FVSO Announces Dr. Luis Fernandez to Conduct Youth Orchestra

We are excited to announce that Dr. Luis Fernandez has been selected to lead the Youth Orchestra!

Maestro Fernandez comes to YO with an outstanding background as an educator, performer, and conductor. We have been fortunate to have him with us as our 1st violin coach in past seasons, a role that Maestro Fernandez plans to continue in addition to conducting.

We are excited to have his voice on our team and look forward to how YO will thrive under his leadership!

Luis Fernandez was born in Caracas, Venezuela, where he began violin and orchestra studies through the El Sistema music program.

After immigrating to the United States, he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in instrumental performance and conducting at the University of Miami.

Dr. Fernandez has performed with many orchestras such as Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho Symphony Orchestra, Miami Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, Naples Philharmonic, Amarillo Symphony, and Lubbock Symphony (as associate concertmaster). Currently, he performs with Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, Manitowoc Symphony Orchestra, and is concertmaster of the Weidner Philharmonic Orchestra.

Active as a teacher as well as a performer, Dr. Fernandez has been on the faculty of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp (Michigan) since 2008 and has been invited to implement the teaching techniques of Venezuela’s renowned El Sistema in Bolivia, Cuba, Colombia, and Mexico. He was previously director of the violin program at St. Philip’s School (Coral Gables, FL), and served on the faculty of the Community Arts Program and of Greater Miami Youth Symphony. In 2013 he served as Assistant Professor of Violin at the University of Florida. He has taught general music at Valencia Elementary (Portales, NM), where he instituted an after-school strings program, and general music and strings at Badger Elementary School (Appleton, WI). He was also previously on the faculty at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music (Milwaukee, WI). 

Dr. Fernandez presently holds the Robert and Joan Bauer Endowed Professorship in Strings and Music Education at University of Wisconsin Green Bay.

Fox Valley Symphony Youth Orchestra Welcomes Rachel Richards

Fox Valley Symphony Youth Orchestras (FVSYO) is delighted to announce Rachel Richards will be joining their team as Youth Orchestras Executive Director. Effective immediately, Richards will help lead three groups in the Youth program of Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra: Philharmonia, Concert, and Youth Orchestra. Their season is set to begin in September, and they are looking forward to another season of increasing education opportunities for music students in the Fox Valley region.

“I have witnessed the importance of creating memorable music experiences that promote lifelong learning and music-making,” says Richards, who has been a music educator in the Appleton Area School District since 2005. “The Fox Valley Youth Orchestra program serves as a powerful resource for the young musicians that currently participate and the generations that will follow.”

Richards is also a well-established fan of FVSO. “The Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra has remained near and dear to my heart since my youngest years,” says Richards. “Attending concerts served as my first exposure to live orchestral music and demonstrated what could be accomplished when a community comes together with a shared purpose.”

For more information on Youth Orchestra auditions, visit www.foxvalleysymphony.com.

About Rachel Richards:

Rachel Richards has a Bachelor of Music from St. Norbert College and a Master of Arts in Education from Marian University. She is currently the Orchestra teacher in Appleton Area School District and teaches at Wilson Middle School, Highlands Elementary, and Odyssey/Magellan Magnet School. 

Her conducting experience also includes New Horizons Music Fox Valley Orchestra and Oshkosh Youth Symphony’s Philharmonia program. Richards is the volunteer coordinator for All City Strings Festival, an annual event in Appleton.

Richards is a bass and bassoon player and performs regularly with Green Bay Civic Symphony and the Appleton City Band. She has also performed with the Weidner Philharmonic, Sheboygan Symphony, Kimberly Theatre Program, UW Fox Valley Theater Program, St. Norbert College Community Band, VENTO Winds, Wisconsin Symphonic Winds, and UW Fox Valley Band.

Richards’ awards include a Marshall Moss Endowed Scholarship and a Tony Winters Instrumental Music Award from St. Norbert College.

About the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra: 

The Symphony's mission is to build bridges of accessibility to orchestra music and to make a positive impact on the lives of everyone in our community. Founded in 1966, the non-profit provides the community with orchestra concerts, community outreach programming, and three Youth Orchestra programs. Music Director Dr. Kevin Sütterlin leads the adult orchestra, with Dr. Mark Dupere conducting Youth Orchestra, Greg Austin conducting Concert Orchestra, and Adam Brown conducting Philharmonia. Youth Orchestras serve students from middle school through high school and accept students from all regions of the Fox Valley. There are full scholarships available for all three youth groups.

Our NEW Youth Orchestra Conductor

AMAZING NEWS! We finally have our new Youth Orchestra conductor! Mr. Andres Moran is the director of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Symphony Orchestra and a horn teacher. He was a resident conductor of the El Paso Symphony and also music director of the El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestras. Mr. Moran has a Doctorate of Music from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Music from New Mexico State University. Our coaching team and hiring committee met with Mr. Moran several times before making our decision and we are all excited about having him join our team next season. He brings with him a great passion for music education, wonderful ideas about engaging our community, and impressive technical skills on the podium. "I'm very excited to be joining the Fox Valley Youth Symphony team!” says Mr. Moran. “Throughout the hiring process, I was impressed with the level of commitment and passion that the staff and board have for this program. I can't wait to start working with our young musicians in the fall, and I look forward to getting to know more members of the Fox Valley community through our performances." Please join me in welcoming Mr. Moran to the Youth Orchestra!

