From the wand of the conductor, the instrumentalist creates. Feet grounded connected the oak stage, the resonance escapes the musician’s instrument, reverberating disconnected curved Douglas fir paneling to onshore precisely connected the ears of the assemblage arsenic crisp and warm, sonic vibrations capable the Walt Disney Concert Hall, embracing each contiguous successful a shared experience.
For galore young musicians, it volition beryllium the archetypal clip performing successful a venue internationally recognized for its acoustics and architecture – a unsocial reward that students acquisition each summertime aft 2 weeks of aggravated study, signifier and rehearsals.
The Fresno Summer Orchestra Academy (FOOSA), an planetary euphony program, is backmost with 3 euphony programs for each levels of pupil musicians and respective evenings of nationalist performances. The intensive festival culminates successful 3 escaped and nationalist concerts.
The Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra Concert is astatine 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 26, astatine the Fresno State Concert Hall. The FOOSA Symphony Orchestra is composed of mediate schoolhouse done assemblage students looking to grow their orchestral experience. The Chamber Orchestra, a half-day program, is made up of young drawstring players, typically nether 14 years of age.
The FOOSA Philharmonic volition clasp two “Rites and Reveries” concerts nether the absorption of Dr. Thomas Loewenheim, FOOSA creator manager and manager of orchestras astatine Fresno State. The philharmonic is composed of pre-professional pupil musicians and internationally recognized faculty.
The philharmonic programme includes “Pelleas and Melisande, Op. 5” by Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) and “Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring)” by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971). The show astatine the Walt Disney Concert Hall adds “Sinfonía No. 1 ‘My Great Dream,’” by Juan Pablo Contreras (born 1987).
“Audiences are successful for an unforgettable evening of euphony that is arsenic emotionally almighty arsenic it is technically brilliant,” said Loewenheim.
The archetypal show of “Rites and Reveries” is astatine 8 p.m. Friday, June 27, astatine the Walt Disney Concert Hall successful downtown Los Angeles. Tickets are free with a reservation.
The orchestra returns to the Valley for a 2nd show astatine 4 p.m. Sunday, June 29, astatine the William Saroyan Theatre successful downtown Fresno. Standard tickets are free, oregon patrons tin purchase tickets to warrant circumstantial conception seating portion supporting FOOSA.
FOOSA’s slogan, “Bringing the satellite to Fresno and Fresno to the world,” is embodied successful its international faculty, skilled, world-class musicians who supply transformative experiences for young, dedicated and talented musicians.
“FOOSA is captious to our portion due to the fact that it exposes young musicians from the Central Valley to the highest imaginable musicianship, moving with module from large euphony schools and conservatories — close successful their ain backyard. This transformative festival not lone builds the section endowment of our younker but besides raises the illustration of the assemblage and Fresno internationally,” Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval said successful the programme letter.
A collaboration betwixt the Youth Orchestras of Fresno and Fresno State, the two-week summertime intensive programme is designed for musicians who are consenting to dedicate themselves to a demanding regular schedule.
“What besides sets FOOSA isolated is its accent connected mentorship and community-building,” Loewenheim said. “Every pupil successful the top-level programme serves arsenic a manager and relation exemplary for younger participants. This operation fosters a beardown consciousness of collaboration, enactment and giving back—helping to animate the adjacent procreation of musicians portion reinforcing each student’s ain learning.”
The programme includes orchestra rehearsals, regular lessons, masterclasses, a nonrecreational orchestral signaling league and galore show opportunities.
“We are precise pleased to beryllium collaborating with the Youth Orchestras of Fresno successful hosting this 2025 FOOSA Festival. Since its founding successful 1911, Fresno State has promoted the survey of euphony arsenic a cardinal portion of the wide arts contented of fostering students’ creator and intelligence growth, and the College of Arts and Humanities is arrogant of the expanding philharmonic excellence present reflected successful the department’s elevation to a School of Music,” said Dr. Honora Chapman, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities.
Throughout the two-week festival, FOOSA volition contiguous escaped recitals and pupil showcases astir each evening astatine the Fresno State Concert Hall, giving the assemblage further opportunities to acquisition the singular endowment of these young musicians.
(Photo: FOOSA performs successful the Walt Disney Concert Hall connected June 21, 2024. Photo by Benjamin Chua.)
