Press Release: Modesto Symphony Orchestra 92nd Season Opens With Rhapsody In Blue
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) welcomes conductor Christopher Dragon as they open their 92nd Season on Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22, 2022. The program will open with Florence Price’s Concert Overture No. 2 then will feature pianist Gabriela Martinez on George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. The evening concludes with Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”. And as part of the opening weekend festivities, the MSO will have complimentary wine and non-alcoholic beverages for all in attendance.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Contact:
Caroline Nickel
cnickel@modestosymphony.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / October 6, 2022
(Pictured from left to right: Christopher Dragon, conductor; Gabriela Martinez, piano)
Modesto Symphony Orchestra 92nd Season Opens With Rhapsody In Blue
Opening Weekend program features works by Florence Price, George Gershwin, and Antonin Dvořák
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) welcomes conductor Christopher Dragon as they open their 92nd Season on Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22, 2022. The program will open with Florence Price’s Concert Overture No. 2 then will feature pianist Gabriela Martinez on George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. The evening concludes with Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”. And as part of the opening weekend festivities, the MSO will have complimentary wine and non-alcoholic beverages for all in attendance.
“We’re excited to introduce our guest conductor Christopher Dragon to Modesto,’” says Caroline Nickel, President and CEO of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. “Christopher has put together a wonderful program that highlights the ‘American Sound’. We’ll go on a journey of American music with Florence Price, who has had much of her music rediscovered in the past decade, to Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 which was inspired by his travels through America and its music. And we are thrilled to bring back pianist Gabriela Martinez to perform the piece that is hailed as a landmark in American music and propelled American composer George Gershwin to fame, Rhapsody in Blue.”
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Rhapsody in Blue
Friday, October 21, 2022 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 7:30 pm
Christopher Dragon, conductor
Gabriela Martinez, piano
PROGRAM
Florence Price: Concert Overture No. 2
George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Antonin Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor
Gallo Center for the Arts, Mary Stuart Rogers Theater
1000 I Street, Modesto
Tickets
Pricing: $19 / 29 / 39 / 49 / 69 / 94
$12 student tickets available at the Gallo Center Ticket Office. Students can purchase two $12 tickets with their student ID.
Tickets are available online through ModestoSymphony.org or through the Gallo Center for the Arts Ticket Office at (209) 338-2100.
Group Prices available: Groups of 10+ receive a 15% discount on tickets. Call (209) 338-5064 for more information.
Gallo Center Ticket Office Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm / Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm
Artist Bios
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The Modesto Symphony Orchestra is a Resident Company of The Gallo Center for the Arts. The DoubleTree Hotel is the official hotel of the MSO.
Press Release: Modesto Symphony Orchestra’s Picnic At The Pops Returns
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) presents Picnic at the Pops: The Music of Elton John starring Michael Cavanaugh with the Modesto Symphony on September 10, 2022 at 7:30pm. Held on the grounds of the E. & J. Gallo Winery, this family-friendly event attracts thousands of guests from Modesto and the neighboring communities for an evening of music, dancing, and fun beneath the stars. This will be the first presentation of the community-favorite concert since 2019.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Contact:
Caroline Nickel
cnickel@modestosymphony.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / August 23, 2022
(Pictured from left to right, top row: Ryan Murray, conductor; Michael Cavanaugh, guest artist; bottom row: Picnic at the Pops!)
Modesto Symphony Orchestra’s Picnic At The Pops Returns
Featuring The Music Of Elton John Starring Michael Cavanaugh
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) presents Picnic at the Pops: The Music of Elton John starring Michael Cavanaugh with the Modesto Symphony on September 10, 2022 at 7:30pm. Held on the grounds of the E. & J. Gallo Winery, this family-friendly event attracts thousands of guests from Modesto and the neighboring communities for an evening of music, dancing, and fun beneath the stars. This will be the first presentation of the community-favorite concert since 2019.
“To say we are thrilled to bring back Picnic at the Pops is an understatement,” said Caroline Nickel, President and CEO of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra Association. “This concert is our largest of the season, our biggest fundraiser of the year, and has truly become a community tradition. From seeing family and friends enjoying their picnics to seeing everyone’s faces light up as the stage lights come on and the orchestra perform – it’s something we’ve missed dearly and are so excited to have Picnic at the Pops again.”
Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket, pack a picnic, and enjoy all that the space has to offer. Outside alcohol is prohibited; wine and an assortment of beverages are available for purchase, with all proceeds benefiting the MSO. For those not looking to pack their own picnic, patrons may pre-order meals from The Village Butcher or purchase food on-site from local food trucks and vendors. Full details on our food offerings will be available at our website at ModestoSymphony.org/picnic.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Picnic at the Pops: The Music of Elton John starring Michael Cavanaugh with the Modesto Symphony
Saturday, September 10, 2022
Grounds Open at 5:00 pm
Concert Starts at 7:30 pm
Ryan Murray, conductor
Michael Cavanaugh, guest artist
E. & J. Gallo Winery Grounds
600 Yosemite Blvd., Modesto
Tickets
General Lawn Seating: Adults $45 / Youth $12
Reserved Lawn Seating: Adults $75 / Youth $20
Groups of 10+ save 20% on General Lawn Adult tickets
(Youth prices for ages 4 through 17, 3 & under are free)
Tickets are available online through ModestoSymphony.org or through the Gallo Center for the Arts Ticket Office at (209) 338-2100.
Gallo Center Ticket Office Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm / Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm
Artist Bios
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The Modesto Symphony Orchestra is a Resident Company of The Gallo Center for the Arts. The DoubleTree Hotel is the official hotel of the MSO.
Press Release: The Modesto Symphony Orchestra 2022-23 Season On Sale Now
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) presents their 92nd season. The MSO’s season will kick off with Picnic at the Pops! This is the first time the organization has been able to present the community favorite concert since 2019. The MSO’s first concert at the Gallo Center for the Arts will be in October when they open their Classics Series with George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Contact:
Caroline Nickel
cnickel@modestosymphony.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / August 4, 2022
Click to download high-resolution photos. (Pictured from left to right: top row: Christopher Dragon, Nicholas Hersh, Andrew Grams, Anthony Parnther; Gabriela Martinez, George Li, Simone Porter, MSO Chorus; Picnic at the Pops, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert
The Modesto Symphony Orchestra 2022-23 Season On Sale Now
The MSO’s 92nd season features outstanding guest conductors, guest artists, and the MSO Chorus.
The Classics Series will feature pieces by Florence Price, Dvořák, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, and more.
The Pops Series will be conducted by the newly appointed Principal Pops Conductor Ryan Murray and includes Holiday Pops! and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert!
Picnic at the Pops! returns with a tribute to Elton John
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) presents their 92nd season. The MSO’s season will kick off with Picnic at the Pops! This is the first time the organization has been able to present the community favorite concert since 2019. The MSO’s first concert at the Gallo Center for the Arts will be in October when they open their Classics Series with George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
This year there will be four Classics concerts and each will have performances on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM at the Gallo Center for the Arts. In addition to the Classics Series, the MSO also offers a three-concert Pops Series which includes Holiday Pops and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert. The Pops Series will be conducted by the newly appointed Principal Pops Conductor, Ryan Murray.
“We are thrilled to present our 92nd Season! The MSO was so eager to return to the stage last year and to perform for our community again. We are taking that momentum into our new season this fall with our exiting, ambitious, and dynamic programs created with our guest conductors,” said Caroline Nickel, President and CEO of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra Association. “We are ecstatic to bring back Picnic at the Pops this September. That concert is not only a favorite of ours, but we know it’s a community favorite as well. There truly is something for everyone this season from our Classics Series with Rhapsody in Blue and Mozart’s Requiem, to the full-length movie, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert. We look forward to seeing everyone at the concert hall!”
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2022-23 Season overview
Classics Series:
4 concerts performed on both Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM in the Mary Stuart Rogers Theater at Gallo Center for the Arts
Opening the Classics Series on October 21 & 22, 2022 is a program lead by guest conductor Christopher Dragon that starts with Price’s Concert Overture No. 2 and then will feature pianist Gabriela Martinez performing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. The evening will end with Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”.