Thank YOU on this #GivingTuesday

When the folks at New York’s 92^nd Street Y got together five years ago to find a way to celebrate and encourage generosity, they had no idea their project would one day be embraced by over 40,000 organizations worldwide. They couldn’t have predicted that over $116 million would be raised through social media, and they had to be shocked that their #GivingTuesday would become an international movement – a national holiday of sharing.

Those of us at the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra take this opportunity on #GivingTuesday to thank our donors, audience members, volunteers and sponsors for their generosity every day of the year.  Thank you for sharing your time, your resources, your attention, and your efforts with us.  Thank you for understanding that our mission of nurturing symphonic music within our community is fulfilled because of your gifts.

Thank you on this #GivingTuesday. 

For more information on ways to support the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, check out our website 

Our Special Young Guest Artist

When you meet a young lady like Masha Lakisova it is an amazing event.  

About a year and half ago a good friend of mine, violinist Michael Shelton, heard Masha play.  He sent me an email saying that he had heard what he described as "the real deal".  Michael is not one to speak glowingly about someone unless he truly means it.  He has very keen ears and high expectations.  

After checking out a couple of YouTube videos of her playing I made arrangements to hear Masha at her teacher's recital.  She played the Schumann Sonata, with her mother Lyudmila (a brilliant pianist).  Needless to say it was stunning.  

After the recital I stayed around a bit to chat and found Masha and her family to be wonderful people.  They are so proud of what Masha is doing. 

Since then we have worked together several times.  Masha has won even more competitions and has been featured on NPR's "From The Top". 

I am thankful that my friend Michael brought this amazing young woman to my attention and am honored to be able to share her gifts with our wonderful audience.

Brian Groner
Music Director
Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra

Join us this Saturday, January 23, 2016 for this special performance!
Masha will perform Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D major with the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra.

Purchase your tickets online now.

Austin Larson Returns to the Fox Valley!

We don't always go over the top bragging about our fabulous guest artists, but this time, we really need to make an exception! This weekend, our guest artist is Austin Larson. He is a fine player and he's won many awards (see below), but, even better, he is one of our own! Austin is from right here in Neenah! And still better, Austin was a member of our own Youth Orchestra! We are all so delighted to have him come back home for our Opening Night concert this Saturday!

I talked with some of Austin's teachers, so you could get a little more background on this extraordinary young man:

Don Krause: Don is our favorite horn teacher in the area. Not sure how we got lucky enough to have him teaching our students, but we are certainly glad we can count him as a friend. We currently have six horns in the Youth Orchestra, and Don is coaching all of them!

"Of all the students I ever had, Austin had the most focus and drive of any. A lot of  students practice, but they either don't have focus or don't have the drive. Austin was always trying to improve his performances, even in his lesson assignments. He managed to memorize every solo that he played for solo ensemble year after year. Practice makes perfect was his constant motto! I have had him work with a lot of my students as he has become more successful and is always willing to take the time to help young students improve."

Bruce Atwell: Bruce is our Principal Horn for the Fox Valley Symphony and also teaches at the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. He works with our board, staff and youth orchestra students to help make improvements across the board. 

"When Don first referred Austin to me as a freshman in high school, my first impression was that he was going to become a once in a generation horn player. His sense of musicianship was already well developed from years of playing the violin and his horn technique was solid and seemed effortless. This raw talent combined with an amazing work ethic pointed to a long and successful career as a musician. His attitude still amazes me. He is still so humble and grateful for all of the success he has achieved. He still calls or texts his former teachers to let us know how he is doing. I can't wait to see where he ends up."

Lynn Lichte: Lynn was our program director for Youth Orchestra while Austin was a student. She was an amazing asset to the symphony and our Youth and Education program. She has since retired, but we miss her every day!

"It was my great pleasure to know Austin Larson while I was the manager of the fox Valley Symphony Youth Orchestra program.  He was not only a gifted young musician, but a true leader in the orchestra.  This fine young man received the coveted Youth Symphony "Leadership Award" during his senior year and went on to win numerous honors and accolades both nationally and internationally as an amateur and now professional musician.  I believe that I can speak for the entire Fox Valley Symphony Youth Orchestra program in saying that they are proud to claim Austin as one of the brightest and best of their alumni and are thrilled to see him return as the guest artist to open the new concert season!"

We can't wait to have Austin on our stage again this Saturday! It is always a treat to work with talented guest artists, but when it is one of our own students who we've watched grow and succeed, it is a rare gift that we will all cherish!

Be sure to get your tickets here!

You can also read the full program notes on our website.

Here is a copy of Austin's bio, so you can be as impressed as we are!

