Livermore-Amador Symphony's next concert, "The Brilliance of Youth," will take place this Saturday (Feb. 12) at Livermore's Bankhead Theater.
Music director Lara Webber will conduct the concert, which includes George Walker's "Lyric for Strings" and Edvard Grieg's "Holberg Suite." American composer George Walker was the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
The concert will feature special performances by violinists Dustin Breshears and Valery Breshears, and pianist Celicia Thendean, winners of the symphony's Competition for Young Musicians. Teen jazz band Element 116, under the direction of Matt Finders, will perform during intermission.
Thirteen-year-old Thendean, of Pleasanton, will perform Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto in A Minor, 1st movement. She began piano lessons at age 5 and has won numerous prizes in solo competitions, including international contests.
She is enrolled in the San Francisco Conservatory of Music pre-college program studying cello under Eric Sung. Besides playing piano, she enjoys math and reading, and playing cello and oboe.
Dustin Breshears, 14, will perform Henri Vieuxtemps' Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Minor, 1st movement. He lives in San Pablo and is in ninth grade at the Oakland School for the Arts.
He began violin lessons at age 4 and began studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music at age 7. He has soloed with four different orchestras since the age of 6 and won numerous solo awards. Dustin comes from a family of musically talented siblings.
Valery Breshears, 12, Dustin's sister, will perform Pablo de Sarasate's "Zigeunerweisen." Valery is in seventh grade at the Oakland School for the Arts.
She began violin lessons at age 2 and by age 5 began studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has soloed eight times with six different orchestras since the age of 6 and has won numerous solo competitions.
The concert begins at 8 p.m.; doors will open by 7:30 p.m. Masks are required, and patrons 12 and older will be required to show proof of full vaccination and photo ID as they enter.
For tickets, visit the Bankhead ticket office at 2400 First St., Livermore, www.livermorearts.org, or call 925-373-6800. Ticket holders should check www.livermoreamadorsymphony.org for updates since the concert program is subject to change due to the pandemic.
Editor's note: Patricia J. Boyle, past president of the California Writers Club Tri-Valley branch, writes about the Livermore-Amador Symphony.