Guest conductor Nicholas Hersh will lead the MSO on November 11 & 12, 2022. Hersh’s program will open with his own arrangement of Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 “Death and the Maiden”. Then we will feature pianist George Li on Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and conclude with Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5.
On February 10 & 11, 2023 the MSO will feature violinist Simone Porter as she performs Barber’s lyrical and wildly virtuosic Violin Concerto with guest conductor Andrew Grams leading the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. The program will also include Brouwer’s Remembrances and conclude with Brahms’s Symphony No. 2.
The MSO will conclude its Classics Series on May 12 & 13, 2023 with a program led by guest conductor Anthony Parnther. The program will feature the MSO Chorus on the monumental piece, Mozart’s Requiem. That weekend’s program will conclude similarly to how it began with Price’s Symphony No. 3. This symphony beautifully celebrates Price’s heritage with influences from blues, jazz, ragtime, and a Juba, which is a dance style created by central Africans enslaved on plantations in the American South.
Pops Series:
3 concerts on Fridays at 7:30pm with Saturday matinee performances at 2pm for two of the concerts performed in the Mary Stuart Rogers Theater at the Gallo Center for the Arts. Conducted by Principal Pops Conductor Ryan Murray.
The Pops Series begins with a celebration of the Holiday Season with the ever-popular Holiday Pops! concert lead by conductor Ryan Murray. The MSO will bring back Broadway’s Ashley Brown to kick off the holiday season with the MSO and MSO Chorus on December 2, 2022 at 7:30 pm and December 3, 2022 at 2pm.
The second concert in the Pops Series will be on March 17, 2023 and will be led by Ryan Murray. Program to be announced.
The Pops Series will close with Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert lead by conductor Ryan Murray! Fans will be able to experience the full movie with the MSO performing the full score live to film on June 2 & 3, 2023.
Special COMMUNITY ConcertS:
Picnic at the Pops on September 10, 2022 and the Holiday Candlelight Concert on December 20, 2022
The Modesto Symphony Orchestra will present their 26th Annual Picnic at the Pops on September 10, 2022 with the The Music of Elton John featuring Michael Cavanaugh and the Modesto Symphony. Grounds open at 5pm and the concert begins at 7:30pm at the E. & J. Gallo Winery.
MSO Chorus Director Dr. Daniel R. Afonso Jr. once again leads the Modesto Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, plus the Opus Handbell Ensemble in a special concert that has become a treasured community tradition, the Holiday Candlelight Concert at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church.
Tickets
Subscription packages and single tickets for the MSO’s 2022-23 Season are on sale now, online, by phone, and at the Gallo Center for the Arts Ticket Office. Visit ModestoSymphony.org for full details.
Gallo Center Ticket Office
Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am to 6:00pm and Saturdays 12:00pm – 6:00pm.
Phone: 209.338.2100
Full 2021-2022 Season Listing
CLASSICS SERIES
Rhapsody in Blue
October 21 & 22, 2022 at 7:30pm
Christopher Dragon, guest conductor
Gabriela Martinez, piano
Florence Price: Concert Overture No. 2
George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Antonin Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World”, Op. 95
Rachmaninoff & Sibelius
November 11 & 12, 2022 at 7:30pm
Nicholas Hersh, guest conductor
George Li, piano
Franz Schubert arr. Hersh: Variations on String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, “Death and the Maiden”, mvt. II
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 82
Barber & Brahms
February 10 & 11, 2023 at 7:30pm
Andrew Grams, guest conductor
Simone Porter, violin
Margaret Brouwer: Remembrances
Samuel Barber: Violin Concerto, Op. 14
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73
Mozart Requiem
May 12 & 13, 2023 at 7:30pm
Anthony Parnther, guest conductor
MSO Chorus, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., chorus director
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem, K. 626
Florence Price: Symphony No. 3 in C minor
POPS SERIES
Ryan Murray, Principal Pops Conductor
Holiday Pops!
