Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras to perform fall concert Nov. 4

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The Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras (JSYO) will perform its fall concert on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 5 p.m. at the Jacoby Symphony Hall at the Times-union Center for the Performing Arts in Jacksonville. 

The concert will feature music by Aaron Copland, Georges Bizet, Richard Wagner and the JSYO Philharmonic closing with a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4.

The JSYO is under the direction of JSYO Principal Conductor and Symphony Assistant Conductor Deanna Tham. Hailing from Saratoga, CA, Tham has conducted and guest conducted all over the United States, most recently working with renowned conductors Marin Alsop and James Ross at the Cabrillo Contemporary Music Festival. Before joining the Jacksonville Symphony, Tham was the music director of the 350-piece Louisville Youth Orchestra. Tham has also served as the music director of the Boise Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and has conducted the Boise Philharmonic, Ballet Idaho and Opera Idaho.

Tham will be joined by two of the JSYO’s assistant conductors for the performance. 

Helen Morin will conduct both Encore Strings and Premier Strings. She earned her Master of Music in Violin Performance with Lucia Lin at Boston University and her Bachelor of Music from Trinity College of Music in London. Morin has been in St. Augustine since 2010 and often plays with the Jacksonville Symphony as well as freelances with local chamber orchestras in St. Augustine. 

Rose Francis will head up Foundation Strings at the Florida State College of Jacksonville’s South Campus. Francis is involved as an educator and conductor throughout Northeast Florida serving as the String Orchestra Director at Pine Forest Magnet School of the Arts in Duval County, an adjunct professor in Upper String Techniques and Pedagogy at the University of North Florida and Conductor of the Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville.

Last season, the JSYO served almost 400 young musicians ages 7 to 21, who were admitted through competitive auditions. Through the in-depth study of classical repertoire, each orchestra improves its musical skills and understanding at both the individual student level and the ensemble level. 

JSYO members are afforded unique musical experiences, in addition to the exposure to and performance of orchestral masterworks. For example, JSYO ensembles perform in the Times-Union Center’s Jacoby Symphony Hall during the season as well as the annual Major/Minor concert. At this concert, finalists in the annual Young Artists Concerto Competition showcase their talents by performing with the Jacksonville Symphony. The JSYO also perform free community engagement concerts, both in Jacoby Symphony Hall and at various First Coast locations. Last season, the JSYO Philharmonic participated in its first-ever tour to the Los Angeles International Music Festival where the group performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

For more information about the Symphony, visit JaxSymphony.org.