Neenah native Austin Larson has gone on to become one of the most successful young hornists of his generation. A graduate of Neenah High School, Austin was a member of the Fox Valley Youth Symphony for five years and studied with current and former FVSO hornists Bruce Atwell and Donald Krause. Austin has since developed one of the most impressive competitive track records of any hornist. Austin is one of only two people to ever win First Prize in both the University and Professional Divisions of the International Horn Competition of America and has also won First Place in the International Horn Society Premier Soloist Competition, the Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition, and the Wisconsin Public Radio Young Artists Competition. On the international stage, Austin was also most recently a finalist in the Jeju International Brass Competition in South Korea. Austin has also appeared as a soloist at many prestigious venues, including the Music For All Symposium, International Horn Symposium, Jeju International Wind Ensemble Festival, Wisconsin Public Radio, and with orchestras in both the United States and South Korea.

Currently living in Denver, Austin holds the Assistant Principal Horn position with the Colorado Symphony and has previously held the Second Horn position with Symphony in C in addition to summer positions with the Verbier Festival Orchestra in Switzerland and Spoleto Festival Orchestra USA. Austin holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and the Curtis Institute of Music and his primary collegiate teachers include Jennifer Montone, Jeffrey Lang, Randy Gardner. A strong believer in music advocacy, Austin has also been involved with numerous charitable organizations, including Appleton-based Horns a Plenty Christmas and has raised funds for music scholarships both at the University of Cincinnati and in the Northeast Wisconsin area. For more information, visit www.austin-larson.com.

A View from the Stage: Progress in Philharmonia

(This week's guest blogger is Adam Brown, Fox Valley Symphony Youth Orchestra's Philharmonia conductor.)

This is my third year as conductor of the Philharmonia, and each year has offered its own unique combination of successes, challenges, and opportunities for the students to grow as an orchestra. When I first entered the position in late spring 2012, the students had already gone through their auditions and I hadn’t met or heard them (beyond the ones who were there for my interview, many of whom were in the previous year’s ensemble). I had to rely on Greg Austin’s (Concert Orchestra conductor) experience listening to them try out, as well as his experience with the Philharmonia-level repertoire, to help me prepare for the early fall retreat and the first concert. Greg was, and continues to be, a tremendous resource of expertise and insight into the past performances of pieces in the FVSO library. By around the time the students were preparing for their spring “mini-tour,” I was finally starting to feel like I knew what I was doing, more or less! I also knew from my years of teaching that I would soon have to start from scratch, listening to many new members auditioning in (or up, to Concert Orchestra). It was a bittersweet time, offering congratulations and well wishes for good auditions that, if successful, would mean that I would no longer be working with those students.

For the second year, I wanted to build on what I saw as a successful first year while offering some different experiences, especially for students who had been in Philharmonia the year before. I tried to offer more solo opportunities, and watched students step up to leadership roles as they challenged themselves to learn these. I also programmed a piece by a living American composer (Magen Miller Frasier), and made the bold statement that the orchestra could do a “distance rehearsal” using software like Skype, even before I had tried to contact the composer! Thankfully, she was very generous with her time and praise of the students, and even requested permission to put their performance of her piece on her website. It was a great moment for the students to have a direct connection with the music-making process that I hope they always remember.

As this year began with the auditions, I was stuck by two things: how the orchestra overall seemed a bit younger, and how incredibly violin-heavy it was! This presented a challenge selecting repertoire that I thought would complement the sounds and strengths of the other sections, while also being appropriately difficult and different from the previous years. For the first time, I chose pieces that feature guest percussionists, a role that has been graciously filled by members of the Youth Orchestra percussion section. I’ve also seen the smaller viola, cello, and bass sections rise to the occasion and play with a strong, confident sound that allows for better balance. 

On days when the orchestra has sectionals (three times for each concert cycle), I move from room to room to hear how everyone works together, and I have been continually impressed with the maturity and work ethic the students have shown. The coaches have expressed this much as well, and have appreciated how much is able to be accomplished. I feel like all the hard work and progress is helping make this first concert of the 2014-2015 season become even more polished and excellent-sounding than the past two years!

A View from the Stage: Collaborative Education

(Written by guest blogger Nancy Kaphaem, Cellist for Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra and FVSO Education Quartet)

One of the best things that I get to do as a professional cellist and teacher is to play with the Fox Valley Symphony's Artistic Adventures education program for elementary age children.  Collaborating this year with the Trout Museum and the Fox Cities PAC was fantastic.  To consider that a string quartet this fall played in 22 up-close performances for over 700 children total is astounding and incredibly meaningful.  

Experiencing live music can lead to deeper understanding, joy, and a rich emotional range that is beyond words.  I am so privileged to work with other enthusiastic members of the Fox Valley Symphony in this educational outreach and in all of our symphonic concerts.  

Every year I cherish these rich times that bring for all of us, performers, students and our symphonic audience at the PAC alike, priceless experiences of community and deep connection. 

“Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.” 

― Khalil Gibran

“Music . . . can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.” 

― Leonard Bernstein