December 2, 2022 at 7:30pm
December 3, 2022 at 2:00pm
Ryan Murray, conductor
Ashley Brown, vocalist
MSO Chorus, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., director
Pops Concert 2
March 17, 2023 at 7:30pm
Ryan Murray, conductor
Program to be announced
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert
Live Orchestra with Full Length Film
June 2, 2023 at 7:30pm
June 3, 2023 at 2:00pm
Ryan Murray, conductor
© 1980 & TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © DISNEY. Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts in association with 20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm Ltd., and Warner/Chappell Music.
Special Community Concerts
Picnic at the Pops! The Music of Elton John
Starring Michael Cavanaugh with the Modesto Symphony
September 10, 2022
E. & J. Gallo Winery Grounds
Grounds open at 5:00pm
Concert starts at 7:30pm
Ryan Murray, conductor
Michael Cavanaugh, guest artist
Holiday Candlelight Concert
December 20, 2022 at 8:00pm
St. Stanislaus Catholic Church
Daniel R. Afonso Jr., conductor
MSO Chorus, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., director
Opus Handbell Ensemble, Richard Colla, director
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The Modesto Symphony Orchestra is a Resident Company of The Gallo Center for the Arts. The DoubleTree Hotel is the official hotel of the MSO.
Press Release: Modesto Symphony Appoints Ryan Murray as Principal Pops Conductor
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is excited to announce the appointment of Ryan Murray as the Symphony’s next Principal Pops Conductor. The MSO continues to search for the Symphony’s next Music Director who would be the artistic leader of the organization and the primary conductor of the Classics Series. Ryan Murray will be the primary conductor for the Pops Series and create the programming for those concerts and Picnic at the Pops.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Contact:
Caroline Nickel
(209) 523-4156
cnickel@modestosymphony.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / JULY 15, 2022
MSO Principal Pops Conductor, Ryan Murray (Click to download high-resolution photo)
Modesto Symphony Appoints Ryan Murray As Principal Pops Conductor
MODESTO, CA –The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is excited to announce the appointment of Ryan Murray as the Symphony’s next Principal Pops Conductor. The MSO continues to search for the Symphony’s next Music Director who would be the artistic leader of the organization and the primary conductor of the Classics Series. Ryan Murray will be the primary conductor for the Pops Series and create the programming for those concerts and Picnic at the Pops.
“Ryan Murray has been the MSO’s Associate Conductor since 2013 and has conducted our Holiday Pops! and film concerts for the past several years,” said Caroline Nickel, President and CEO of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra Association. “We’re thrilled to appoint him as our new Principal Pops Conductor! Our Pops Series has grown over the years, and we wanted to find the right person to help us continue to engage our community and welcome new audiences. Ryan is a fantastic conductor and has built a great reputation locally and throughout the U.S. and we’re excited to collaborate with him in his new role.”
In addition to being the MSO’s Associate Conductor, Ryan is currently the Artistic Director and Conductor of Music in the Mountains in Grass Valley. He is also the Director of Symphony Orchestra & Opera at California State University, Sacramento. Ryan is an award-winning opera conductor and currently the Music Director of Opera Modesto and effortlessly moves between genres including traditional orchestra and operatic repertoire, pops performances, movies in concert, and a notable emphasis on contemporary American operatic works.
“I’m absolutely thrilled become the Modesto Symphony Orchestra’s next Principal Pops Conductor!” said newly appointed Principal Pops Conductor Ryan Murray. “I have had a wonderful time over the past nine years working with our amazing orchestra and connecting with our incredible audience. I can’t wait to share more amazing pops programs with all of you and look forward to our upcoming season including Holiday Pops! and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back!”
Ryan will lead the MSO and kick off our 92nd Season in September as Picnic at the Pops! returns for the first time since 2019.
Biography
Ryan Murray is currently the Artistic Director and Conductor of Music in the Mountains and the Associate Conductor of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. He is also the Director of Symphony Orchestra & Opera at California State University, Sacramento, and the Conductor for the Sacramento Youth Symphony's premier orchestra. An award-winning opera conductor, Ryan spent his early career working as an assistant conductor and répétiteur and is currently the Music Director of Opera Modesto. He has served as assistant conductor for opera productions at the Sacramento Philharmonic and is the past Music Director of Fresno Grand Opera, and previously worked as a staff conductor for the Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute (BASOTI) and The Opera Academy of California in San Francisco. Effortlessly moving between genres, Ryan currently enjoys a wide range of performance genres & platforms, including traditional orchestral and operatic repertoire, pops performances, movies in concert, and a notable emphasis on contemporary American operatic works.
