Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra On Tour, 2023!

by Shawne Zarubica, Managing Director, Pacific Symphony Youth Ensembles &
Mel Domingo, Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra Manager

PSYO opens Musica Orbis Prague Festival to a sold-out audience at Smetana Hall.
Photo by Peter Dyrc.

In June and July of 2023, Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra (PSYO) embarked on a concert tour to the Czech Republic and Austria, with sold out concerts in Prague’s renowned Smetana Hall and multiple concerts in and around Vienna as participants in the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival and Competition. While in Vienna, the orchestra performed in the legendary Musikverein, the MuTh, the Mehrzwecksaal in the township of Irnfritz-Messern, and the renowned Vienna Konzerthaus, winning second place in the international competition. We also had a chance to visit several wonderful sights in Prague and Vienna, an overall experience that we will never forget!

The wonderful success of our PSYO 2023 tour was especially notable and poignant in that we had to postpone our travels twice due to the pandemic, so many of our original touring musicians were not able to participate three years later. Nonetheless, we were able to include several alums in our PSYO touring ensemble, which under the leadership of the amazing Dr. Jake Sustaita, truly outdid themselves and did Pacific Symphony proud! Our musicians, our Artistic and Administrative Symphony staff, our tour chaperones (MVP’s all), our PSYE Board and our Symphony Board of Directors supporters, our wonderful tour advisors at ACFEA, and our dedicated parent volunteers all came together in exceptional harmony to make this tour the joyful and successful event that it was. Our thanks and gratitude to all!

You can see the timeline of events and photo gallery below.

Timeline of Events
Day 1: Arrival in Prague
Day 2: PSYO Explores Prague
Day 3: Sold out concert at Smetana Hall
Day 4: Arrival in Vienna/SCL Festival Welcome Ceremony in Stephansdom
Day 5: Community Concert at Mehrzwecksaal, Am Park, Irnfritz-Messern
Day 6: SCL Festival Competition & Family Dinner
Day 7: SCL Workshops & Performance at the MuTh Concert Hall
Day 8: Winner’s Gala Performance at the Konzerthaus
Day 9: The Journey Home

Tour Photo Gallery

Day 1: Arrival in Prague. The beautiful Czech Republic. Photo taken from the airplane.
Day 1: Arrival in Prague. The beautiful Czech Republic…
PSYO members at baggage claim.
Baggage!
And we’re off to the hotel for dinner and a bit of post-travel R&R!
And we’re off to the hotel for dinner and a bit of post-travel R&R!
Day 2: PSYO Explores Prague. Karlstejn Castle – quite a hike, but oh so worth it!
Day 2: PSYO Explores Prague. Karlstejn Castle–quite a hike, but oh so worth it!
A magnificent prospect from the gardens of Prague Castle, overlooking the Charles Bridge & Vltava River.
A magnificent prospect from the gardens of Prague Castle, overlooking the Charles Bridge & Vltava River.
Visiting beautiful Prague Castle & St. Vitus Cathedral.
Visiting beautiful Prague Castle & St. Vitus Cathedral.
Day 3: PSYO performing the opening concert of the Musica Orbis Prague Festival at historic Smetana Hall. Photo by Petr Dyrc.
Day 3: PSYO performing the opening concert of the Musica Orbis Prague Festival at historic Smetana Hall. Photo by Petr Dyrc.
A huge crowd with overflow into the choral tiers, in gorgeous Smetana Hall! Photo by Petr Dyrc.
A huge crowd with overflow into the choral tiers, in gorgeous Smetana Hall! Photo by Petr Dyrc.
Day 4: The magnificent Stephansdom at Stephansplatz, Vienna, the site of the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival’s opening ceremony.
Day 4: The magnificent Stephansdom at Stephansplatz, Vienna, the site of the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival’s opening ceremony.
PSYO enjoying the festival opening ceremony
PSYO enjoying the festival opening ceremony
Our own PSYO violinist Gabriel Haraldson-Decker representing Pacific Symphony and PSYO at the opening ceremony.
Our own PSYO violinist Gabriel Haraldson-Decker representing Pacific Symphony and PSYO at the opening ceremony.
Day 5: Community Concert at Mehrzwecksaal, Am Park, Irnfritz-Messern.
Day 5: Community Concert at Mehrzwecksaal, Am Park, Irnfritz-Messern.
A bucolic run-out performance to the Irnfritz-Messern township, with a very appreciative local audience! 
A bucolic run-out performance to the Irnfritz-Messern township, with a very appreciative local audience! 
Day 6: The moment we’ve been building up to – our competition performance at the fabled Musikverein!
Day 6: The moment we’ve been building up to – our competition performance at the fabled Musikverein!
A wonderful meal at the Restaurant Wiener Rathauskeller, after a long walk, and a job well done!
A wonderful meal at the Restaurant Wiener Rathauskeller, after a long walk, and a job well done!
Day 7: PSYO enjoyed two workshops with festival faculty at the University of Music.
Day 7: PSYO enjoyed two workshops with festival faculty at the University of Music.
The MuTh Concert Hall, site of another PSYO concert.
The MuTh Concert Hall, site of another PSYO concert.
Our final day: performing in the Summa Cum Laude Gala Winner’s Concert at the fabulous Konzerthaus!
Our final day: performing in the Summa Cum Laude Gala Winner’s Concert at the fabulous Konzerthaus!
An experience of a lifetime!
An experience of a lifetime!
Day 9: Homeward bound!
Day 9: Homeward bound!
Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra On Tour, 2023!
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