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Announcing the Connie Bao Concerto Opportunity and Masterclass Series
The Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra is honored to announce a new Concerto Opportunity in 2026-2027 created in the memory of Connie Bao, a young violinist whose life, love of music and passion for learning and artistic excellence, touched her family and community.
In celebration of her life, her family has made a generous donation to PACO to create meaningful opportunities for young musicians to grow, perform and be inspired.
New in the 2026-27 season, PACO musicians who apply for the Concerto Opportunity will have the chance to perform as soloists with one of PACO's orchestras, with an opportunity to play with full orchestra, and each selected student will participate in a masterclass with distinguished musicians and teachers in preparation for their solo concerto performance.
More than a performance opportunity, this series is designed to foster mentorship, artistic growth and confidence - the confidence that comes from being challenged, supported and encouraged by an extraordinary musical community. Through this program, Connie's legacy will live on in the musical journeys of our young students for generations to come.
We are deeply grateful to the Bao family for honoring Connie's memory in such a meaningful way.
The Concerto Opportunity is just that, an opportunity. The Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra offers its young musicians an annual opportunity to audition for a chance to perform a concerto or other solo work from the solo string repertoire with one of our string orchestras. There will be four total winners from two age brackets - two from the 14-18 year division and two from the 8-13 year old division. To maximize these opportunities, only single concerto movements are eligible. Repertoire should be standard and in the public domain.
A deadline for submission is typically in December. Recordings should be submitted in the form of an unlisted YouTube link. Chosen players will perform with the Debut or Sinfonia orchestras near the end of the concert season.
All concertos should either have an all-strings accompaniment or have been re-orchestrated for string orchestra.
Although one of the cornerstones of the PACO philosophy is to minimize competition, these video auditions allow a highly motivated student to prepare their music to a very high level, gain audition experience and perform individually. Each student who submits an audition will receive personalized feedback from PACO Music Director Scott Krijnen.
Deadline: December, 2026 (exact date coming soon)
Ages: 8-18
Requirements:
Single concerto movement
Standard repertoire
In the public domain
Provide an unlisted YouTube video link
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