Ryan was the winner of the Vienna Philharmonic’s prestigious Ansbacher Fellowship for Young Conductors, and spent the summer in residence alongside the Vienna Philharmonic at the 2014 Salzburg Festival. Ryan was also awarded second place in the 2019 American Prize for Professional Orchestral Conducting for his work with the Modesto Symphony, and has garnered national recognition for his dynamic, compelling performances of contemporary opera as the winner of the 2017 American Prize in Opera Conducting for his highly lauded production of A Streetcar Named Desire. He was a 2016 semi-finalist for the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music for his production of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking.
A charismatic pops conductor, Ryan has worked with prominent artists such as Storm Large of Pink Martini, SuperDiamond and the phenomenal symphonic tribute to David Bowie. He was recently engaged to step-in at the last minute as assistant and cover conductor for Andrea Bocelli's Believe Tour with the Sacramento Philharmonic where he conducted rehearsals to acclaim. He has led some of the top vocalists from Broadway and beyond, including Ben Crawford (Broadway's The Phantom of the Opera), Ashley Brown (Broadway's Mary Poppins), and Alli Mauzey (Glinda from Wicked), as well as some of today's top young jazz vocalists including Tony DeSare and James Tormé. With an enthusiasm for film scores, Ryan enjoys the unique challenges of conducting movies in concert and was recently added the Disney & ICM Approved Conductors list. Recent and upcoming performances include Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pixar Animation Studios' Pixar in Concert, and Star Wars: A New Hope.
Ryan holds degrees, summa cum laude, in Bassoon Performance and Voice Performance from California State University, Sacramento and also holds a master’s degree, with distinction, in Music Business from the Berklee College of Music where he studied with industry professionals to develop tools for success in the modern music industry, including new technology, policy, law and finance. Driven by a lifelong passion for learning, Ryan has attended conducting masterclasses and seminars around the world. Ryan recently attended the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music's Conductors Workshop and was one of just eight conductors worldwide to be invited to the Musiikin aika Summer Festival Masterclass in Finland led by Musical America's 2017 Conductor of the Year & Principal Guest Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Susanna Mälkki. He also recently attended a contemporary music symposium led by Alan Gilbert featuring the New York Philharmonic. Past events include the Aurora Chamber Festival in Sweden, where he studied under Maestro Kurt Masur, the Lucerne Festival Academy’s Conducting Masterclass in Switzerland, and the Eastman School of Music’s Summer Conducting Institute. Widely praised for his tireless work ethic, natural poise, and impassioned, inspired performances, Ryan continues to connect deeply with orchestras and audiences alike and has proven to be a formidable presence on the podium.
About the MSO
The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) was founded in 1931 by Frank Mancini, Malin Langstroth, and Leonard Fristrom, who worked with local leaders to establish a musical and cultural focal point. The MSO became a fully professional orchestra in 1977. New innovations developed, such as pops concerts, the formation of the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra in 1976, and the first Picnic at the Pops in 1994. The 21st century marked further growth with the formation of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra Chorus in 2001, becoming a resident company of the Gallo Center for the Arts when their doors opened in 2007, and the creation of the Modesto Symphony Youth Chorus in 2017.
Each season, the MSO performs five classics concerts and three pops concerts at the Gallo Center for the Arts and produces two community favorites, Picnic at the Pops at the E. & J. Gallo Winery and the Holiday Candlelight Concert at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church. Through its education and outreach programs, the MSO is able to reach over 15,000 students each year by working closely with local schools and providing free or low-cost opportunities to experience classical music.
The 2022-23 season marks the Modesto Symphony’s 92nd season. The MSO continues to strive to enrich and enhance the community by bringing music of the highest artistic caliber and fostering lifelong music education and appreciation.
