Annual AYS Gala Features Concerto Competition Winner Rachel Ostler on Korngold's Violin Concerto, Along With Works by Mozart and Rachmaninoff, on April 22

Los Angeles, CA, March 21, 2017 (Newswire.com) - ​​On Saturday, April 22 at 6pm at UCLA’s Royce Hall, the American Youth Symphony (AYS) celebrates its annual gala with a concert featuring Mozart’s Overture from The Marriage of Figaro, Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, and Korngold’s Violin Concerto in D Major, featuring AYS Concerto Competition winner Rachel Ostler. The concert will be led by AYS Music Director, Carlos Izcaray. The concert and gala are sponsored by the Flora L. Thornton Foundation, and the Kaman Foundation, Inc.

Tickets are free, but seating is limited. Reserve complimentary tickets online or by phone (310.470.2332) today! 

The 6pm Concert and 7:30pm Gala Dinner will honor both the family of composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold (whose granddaughter, Kathrin Korngold Hubbard, is an alumna of the American Youth Symphony), and a pair of longtime AYS supporters, Ruth Flinkman-Marandy and Ben Marandy. The Marandys are dedicated philanthropists, supporting scientific and technological research and development, education, health related causes, and, of course, the arts. Korngold became a celebrated film composer in the 1930s, after moving to the US to flee the rise of Nazism in his native Austria. At the end of World War II he returned to writing music for the concert hall, resulting in the violin concerto programmed for this concert, which has only grown in popularity and acclaim in the decades since the composer’s death.

Dinner and Concert packages start at $500, and proceeds support the tuition-free training and extraordinary free concerts the American Youth Symphony provides. Reserve for Dinner and Concert online, or by calling 310-470-2332.

Violinist Rachel Ostler is an alumna who played with AYS from 2013-2016, and was named concerto competition winner in January of last year, by panel of classical music professionals from the LA area. Ostler, who is currently pursuing a Masters degree at the Yale School of Music, is a graduate of The Colburn Conservatory and Brigham Young University, and protégé of Monte Belknap. Previously first violin of the former Verdade Quartet, which won grand prize in the Utah Chamber Music Competition, Ostler made her solo debut at 13 years of age when she performed the Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto No. 5 with the Ludwig Symphony Orchestra.

Maestro Izcaray, a native of Venezuela, has been involved in the classical music world since early childhood. Born to a family of multi-generational artistic talent, Izcaray began his music education in Venezuela’s public system of youth orchestras at the age of three. Throughout his career, Izcaray has exhibited an impressive repertoire of talents. A seasoned composer, conductor and educator, Izcaray has earned accolades for his performances as both a soloist and chamber musician, has led a variety of professional and educational ensembles across the world, and has repeatedly shown his commitment to music education by teaching conducting workshops at numerous institutions. His 2010 performances of Virginia by Mercadante won the Best Opera prize at the Irish Theatre Awards, while his most recent orchestral piece, “Cota Mil,” premiered at the Orquesta Sinfónica Municipal de Caracas to great acclaim.

The American Youth Symphony’s mission is to inspire the future of classical music.  A diverse group of over 100 exceptionally talented musicians in high school through doctoral music programs, make up the orchestra. Each member receives invaluable training from world class conductors and seasoned mentors, as well as generous financial support and unique opportunities to perform in front of large, enthusiastic audiences across all music backgrounds. The majority of the symphony's concerts are given free to the public in keeping with the American Youth Symphony’s commitment to creating access and opportunity for everyone to experience the beauty of classical music.

Source: American Youth Symphony