In March, the San Jose Youth Symphony (SJYS) Harp Ensemble will give the world premiere of a newly commissioned concerto by a California composer. The premiere of the first movement of Concerto for Harp Ensemble by Isaiah Castro will take place on March 26 at the California Theater. The second movement will be premiered on March 28 at the San Jose State University Recital Hall.
Directed and founded by harp teacher and freelance performer Kristal Schwartz, the SJYS Harp Ensemble program is now in its eighth season. The ensemble regularly performs new commissions, along with Schwartz’s own arrangements of contemporary and electroacoustic harp ensemble pieces. As director, Schwartz aims to empower young harpists as they learn how to work together and listen to each other. Schwartz is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she received a master’s degree in performance.
Isaiah Castro is an award-winning conductor and composer. He currently studies instrumental conducting and composition at California State University Fullerton’s School of Music. Castro’s recent accomplishments include scoring music for Embark Dance Theatre’s first full-length production, “lost/FIND”; achieving status on the Grammy Awards ballot for his piece “Dios Mío,” written for award-winning soprano Sarah Lonsert; and writing arrangements for Pacific Symphony’s program “OC Can You Play With Us?”.
The San Jose Youth Symphony is one of the oldest youth orchestras on the West Coast. It was founded 60 years ago as part of the former San Jose Symphony. The mission of the San Jose Youth Symphony is to give young people a foundation for life through orchestral music.
For more information about the San Jose Youth Symphony, visit the SJYS website.