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The Modesto Symphony Orchestra is a Resident Company of the Gallo Center for the Arts
The DoubleTree Hotel is the official hotel of the MSO
Press Release: Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra Awarded “Community Possible” Grant from U.S. Bank Foundation
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra was recently awarded a $10,000 Community Possible “Play” grant from the U.S. Bank Foundation to support the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra (MSYO) and its students. U.S. Bank makes “Play” possible by investing in community programs that supports ways for children and adults to play and create.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Contact:
Caroline Nickel
cnickel@modestosymphony.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / JUNE 16, 2022
Click to download high-resolution photos
Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra Awarded “Community Possible” Grant from U.S. Bank Foundation
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra was recently awarded a $10,000 Community Possible “Play” grant from the U.S. Bank Foundation to support the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra (MSYO) and its students. U.S. Bank makes “Play” possible by investing in community programs that supports ways for children and adults to play and create.
“We are honored to receive the U.S. Bank Community Possible ‘Play’ grant,” says Caroline Nickel, President and CEO of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. “The Modesto Symphony Orchestra and Youth Orchestra pride ourselves on music education and enriching our community through music. With support from the U.S. Bank Foundation, we look forward to strengthening the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra and continuing to challenge and inspire our students.”
Through the U.S. Bank Community Possible “Play” grant, the MSYO will boost its recruitment efforts to reach more students and fully represent our community’s diversity. The “Play” grant will help the MSYO offer more students an equitable playing field by providing more scholarships, specialized coachings, develop students’ musicianship and their teamwork, discipline, and problem-solving skills.
“We believe communities are stronger when they are connected through the arts and cultural opportunities,” said Brian Hogan, U.S. Bank North and Central California market leader. “We’re proud to support the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra’s efforts to provide youth musicians of all backgrounds the opportunity to share their talents and enrich the community through music.”
About the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra
Founded in 1976, the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra (MSYO) serves over 100 young musicians and their families from more than 40 public and private schools in the Central Valley. Led by a deeply engaged leadership team, the youth orchestra attracts a diverse group of outstanding musicians. Members are presented with the opportunity to share their gift of music in an inspiring and challenging orchestral setting alongside their peers from all social, economic, cultural, and geographical backgrounds. As a program within the Modesto Symphony Orchestra Association, members also have the invaluable experience of interacting with our professional musicians, conductors, and visiting guest artists through workshops, side-by-side performances, and clinics.
The MSYO serves students of varying skill levels and is made up of two full-orchestra (strings, winds, and percussion) groups: MSYO Concert Orchestra (Grades 5-9) and the MSYO Symphony Orchestra (Grades 9-12). Both ensembles perform a three-concert series at the Gallo Center for the Arts throughout the season. In addition to the Gallo concerts, both orchestras also perform in and around the region. The MSYO Concert Orchestra has toured San Francisco, Sacramento, and the Central Valley. Each spring the Concert Orchestra tours through local elementary schools, providing free performances and advocating for the importance of music education. The MSYO Symphony Orchestra has also performed throughout the United States and world, including performances in England, France, Japan, Eastern Europe, Canada, and China. The Symphony Orchestra has previously partnered with the Napa Valley Youth Symphony to perform in the 2012 Mahler Festival in Vienna and for the 2014 New York Phil Young Composers workshop, where they performed at Carnegie Hall and in Central Park.
About U.S. Bank
U.S. Bancorp, with approximately 70,000 employees and $587 billion in assets as of March 31, 2022, is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association. The Minneapolis-based company serves millions of customers locally, nationally and globally through a diversified mix of businesses: Consumer and Business Banking; Payment Services; Corporate & Commercial Banking; and Wealth Management and Investment Services. The company has been recognized for its approach to digital innovation, social responsibility, and customer service, including being named one of the 2022 World’s Most Ethical Companies and Fortune’s most admired superregional bank. Learn more at usbank.com/about.
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The Modesto Symphony Orchestra is a Resident Company of the Gallo Center for the Arts
The DoubleTree Hotel is the official hotel of the MSO