Young Artists Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Director Alexander Treger Launch 2015-16 Inaugural Season

Young Artists Symphony Orchestra (YASO), Los Angeles’s newest orchestra led by Artistic Director Alexander Treger, a noted conductor, music educator and former Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, launches its inaugural season with a free celebratory concert featuring Mahler’s seminal Symphony No. 2 in C minor, “Resurrection,” hailed as “one of the musical touchstones of our time” (The New York Times), on Sunday, October 11, 2015, 7 pm, at UCLA’s Royce Hall, the orchestra’s home venue. Featured guest artists include Amanda Achen, soprano, Niké St. Clair, mezzo-soprano, and the Angeles Chorale, under the direction of Artistic Director John Sutton. The recently established pre-professional training orchestra champions, mentors and inspires the next generation of outstanding young musicians for careers in classical music.

“Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 is an extraordinary work and a tour de force that will showcase the incredible talents of these exceptional young artists who are on the threshold of professional music careers,” says Treger. “I am extremely proud to serve as the Artistic Director of this remarkable new orchestra,”

Treger’s conducting has been described as “vivid” (The New York Times), “uplifting” (Musical America) and “expertly finessed” (Examiner).

The orchestra, comprised of dedicated young artists ages 15 to 26 drawn from a variety of schools and conservatories around the Southland, adheres to the high standards and protocols of professional orchestras, providing the orchestra members with the same type of experiences they will encounter as professional artists. YASO members, who receive a generous stipend for their services, are selected through a rigorous audition process. They perform key works that are an essential part of the core orchestral repertoire and are held to extremely high standards since many of the members will be auditioning directly into professional ensembles. During its inaugural 2015-16 season, YASO presents three other free concerts at Royce Hall on Sunday, December 6, 2015, Sunday, February 28, 2016, and Saturday, April 23, 2016, with such featured repertoire as Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, 
Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7 in d minor, Lutoslawski’s Little Suite, Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll
, and John Adams’ The Chairman Dances.

Admission to the concert is free. Reservations can be made in advance at YASOLA.org or (310) 593-9890. Tickets are also available at the door the night of the concert.