The South Florida Youth Symphony, considered one of the nation’s premier youth music organizations, captured the top prize — the Heritage Inauguration Festival Gold Adjudicators Trophy for Orchestral Performance — during the prestigious Heritage Music Festival held recently in Washington, DC.
But the trip to Washington, which included an opportunity to attend the Presidential Inauguration, was months in the making for the 53-year-old organization.
Comprised of many underprivileged, talented young musicians, the Youth Symphony first had to raise the funds to help underwrite the trip for 24 musicians and chaperones. The SFYS, which has never turned away a student for his/her inability to pay, opened a GoFundMe account and appealed to South Florida through various TV appearances.
The media-oriented strategy worked, raising more than $15,000. Two organizations, Shutts & Bowen and the Biscayne Bay Kiwanis Club, gave $3,000 and $1,000, respectively.
“It was very heartwarming to get the support of South Florida — both on the corporate and personal level — that enabled these kids to have this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Marjorie Hahn, SFYS musical and executive director. “To be able to attend a Presidential Inauguration and compete in such a prestigious competition — a first for most of these kids — and take the top prize, would have been unthinkable just months ago. Most of our kids have never even been out of Miami-Dade County. But they put in the hard work and were rewarded with accolades from the adjudicators.”
In addition to the gold trophy for orchestral performance, several individuals were recognized by festival judges. Yosvani Rodriguez won the Maestro Award for Most Outstanding Violin Soloist and Grace Bush won two awards: the Maestro Award for Most Outstanding Flute Soloist and the Festival Ovation Award for service and commitment to excellence.
Hahn, along with Dr. Dennis Kam, associate conductor of the South Florida Youth Symphony, were awarded the Adjudicators Festival Directors Trophy.
For more information on the South Florida Youth Symphony, send email to MakeMusic@sfys.net or call 305-238-2729.
