Orange County's PACIFIC SYMPHONY Presents 'Rising Stars,' 2/28

In an exciting and multi-layered display of talent worthy of the spotlight, Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra (PSYO) performs "RISING STARS" on Sunday, Feb. 28, at 4 p.m., in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Led by the Symphony's Assistant Conductor Maxim Eshkenazy, this Cheng Family Foundation PSYO concert includes a plethora of young talent: cellist Eric Lee-the winner of this year's Concerto Competition-playing the allegretto movement of Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No.1, which earned him the top spot; the inaugural performance of the Pacific Chorale Honor Choir (a new collaboration between the Symphony and Pacific Chorale), singing Faure's "Requiem" with PSYO musicians; and PSYO's electrifying performance of the 1919 version of Stravinsky's ballet "Firebird," accompanied by the Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy.

"In planning the season, Maxim wanted to involve a community choir, and Pacific Chorale wanted to build a youth choir program much like our youth ensemble programs," says Mumolo. "He talked with Dr. Robert Istad (the assistant director of the Chorale and director of the Honor Choir) about what we could do together, and they came up with this inaugural partnership." The result is an unprecedented and unique experience for local high school choir students to perform choral and orchestral works in one of the region's most high-profile venues.

Also taking place for the first time at this concert-PSYO shares the stage with the Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy (DKCBA, the official ballet school of Orange County Ballet Theatre) during a performance of Stravinsky's "Firebird," a ballet that tells the story of Prince Ivan, who summons the magical Firebird to aid him in defeating the evil magician Kastchei and his fiendish monsters.

"All the dancers at DKCBA are trained by an ex-Bolshoi dancer from Russia, so this collaboration really will be a sight to see," says Eshkenazy. "We are blending together the different arts in an effort to share the joy of making music, and to open the doors to other arts organizations in the community by sharing this experience with us."

The concert also features Eric Lee, recipient of the 2009 Concerto Competition, playing the piece that made him the first place winner: a movement from Shostakovitch's complex first cello concerto. "The competition was judged by members of Pacific Symphony and me," continues Eshkenazy. "We had 30-40 musicians compete and the level of talent was amazing. The top three were so good that at first we couldn't decide, but after further deliberation, we gave the prize to Eric. In the end it was unanimous! He was just superb, hands down."

The PSYO, Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings (PSSS) and Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble (PSYWE) comprise the Pacific Symphony Youth Ensembles (PSYE). The mission of the PSYE is to provide young musicians with an ensemble experience marked by educational excellence through a unique relationship with Pacific Symphony. The oldest of the three ensembles, PSYO, while led by Eshkenazy, also benefits from the artistic vision of the Symphony's Music Director Carl St.Clair. The PSYO presents a popular three-concert subscription series in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, in addition to other community performances. Members of the PSYO have the opportunity to rehearse, receive coaching sessions and perform "side-by-side" on a Family series concert with the Symphony's professional musicians. In addition, students receive free tickets to the Symphony's concerts, exclusive access to rehearsals and enjoy opportunities to meet world-class guest artists.

The Honor Choir has been created to encourage and develop the talents of exceptional young singers as well as to create a bridge to a lifetime of choral singing by providing unique educational performance opportunities. Led by PCHC Conductor Dr. Robert Istad (who also serves as the assistant conductor of Pacific Chorale), the 2010 Honor Choir is comprised of area high school students singing side-by-side with choral students from the California State University, Fullerton Concert Choir.

The Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy is committed to providing Orange County communities with quality dance instruction promoting the highest standards of technique, integrity and professionalism. Since being founded in 1996, Artistic Directors Dmitri and Jennifer Kulev continue to provide students with the highest quality instruction. This training is evident in the many awards the students of DKCBA continue to receive at various national and international dance competitions.

Tickets to "RISING STARS" are $18 and $30; call (714) 755-5799 or visit www.pacificsymphony.org. For more information, call the Symphony's Director of Youth Ensembles Dominic Mumolo at (714) 876-2346.

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