Sinfonia Orchestra Season Finale Concert, Presented by the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra

Free admissions. Seats are limited so please reserve your seats in advance.https://www.pacomusic.org/events/2025-26/sinfonia-may-30-2026 [https://www.pacomusic.org/events/2025-26/sinfonia-may-30-2026] Join us for the Sinfonia Orchestra Season Finale on May 30th at 7:30 PM! The Sinfonia orchestra will play the third movement of Béla Bartók Divertimento for String Orchestra, Sz. 113 joined by four Senior PACO soloists, the last movement of Dvořák Serenade for Strings, Op. 22, and two modern pieces - Strum by Jessie Montgomery and Elegy by David Conte. Several pieces are this year’s tour pieces as some Sinfonians will join the tour this summer. We hope you’ll join us for this special evening of music and celebration! Following the Senior Orchestra, the Sinfonia Orchestra will perform Elegy, a world premiere by acclaimed American composer David Conte. Based in the Bay Area with a global reach, Conte has written extensively for opera, orchestra, chorus, and more—we’re honored to share his work! The concert will feature our 2025-2026 Concerto Opportunity Winner Josie Swartz from the Debut Orchestra who will perform Popper Polonaise de Concert Op. 14. 2025-26 CONCERTO OPPORTUNITY WINNER: Josie Swartz is a 13 year old cellist from Redwood City, California. She has been playing for almost 8 years now and is currently studying with Vicky Wang. Previously, she has studied with Amos Yang and Eric Gaenslen. She has been enrolled at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music precollege program, starting her studies in the Fall of 2024. She is currently principal cellist of the SFCM Pre-College string orchestra. She regularly participates in chamber groups outside of PACO with SFCM and the summer music academy Ces’t Bon. In her free time, Josie likes to read, watch movies and spend time with friends and family. ABOUT PALO ALTO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: “This amazing group of musicians is one of the finest and most talented I have heard.” -Itzhak Perlman The Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra (PACO) is an award-winning youth orchestra for regional string musicians of high school age and younger. PACO's five ensembles, SuperStrings, Preparatory, Debut, Sinfonia, and Senior PACO, each have approximately 25-30 members who rehearse weekly and perform throughout the year, presenting an extraordinary level of music-making and commitment to their art. At PACO, we believe that making music and lifelong friends are best achieved in an atmosphere of cooperation and teamwork. Our focus on small orchestras and chamber music makes that possible, and we minimize internal competition to foster creativity and collaboration for our young musicians. PACO students get many opportunities to work with each other across orchestra levels, knitting our musical family together and providing teaching and learning opportunities for all. Teamwork, compassion, empathy, and imagination are hallmarks of our community. More than just learning how to play the notes, our students learn the real meaning and value of playing well with others. Our emphasis on chamber music uniquely sets PACO apart from other youth programs. It lies at the core of our educational success, allowing a highly personalized commitment to both our students and our community. Members of the Debut, Sinfonia, and Senior PACO orchestras attend PACO camp, our annual chamber music workshop in August, where advanced ensemble training takes place under the watchful eyes (and ears) of a nationally renowned faculty. Presto PACO is a shorter, local version of PACO Camp. This 5-day workshop for young string players ages 8-13 is open to members of our Superstrings and Preparatory orchestras, and other community musicians by audition. PACO was founded in 1966 by local violinist, teacher, and conductor William Whitson, who served as the orchestra's music director for 36 years. During that time, Mr. Whitson established PACO as one of the nation's premier youth ensembles. From 2002 to 2023, violist Benjamin Simon continued the tradition of excellence while bringing fresh energy and exciting direction to PACO's programs. Appointed Music Director in 2023, cellist Scott Krijnen has taken the baton from Mr. Simon, leading the 5-orchestra organization and collaborating with guest conductors, fellows, and faculty, while continuing to bring excellence in music performance and education through chamber music and chamber orchestras.