National Youth Strings Academy. Organist and Music Director, Chris Tietze welcomed the audience to this marvelous experience and launched the Festival. Once the concert began we were all completely taken by the high levels of musicianship and professional demeanor of these disciplined young musicians from England. It was an enchanting evening with a wonderful repertoire which included: Divertimento in D Major by Mozart, The Bartok Divertimento and the Shostakovich Octet arranged for chamber orchestra. The whole audience was abuzz with the excitement of this inspiring evening.

American Chamber Music Concert at Knuth Hall, SFSU School of Music and Dance...

On August 3rd, the American students now followed with a noon-concert in Knuth Hall where they performed an incredible array of movements from well-loved quartets, quintets and sextets. The spectrum of works involved the Beethoven Quartet, op.18, no.6; Mozart Quartet K 158; Dvorak American Quartet, Brahms Sextet in G Major; Shostakovich Quartet No. 8; and the Bartok Quartet No. 1. It was very exciting to hear these young musicians (some as young as 12!) confidently performing such massive works after only three days of preparation! It was also inspirational to see how much they banded together in such a short time creating such a strong bond even within such different ages.

The Americans and British come together...

August 4th brought the British and American students together in new chamber ensembles and two chamber orchestras. Each ensemble was made up of both British and American Students who were very excited to have the opportunity to work together. The extraordinary and dedicated faculty included Victor Romasevich, violinist and Don Ehrlich, Assistant Principal Violist, both from the San Francisco Symphony as well as Deirdre Cooper, cellist from the Smith Quartet and Philharmonia in London as well as Erika Miranda, violinist and Principal with Sacramento Opera. The British Faculty included Viviane Ronchetti, violinist from the Royal Guildhall (and founder of NYSA); Roger Garland , former violinist with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and Levon Parikian, who conducted both Festival orchestras.

Masterclass with the Alexander Quartet...

After one afternoon's rehearsal, we were joined by the marvelous and renowned Alexander String Quartet who held a Masterclass in which all these newly combined ensembles participated. Zak Graffilo, Fred Lifsitz, Paul Yarbrough and Sandy Walsh-Wilson entertained, educated and drew these gifted young musicians to new heights. Everyone watching and participating were left with the inspiration of new insights into these diverse works. The evening finished with a big faculty-student dinner sponsored by the Moss family.

August 5th and 6th were spent in intensive rehearsals preparing for the next two concerts. It was incredible to see the rich and dynamic exchange of so much creativity as these students and coaches from different cultures shared and exchanged ideas and perceptions (both musically and socially) during the course of chamber music, orchestra rehearsals, sectionals and some impromptu sight-reading sessions (and the occasional antics!).

Chamber Music Gala at Mission Dolores...

August 7th brought the debut of the "Chamber Music Gala" at the renowned and historic Mission Dolores of San Francisco. Juan Pedro Gaffney, music director at the Mission and Basilica welcomed and encouraged us to experience the "community spirit of the people" which personified the oldest building left in San Francisco from California's earliest settlers, the Spanish missionaries. The rustic charm and elegance of this unique venue really added a special flavor to the incredible chamber works performed by the students. It was also a fitting place to stage this collaboration of cultures and demonstrate the power of diversity united.

Masterpieces Finale at Grace Cathedral...

In the atmosphere of this Spanish mission, the audience fell deeply under the spell of their playing and of this extraordinary music which included: The Dvorak Bass Quintet, a String Quartet by Russian-born composer, Iosif Andriasov, Shostakovich Octet, Brahms Quartet in a minor and the Dvorak American Quartet as well as several other gems of the rich string chamber music repertoire.

The Masterpieces Finale of the 1st International Youth Music Festival took place on August 8th at the most hallowed and well-known landmark of Nob Hill, San Francisco: Grace Cathedral. Bruce Bearden, Canon of Grace Cathedral, warmly welcomed the audience and introduced Erika Miranda, Festival Director, who opened the concert and described the mission of the Festival.

The grace and beauty of the Cathedral arches and mosaiques as well as the famed Labyrinth were truly an extraordinary setting for the final concert of the Festival. This unique atmosphere ignited an even more inspiring creative vision in these remarkable young musicians. A united, imaginative and compelling musical force swept through each work leaving the whole audience in a reverie of musical inspiration. We were regaled with the richness of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, the emotional devastation of the Shostakovich Quartet No.8 and the vibrant Hungarian reminiscence of the Bartok Quartet No. 1. British conductor, Levon Parikian skillfully steered both orchestras through the mystical Albinoni Adagio, the Mozart Divertimento in F Major and the Mendelsohn Sinfonia X. The unique architectural beauty of this magnificent edifice helped create an unforgettable musical experience for everyone and brought the Festival to a fitting and magnificent close with both orchestras coming together for the haunting Vaughan-Williams Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis for double-stringed orchestra.

And finally, the closing night party...

After the closing concert of the 1st International Youth Music Festival of San Francisco, both the British and American students, families and staff all came together at a reception hosted by the Ng and Welsh family's at their home in Nob Hill just up from Grace Cathedral. It was a chance to for all the kids to enjoy each other for the last time at the Festival and to say their "good-byes". After working so closely and intensely and sharing so much together there was definitely sadness at the experience coming to a close and some tears as well as contact information were exchanged. Although there was some sadness at leaving new friends, everyone carried away a tremendous artistic satisfaction and awe at having been through such an extraordinary experience.