ABOUT OYO The Oakland Youth Orchestra

A Brief OYO history OYO Tours of the world Where are the past conductors now? Music (Commissions, Premieres, Recordings) OYO Managers

1964 - OYO History -1995

The Oakland Youth Orchestra, founded in 1964 as the educational arm of the Oakland Symphony, is recognized as an important musical organization in Oakland and the San Francisco Bay area. An independent non-profit group since 1986, the Orchestra has a history of commissioning, premiering and recording the works of American composers. OYO has three times been awarded a prize from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers for service to contemporary music, the first youth orchestra to receive that award. OYO student musicians have won scholarships to study in Europe and have entered prestigious colleges and music conservatories. Former Orchestra members have become composers, teachers, and soloists in both classical and jazz music. Many now perform in orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout the world.

Today, in its 30th anniversary season, the Oakland Youth Orchestra consists of talented young music students aged 12-22 years from all over the San Francisco Bay Area. They represent forty different schools and are usually involved in athletics, school politics, academic clubs, and community volunteer service as well as music. They rehearse a wide range of repertoire and present several classical, pops and youth outreach concerts each season. The Orchestra is supported by tuition, corporations, foundation and government grants, and individual contributions from the community.

TOURS

The Orcruise, 1982 Toured 8 Islands Scotland/England, 1984 International Festival, 1st place Amman, Jordan, 1988 Jerash Festival of Culture and Art Austria/Germany, 1990 Vienna Youth & Music Festival Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Austria, 1993 China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, 1995

CONDUCTORS

Former OYO conductors have gone on to professional success: Robert Hughes 1964-1970 & 1980: Composer, teacher and lecturer Denis de Coteau 1971-1979: Music Director of the San Francisco Ballet, Conductor San Francisco Conservatory, professor Kent Nagano 1981-1985: Music Director of the Berkeley Symphony, Conductor Opera Festival Leon, France Stewart Robertson 1985/86: Music Director of the Santa Fe Symphony Samuel Cristler 1986-1991: Assistant Conductor at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Conductor of opera in Germany Wes Kenney 1991-Present

COMMISSIONS

1966 Ned Rorem Water Music 1967 Charles Boone Etude for Alicia Kristina 1968 Robert Moran Jewel-Encrusted Butterfly Wing Explosion 1969 Henry Brant Kingdom Come 1970 William Fisher A Quiet Movement 1975 Lou Harrison Elegiac Symphony 1976 Robert Hughes Cadences 1979 Bill Bell East Meets West 1980 Laurie Anderson Born, Never Asked 1980 Olly Wilson Reflections 1982 Daniel Kobialka Echoes of Secret Silence 1982 Charles Shere Nightmusic 1994 Chen Yi The Linear

PREMIERES (in addition to the commissions listed above.)

1964 U.S. Darius Milhaud Le Quatre Elements 1968 World Gerhard Samuel No More Singing 1969 World Tim Imlay Triptych 1970 World Terrennce Glenny Pyre 1970 World William Fisher Circle Suite 1973 Local Jack Fortner June Dawns, July Noons, August Evenings 1975 West Coast Hector Berlioz Chant des Chemins de Fer 1975 Local Darius Milhaud Les Cho_phores 1978 Local Harold Farberman Elegy, Fanfare & March 1983 World Larry London Suite for Orchestra 1983 World Robert Hughes Not Suitable for Framing 1990 World Max Duykers Chronos 1994 World Tyzen Hsiao 1947 Overture 1994 U.S. Zhou Long Pipa Concerto 1994 U.S. Tan Dun Orchestral Theater I: Xun

AWARDS

1976, 1980, 1982 ASCAP - for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music

RECORDINGS

Henry Brant Kingdom Come Lou Harrison Pacifica Rondo and Elegiac Symphony Black Composers in America Ned Rorem Water Music Robert Hughes Cadences Charles Shere Nightmusic Daniel Kobialka Echoes of Secret Silence

MANAGERS

Ethel London 1964-1984 Peter Lane 1985 Parker Monroe 1986 Katherine Burghardt 1987-1988 Ann VanderEnde 1986 Alwine Fenton 1988-1990 Owen Miller 1991 Susan Persson 1991-Present