Never let it be said that the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio aren't ambitious. Case in point: this coming Sunday at the Tobin, their concert featuring a Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, with a student violinist taking the lead, and the Shostakovich Symphony No. 5. Whew!
YOSA Artistic Director and Conductor Troy Peters said that's all part of the plan.
"We really want our young musicians to engage with these landmarks of the classical repertoire, and to play these things they're gonna remember for the rest of their lives," Peters said, and the Shostakovich 5 fits the bill perfectly.
"For young musicians, it's just a thrilling piece to tackle."
On top of that, every year YOSA has a concerto competition, where students audition to be featured in a concerto: this year's winner was violinist Zhiwei Huang, a graduating senior who'll be playing the finale of the Tchaikovsky.
And then there's this: the orchestra is touring this summer, including a visit to Scotland — so they're playing a rousing Malcolm Arnold Scottish Dance as an appetizer.
Said Peters, expanding horizons in all these ways is "a big part of what this is all about. Giving students a larger sense of what's possible for them in the future."
Shostakovich Five
7:00 PM
Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
May 10, 2026
YOSA Philharmonic closes the season with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, a gripping journey from darkness to triumph. The program also includes Walton’s Crown Imperial, a spotlight on the 2025/26 YOSA Concerto Competition winner , and a performance by YOSA Capriccio Strings.
