FOOSA Festival 2024 Unveils Intensive Summer Orchestra Program For Young Musicians

The FOOSA Festival/Fresno Summer Orchestra Academy (FOOSA) is set to launch its 2024 summer program, offering an intensive orchestral immersion for high-level pre-professional students globally, with a particular emphasis on young musicians from California's Central Valley. This initiative aims to create a music festival and orchestral training program that connects Fresno with the world.

In collaboration with Fresno State and the Youth Orchestras of Fresno, the FOOSA Festival occurs each June. It gathers nationally and internationally acclaimed faculty alongside aspiring young musicians for a two-week intensive orchestral study. Participants will engage in workshops, master classes, daily private lessons, rehearsals, sectionals, student recitals, a concerto competition, and culminating concerts.

Notable performances include events at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the William Saroyan Theater in downtown Fresno. These venues provide a prestigious platform for the young musicians to showcase their talents.

Under the direction of Dr. Thomas Loewenheim, the FOOSA Philharmonic has become one of the premier orchestras specializing in Romantic-era music. The orchestra focuses on expansive works by composers such as Gustav Mahler, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Richard Strauss. Additionally, the Philharmonic explores various musical styles from Baroque to Contemporary periods and often premieres new works.

Upcoming Performances

This summer's program features Karol Szymanowski’s "Concert Overture" and Gustav Mahler’s "Seventh Symphony." These pieces promise an inspirational journey from darkness into light, transforming night-time anxiety into the exuberance of dawn.

The performances are scheduled as follows:

About FOOSA Festival/Fresno Summer Orchestra Academy

The FOOSA Festival/Fresno Summer Orchestra Academy is committed to providing high-level orchestral training and performance opportunities to young musicians. By bringing together talented students and esteemed faculty from around the world, FOOSA aims to create a vibrant musical community in Fresno.

Admission to these events is free; however, advance reservations are required. For ticket reservations and more information, visit www.foosamusic.org or contact Catherine Marchese at [email protected] or Dan Schwartz at [email protected].