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Who We Are
Who We Are
The Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra (PACO) is an award-winning youth orchestra for regional string musicians of high-school age and younger. PACO’s five ensembles—SuperStrings, Preparatory, Debut, Sinfonia, and Senior PACO—have approximately 30 members each which rehearse weekly and perform throughout the year presenting an extraordinary level of music-making and commitment to their art.
At PACO, we believe that making music—and lifelong friends—is best achieved in an atmosphere of cooperation and teamwork. Our focus on small orchestras and chamber music makes that possible, and we minimize internal competition to foster creativity and collaboration for our young musicians. PACO students get many opportunities to work with each other across orchestra levels, knitting our musical family together and providing teaching and learning opportunities for all. Team work, compassion, empathy and imagination are hallmarks for our community. More than just learning how to play the notes, our students learn the real meaning and value of playing well with others. By staying small, PACO has a highly personalized commitment to both our students and our community, as envisioned in our mission statement:
We teach young string players to play well with others, to forge a musical community, and to make the world a better place.
We teach young string players to play well with others, to forge a musical community, and to make the world a better place.
Why PACO?
Why PACO?
Our emphasis on chamber music sets PACO apart from other youth programs and lies at the core of our educational success. It allows us to:
Cultivate the highest artistic values and embrace the importance of human relationships through the study of chamber music.
Serve as goodwill ambassadors through the performance of chamber music at home and abroad.
Instill a life-long appreciation of chamber music in young people, their families, and the community.
Scott Krijnen, Music Director
Scott Krijnen, Music Director
Scott Krijnen was appointed PACO's Music Director in the 2023-24 season – only the third in the organization’s 57 year history. Scott extends PACO’s tradition of excellence in the world of music performance, conducting and music education, all while humbly walking the talk and inspiring others to truly live the tenets of PACO’s motto, “Plays Well with Others.” Scott began his association with PACO 18 years ago as a coach at PACO Camp and has been involved and dedicated to PACO every year since.
For Scott, “Plays Well with Others” is not just a slogan for this organization, it’s a vision. My vision is to honor the established practices that make PACO incredible while continuing to seek what’s possible in the realm of engaging others, whether in our public spaces, connecting with students and educators around the world or working with businesses to see the value of the four words, 'plays well with others.' We can all listen more effectively, speak with more kindness, support with more empathy and we can all accept that we know what we know, but we don’t know what we don’t know. My vision includes the mission to find out what we don’t know and then, to learn and to grow."
Scott follows in the footsteps of Ben Simon (2002-2023) and PACO’s founder, William Whitson (1966-2001).
PACO employs a wonderful and professional group of world class musicians that work with students at all levels, be it chamber music coaching, sectionals, masterclasses and so much more. All faculty members have studied at some of the world's most prestigious music ... read more
Alumni Spotlight
Alumni Spotlight
Several generations of PACO alumni have gone on to achieve remarkable success across diverse musical fields, reflecting the program’s deep emphasis on chamber music, collaboration, and artistic excellence throughout the world. And even while not all PACO grads go on to a career in music, music remains a very central component in their lives. ... coming soon
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