Giving young prodigies their professional debut has long been a personal passion of Music Director Barry Jekowsky that dates back to the California Symphony’s premiere concert on May 17, 1987, when the featured guest artist was 16-year-old Violinist Kyoko Takezawa.

Among the others who have since achieved international fame are violinists Sarah Chang (then 9), Leila Josefowicz (12), pianists Helen Huang (10), Conrad Tao (9), Joyce Yang (11) and cellist Alisa Weilerstein (14).


Sarah Chang's 3rd appearance with the California Symphony    
© Merrilee Holmes 1996