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Join us on Sunday, March 1st at 3:00 PM at Sunset Center in Carmel for an inspiring afternoon of music as our young musicians dive deep into the emotionally rich pieces by classical masters in Hidden Depths , the second concert of our season. Our students take on the challenge of bringing to life the passion, struggle, and beauty inherent in every melody. This concert brings together students from across our programs for a performance that celebrates growth, collaboration, and artistry. This concert will feature our Honors Orchestra Concerto Competition winner, Katherine Lin , who will perform Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto. Katherine’s performance promises to be a highlight of the afternoon, showcasing both technical brilliance and expressive depth. Honors Concerto Winner Katherine Lin performing during the Honors Concerto Competition The concert will also feature a special collaboration between our South County Strings  students as they perform along side our Junior Youth Orchestra on Jeremiah Clarke's Prince of Denmark’s March . This side-by-side performance highlights our commitment to building the musical community, giving younger students the opportunity to share the stage. South County Strings students joined the Junior Youth Orchestra in rehearsal in preparation for their upcoming performance The Junior Youth Orchestra  will also present Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony , offering audiences a chance to experience the lyricism and drama of one of the most beloved works in the orchestral repertoire. Meanwhile, the Honors Orchestra  will perform Mendelssohn’s The Hebrides (Fingal’s Cave) , capturing the sweeping power and atmosphere of this iconic tone poem. Bringing the program together, both orchestras will perform selections from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake , filling the hall with some of ballet’s most recognizable and enchanting music. The Junior Youth and Honors Orchestra get ready to take the stage in the second concert of the season, Hidden Depths , on March 1st at 3:00 pm at the Sunset Center. We invite families, friends, and community members to join us for this exciting afternoon celebrating the dedication and talent of our young musicians. We hope to see you there! Follow the link to purchase your ticket! https://www.youthmusicmonterey.org/event-info/hidden-depths

Our Honors Orchestra students are thrilled to join the Monterey Symphony on stage for a special side-by-side performance of The Hebrides (Fingal's Cave) by Felix Mendelssohn this weekend on Saturday, February 21st at 7:30 pm and Sunday, February 22nd at 3:00 pm at the Sunset Center. Side-by-side concerts offer these young musicians a rare and meaningful opportunity to rehearse and perform alongside professional orchestral players. Our students benefited from sectional coaching with several of the Monterey Symphony's own musicians earlier this month and will rehearse with MSO's Music Director Jayce Ogren later this week. Throughout this process, our students have gained invaluable insight into high-level artistry, ensemble collaboration, and the high standards of professional performance. Monterey Symphony Violinist Nigel Armstrong works with YMM Honors Orchestra Upper Strings students in sectionals on February 4th at Hidden Valley Music Seminars. We are incredibly proud of our Honors Orchestra students for all of the hard work they have put in to rise to the occasion and represent our program onstage with such dedication and artistry. We extend our sincere thanks to the Monterey Symphony for welcoming our students into their orchestra and fostering the next generation of musicians through collaboration and mentorship. Principal Flutist Dawn Walker works with YMM Honors Orchestra Woodwind students in sectionals on February 4th at Hidden Valley Music Seminars. We hope you'll join us in celebrating and supporting our students as they take part in this memorable performance! Follow the link below or click the button to go to the Monterey Symphony website to purchase tickets for performances on Saturday, February 21st or Sunday, February 22nd: https://www.montereysymphony.org/events/schubert-mass-and-haydns-london/

Happy New Year! This year's MCGives! campaign ends soon, but the impact of your donation to Youth Music Monterey County will be felt well into the New Year! If you have not already, please donate to YMMC through MCGives! to increase your donation with their match. Best Wishes for the New Year! Donate now and build the next generation through music. MCGives! ends at 11:59pm December 31, 2025. www.montereycountygives.com/ymm

Angel Levels Angel - Two Dress Circle Tickets to Sunset Center orchestral performances annually - Invitations to after Sunset Center concert receptions - Invitations to the Annual Angel Appreciation Event Read More Archangel This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Read More Rainforest Action Initiative This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Read More Renewable Energy Program This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Read More

Administrative Staff Programs Director Candis Badgley Carlson Artistic Staff Music Director Alan Truong Chamber Players Aleksey Klyushnik South County Strings Director Miriam Oddie Brass Ensemble Director Suzanne Mudge Director, Woodwind Chamber Ensembles Igor Poklad

Artistic Staff Alan Truong Music Director Alan Truong — conductor, educator, presenter — is a rising force in the sphere of American music, connecting music with the experiences of performers and listeners alike. He was recently Cover Conductor for the New York Philharmonic’s Art of the Score concert series and has made public appearances with the Juilliard Lab Orchestra and the Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra. With the Juilliard Orchestra, he has assisted some of the leading conductors of this generation, including Bertrand de Billy and Donald Runnicles. In 2023, he served as Assistant Conductor for the Aspen Festival Orchestra, in addition to being a fellow at the Conducting Academy. In the Winter of 2022, he stepped in on 48 hours’ notice to conduct AXIOM, Juilliard’s New Music Ensemble in a concert of world premieres. In 2025, Alan came full circle when he was named the first alumni Music Director of Youth Music Monterey County, having spent formative years in the orchestras as an adolescent playing the Bassoon. A Salinas native, he is a galvanized advocate for music education in under-resourced communities, a result of being raised in his hometown’s Youth Orchestra of Salinas, an El Sistema-inspired program. He continuously serves as a Teaching Artist, actively forming the future generation of the musical community in a city historically afflicted by an arts drought. In the past, he has worked extensively with the Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra, the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestras, and is a regular guest conductor with the Rochester Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. He has participated in masterclasses with some of today’s foremost conductors and pedagogues, including Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Bertrand de Billy, Robert Spano, Cristian Măcelaru, and James Ross. Alan was a recipient of the Benzaquen Career Advancement Grant and the Bruno Walter Memorial Scholarship. As of 2024, he holds a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the Juilliard School under the auspices of David Robertson. He also holds a Bachelor of Music in Bassoon Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Back to Staff