PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

The Philharmonic Orchestra is the premier orchestra of the San Jose Youth Symphony and is led by Music Director and Conductor, Yair Samet. Membership is reserved for outstanding players who demonstrate strong musicianship, have highly advanced technique, and are capable of the discipline necessary to perform in a pre-professional orchestral setting. Musicians have the opportunity to study and perform a wide range of challenging masterpieces from the standard symphonic repertoire, and select musicians have the opportunity to play in chamber music groups that perform at various venues throughout the year.

Watch an excerpt from one of their recent concerts!

Artistic Requirements

Musicians must meet these artistic requirements in order to be accepted into the Philharmonic Orchestra.

2025 – 2026 Season Repertoire

Season Opener Concert – Sunday, November 30, 2025, 5 pm, at the Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater, San Jose

• • Wagner – Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
  • Elgar – Cello Concerto
  • Elsbeth Luu, cello
  • Saarthak Shankavaram – Leela
  • Borne – Carmen Fantasy for Flute and Orchestra
  • Claire Kim, flute
  • Borodin – Polovetsian Dances

Spring Concert – Saturday, March 28, 2026, 2 pm, at the California Theatre, downtown San Jose

• • Glazunov – Raymonda – ballet – selections
  • Conus – Violin Concerto
•           Aden Liu, violin
  • Doppler – Hungarian Pastoral Fantasy for Flute and Orchestra
  • Shuhong (Leo) Liu, flute
  • Liszt – Les Préludes

Season Finale – Saturday, June 6, 2026, 2 pm, at the California Theatre, downtown San Jose

• • Chadwick – Symphonic Sketches – Jubilee
  • Mollicone – Violin Concerto
  • Saarthak Shankavaram, violin
  • Rossini (arr. Respighi) – La Boutique Fantasque

Concerts

The Philharmonic Orchestra performs three subscription concerts per year in December, March and June at the SOAC Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater as well as the  historic California Theatre in downtown San Jose.

The Orchestra has performed with many internationally renowned artists in concert and on tour. They include Jon Nakamatsu, Gold Medal winner of the 1997 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Axel Strauss, professor of violin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Taylor Eigsti, renowned jazz pianist and two-time Grammy Award nominee, and Max Zorin, critically acclaimed violinist and faculty member of the Penn State School of Music.

In addition to the standard symphonic repertoire, the orchestra has collaborated with many local and international leading arts groups, among them the San Jose Symphony Orchestra, the Asian Youth Orchestra, the Okayama Youth Orchestra, San Jose Taiko, Firebird Youth Chinese Orchestra, Mariachi Cobre, San Jose Children’s Musical Theater, the Batucada nana Latin Ensemble, the Crystal Children Choir, the Homestead Jazz Ensemble, the Latin Jazz Ensemble from San Jose State University, and the Los Gatos Ballet in its annual full productions of The Nutcracker.

Rehearsals

Rehearsals are held on Mondays from 6:30 – 9:30 pm at the Los Gatos United Methodist Church (LGUMC), 111 Church Street, Los Gatos.

Sectionals

In every set (a “set” is a group of rehearsals leading to a concert), musicians will receive up to two sectionals coached by leading professional musicians from the area. Approximately every few  weeks the orchestra will be divided into small groups based on their instrument and professional musicians will assist SJYS members to perform the assigned music and to develop their overall musicianship.

Seating Auditions

In addition, at the start of the 2nd and 3rd sets, the orchestra musicians will take part in seating auditions, heard by outside judges (professional musicians) who will hear each musician play individually and rank them according to their preparedness of the repertoire, technique and musicality. The seating auditions are held anonymously to ensure complete fairness.

 

The seating auditions for the 1st Set take place at the overnight summer camp that takes prior to the start of the season and are heard by the conductor. Unlike the seating auditions held during the season, those held at camp are not held anonymously, but provide the opportunity for the conductor to get to know each student’s playing on an individual basis.

 

Make-ups are not permitted for missed seating auditions, for the reasons of accuracy and fairness to the other students who participate.

International Tour

Every two years the Philharmonic Orchestra embarks on an international concert tour in the summer. Past destinations include Europe (Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Portugal), South America (Argentina & Chile), Eastern Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Poland) and Asia (Japan). Please visit our tour page for more information about past tours.

During the 2021-2022 Season, the orchestra traveled on their Concert Tour to the Baltics, with performances and stops in Vilnius, Lithuania; Riga, Latvia; Parnu and Tallinn, Estonia; and a final performance in Helsinki, Finland!