Youth Orchestra Festival
The Youth Orchestra Festival (YOF) is a long-standing annual tradition for Utah Symphony | Utah Opera and offers the chance for Utah youth orchestras to have the opportunity to not only play on stage at Abravanel Hall but to also listen to many other youth orchestras from around the state. The YOF is free and open to the public, spectators are welcome. Youth orchestras will come and perform on Abravanel Hall on Monday, February 24, 2025.
Each youth orchestra is allotted 30 minutes on stage. A total of 17 groups are performing this year.
Program:
9:00 AM: Canyons Youth Symphony
Jenni Perkins, BJ Cox, Enrique Tellez
- RALPH FORD: Dark Adventure
- BOBERG: “A Mother’s Hymn” (arr. Robert W. Smith)
- DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 9 in E minor (“From the New World”), Mvt. I
9:30 AM: Davis Youth Philharmonic
Darrin S. Thiriot
- HOLST: “Mars” from The Planets
- BIZET: Farandole from L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2
10:00 AM: Upbeat Performing Arts Orchestra
Jenny Gibbons, Liz Graden, Gabrielle Gibbons
- BACH: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 (arr. Richard Meyer)
- BRIAN BALMAGES: Fire in the Bow
- MARK WILLIAMS: Dramatic Essay
- MOZART: The Abduction from the Seraglio (arr. Richard Meyer)
- CARL STROMMEN: Cumberland Cross
10:30 AM: Canyons Symphony Orchestra
Mitchell Atencio
- PURCELL: March from Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary
- ELGAR: “Nimrod” from Enigma Variations
- VIVALDI: Concerto Grosso in D minor, Allegro
- JOE HISAISHI: “The Legend of Ashitaka” from Princess Mononoke
- ALFRED REED: A Festival Prelude
11:00 AM: Kaysville Chamber Strings
Elizabeth Marsh
- BIZET: Farandole from L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2
- MOZART: Divertimento in F Major, Allegro
- VANIA WATKINS: “Families Can Be Together Forever” (arr. Denise Willey)
- ANDERSON: Plink, Plank, Plunk
11:30 AM: Cache Youth Orchestras Crescendo
Rachel Wheeler, Chelsia Evans, Patty Bartholomew
- MAHLER: Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Mvt. II
- SOON HEE NEWBOLD: Warrior Legacy
- BRAHMS: Hungarian Dance No. 5 (arr. Merle J Isaac)
- MERLE J. ISAAC: Apollo Suite
12:00 PM: Nebo Youth Orchestra
Paul Wells, Daniel Bigler, Ali Olson, Aileen Keliiliki
- ROBERT SMITH: Second Storm
- GLIÈRE: Russian Sailor’s Dance
- SOON HEE NEWBOLD: American Landscape
- JAY UNGAR: Ashokan Farewell (arr. Calvin Custer)
12:30 PM: Jordan Youth Symphony
Candy Bennett, Jennifer Clark, Eric Perkins
- GRIEG: “In the Hall of the Mountain King” (arr. Sidney Carlin)
- DUKAS: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (arr. Andrew Balent)
1:00 PM: Cache Youth Orchestras Philharmonic
Ghyas Zeisieh, Chelsia Evans, Patty Bartholomew
- BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Mvt. 4: Allegro
- VARIOUS: Suite from Video Games Live (arr. Ralph Ford)
1:30 PM: Northern Utah Youth Symphony
Conrad Dunn
- ROSSINI: Overture to The Barber of Seville
- BRIAN BALMAGES: (Up)Lifted
- SAINT-SAËNS: Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah
2:00 PM: Zion Youth Symphony Orchestra
Ed Candland, Tim Warren, Kamille Brooks, Logan Hadlock
- JUAN MOREL CAMPOS: Virgilia (arr. Fernando Medina)
- KABALEVSKY: Comedians’ Galop from The Comedians
- MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 5 in D major, Mvt. IV
2:30 PM: Vivace Youth Orchestra
Denise Willey, Alexander Willey
- HOLST: St. Paul’s Suite, Mvt IV: “The Dargason”
- LEHÁR: The Merry Widow
- BIZET: The Toreador Song from Carmen (arr. Robert S. Frost)
3:00 PM: Centennial Middle School
Marcus Voght
- MARK WILLIAMS: Fiddle Finger Frenzy
- EDMUND J. SIENNICKI: Spiccato Moderato
- SOON HEE NEWBOLD: Viking
3:30 PM: Young Artist Chamber Players
Jack Ashton
- STRAUSS: Pizzicato Polka
- VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
- COPLAND: “Hoe Down” from Rodeo
4:00 PM: Utah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra
Dr. Cheung Chau, Dr. Blanka Bednarz
- BIZET: Farandole from L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2
- DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 8
- III. Allegretto Grazioso
- IV. Allegro ma non troppo
4:30 PM: Lyceum Philharmonic
Kayson Brown
- COPLAND: Appalachian Spring (selections)
- RESPIGHI: Pines of Rome (selections)
5:00 PM: Lyceum Symphony
Kayson Brown
- BRAHMS: Hungarian Dance No. 1
- BRAHMS: Variations on a Theme by Haydn
Applications for the 2024-2025 Youth Orchestra Festival are closed.
Applications for 2025-26 will open on November 1, 2025.