We are delighted to announce that Candis Badgley Carlson has accepted the position of Executive Director of Youth Music Monterey County. As you all know, Candis has worked tirelessly for the past two years as our Programs Director. She has helped our organization navigate multiple transitions and has developed a wonderful rapport with our YMMC families, our board members, our community supporters, and our Music Director, Alan Truong. Candis brings to the position the unique ability to manage both the daily administrative demands of our organization and the larger vision and executive planning of our board. For a detailed overview of Candis’s background and accomplishments, please visit her bio on our website. We are confident that Candis’ oversight of our two orchestras, our chamber music programs, South County Strings and Orchestra in the Schools will provide a new level of continuity and clarity as we continue to help our students achieve their greatest potential. Thank you for your input and support. We are very excited to launch our ‘26-‘27 season under such talented leadership, and with such a dedicated and inspiring teaching staff. YMMC Board of Directors

We're excited to share a great opportunity to attend the Carmel Bach Festival's Family Concert this Saturday, July 18th from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. The concert features fun for the whole family, with the return of CBF's beloved characters Leonard (a young boy) and Rasmus (his toy horse) as they embark on an epic adventure that is for the birds and all about birds! This performance brings extraordinary, multisensory experiences that combine music, theater, and visual art with sound effects – some of them created by you, the audience – in an immersive and interactive experience. Bring your best bird call or bird song. You’ll have so much fun, you might even grow feathers! Music by Vivaldi, Haydn, Respighi, Saint-Saens, Mussorgsky, Kats-Chernin, Britten, and yes, Byrd. We close with the jazz standard, Birdland, and invite the audience to sing along. The post-concert fair features DD, the red-tailed hawk, brought to us by the SPCA. While this concert is free, the Carmel Bach Festival requests families to reserve tickets: Family Concert: Birds of a Feather! | Carmel Bach Festival Join us on the Terrace after the concert for a post-concert faire with twelve different organizations and community partners in the arts and sciences, including YMMC's own instrument "petting zoo." We hope to see you there!

Youth Music Monterey is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of YMM alum Ealaph Tabbaa, who has been selected as one of this year's composers for the Emerging Composers Intensive at Hidden Valley Music Seminars. As part of the intensive, Ealaph composed a new work for string trio that will receive its premiere performance on Saturday, July 4th at 7:00 p.m. at Hidden Valley Music Seminars in Carmel Valley. Since graduating from Youth Music Monterey, Ealaph has continued to pursue his passion for composition. He recently completed his first year of a master's degree in composition at the Manhattan School of Music, where he has been writing and performing new music both within the school community and in professional settings. About his new work, Ealaph shared: "The piece I wrote for ECI is a string trio where I take influence from my heritage, using Arab folk music influence, and combine it with my love of contemporary concert music. It's a driving and energetic work with a very athletic viola part!" We're incredibly proud to see Ealaph's artistry continue to flourish and are excited that audiences will have the opportunity to experience his newest composition. His selection for the Emerging Composers Intensive is a testament to his creativity, dedication, and musical voice. Congratulations, Ealaph! Your Youth Music Monterey family is cheering you on, and we look forward to following your continued success. Emerging Composers Intensive Concert I Saturday, July 4th, 7:00 PM Hidden Valley Music Seminars 104 W Carmel Valley Rd Carmel Valley All ECI concerts are free and open to the public. We hope you'll come out and support one of our outstanding alumni as he shares his newest work with the community!

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

From our music family to yours. We wish you all a happy holiday filled with music and cheer! Thank you for your continued support of Youth Music Monterey County's programs. There would be no programs today without your generosity! There's never been a better time to donate and build the next generation through music. The MCGives! campaign ends at 11:59pm on December 31, 2025. www.montereycountygives.com/ymm

The support and encouragement of so many have helped to sustain Youth Music Monterey County programs since 1988. Join our team, donate now through MCGives! and support YMMC students on their music journey. There's never been a better time to donate and build the next generation through music. The MCGives! campaign ends at midnight on December 31, 2025. www.montereycountygives.com/ymm

Keep children in music. Your generous donation allows more students to begin music and continue on their music journey! Youth Music Monterey County is only able to keep tuition low, offer scholarships, and supply instruments with your help. YMMC does not turn a student away for their inability to pay. YMM accepts any donation amount, all donations add up! For example: $1500 pays for a Junior Youth & Honors orchestra tuition scholarship $725 pays for an Orchestra in the Schools tuition scholarship $150 pays maintenance of a free instrument for a student $75 pays for sheet music for South County Strings students $35 pays for a student's bow Your generous donation through the MCGives! campaign is increased through their match. There's never been a better time to donate and build the next generation through music. The campaign runs through December 31, 2025. www.montereycountygives.com/ymm

Help Youth Music Monterey continue to support children on their music journey from first time students in South County Strings and Orchestra in the Schools through our highly accomplished Junior Youth & Honors Orchestras and Chamber Ensembles. This Giving Tuesday please consider giving to YMM through the MCGives! campaign and increasing your donation through their match. There's never been a better time to donate and build the next generation through music. November 13 through December 31, 2025. www.montereycountygives.com/ymm

The MCGives! campaign is going strong! We are thankful for everyone who makes up our music family: our students, their dedicated parents, our generous donors, our talented instructors, and hard working staff. During this time of thanks, we thank all of you who have already donated through the MCGives! campaign. Your generosity gives the gift of music for generations to come! There's still time to give and build the next generation through music. The campaign runs through December 31, 2025. www.montereycountygives.com/ymm

We invite you to donate to Youth Music Monterey County (YMM) during the 2025 MCGives campaign that inspires and benefits non profits like YMM so that we may continue to support children on their music journey from first time students in South County Strings and Orchestra in the Schools through highly accomplised Junor Youth & Honors Orchestras and Chamber Ensembles. Over 300 students served with no child turned away for the inability to pay. There's never been a better time to donate and build the next generation through music. The campaign runs November 13 through December 31, 2025. www.montereycountygives.com/ymm