The Fresno Summer Orchestra Academy (FOOSA), an intensive orchestral immersion program and festival, returns with two weeks of study and practice that culminates in several free performances this summer.
In collaboration with Fresno State and the Youth Orchestras of Fresno, the FOOSA Festival, from June 13 to 29, brings together nationally and internationally acclaimed faculty artists with aspiring young musicians from the Central Valley.
Participants engage in workshops, master classes, daily private lessons, orchestra rehearsals and sectionals, student recitals, a concerto competition and performances in some of California’s most prestigious venues, including Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Paul Shaghoian Memorial Concert Hall in Fresno.
Under the baton of Dr. Thomas Loewenheim, artistic director, the FOOSA Philharmonic has emerged as one of the world’s premier training orchestras specializing in large-scale orchestral repertoire. Known for performing the works of Gustav Mahler, Dmitri Shostakovich and Richard Strauss, the ensemble also explores music from the Baroque, classical and contemporary eras while championing new works and innovative programming. With more than 130 musicians, the FOOSA Philharmonic provides a unique opportunity for young artists to perform at the highest artistic level.
The philharmonic will perform Strauss’s epic “Eine Alpensinfonie,” a musical depiction of a day in the Alps, from sunrise to storm to sunset. The program also features Béla Bartók’s dramatic suite from “The Miraculous Mandarin.” Performances are 8 p.m. on Friday, June 26, at Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles and 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, at the Paul Shaghoian Memorial Concert Hall in Fresno.
FOOSA’s mission is to create a world-class music festival and orchestral training program that brings the world to Fresno and Fresno to the world.
Throughout the two-week festival, FOOSA will present free recitals and student showcases nearly every evening at the Fresno State Concert Hall. Tickets for Fresno performances may be purchased in advance to guarantee seating. Admission to performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall is free, though advance reservations are required. For ticket information, festival details and a full schedule, visit foosamusic.org.
