YAVAPAI SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION
October 25, 2026 PRESIDENT’S NOTES

The YSA Board of Directors join me in welcoming you to the second concert
of our 2026-2027 season. Tonight, we are featuring the highly acclaimed 2025
Van Cliburn 2025 Piano Competition Gold Medal Winner, Aristo Sham,
bringing you some of the world’s most beautiful piano music, including
Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C Major, Brahms’s Piano Sonata No. 1, Piano
Sonata No. 2 and Piano Sonata No. 3, Chopin’s Prelude op. 28, No. 13 and
Schumann’s Traumerei.

We hope you are looking forward to our third concert, next month, also
on Sunday afternoon, November 22nd, when we will welcome the Londonbased
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble back to
Prescott. You might remember the appearance of the full chamber orchestra
in March 2023. It was a big hit, and we are anticipating a fine performance
of favorite pieces by Strauss, Glière and Mendelssohn.

It isn’t too early to mention the Yavapai Symphony Association music
scholarship program once again. Elsewhere in this program you will see
a page where we describe that program. It is directed specifically to high
school seniors anywhere in Yavapai County, who have serious plans toward
a career in music.

If you know a graduating high school senior who fits this description,
tell them about our program. Applications will be accepted in the early
months of 2027. Details about the scholarship program are on our website –
yavapaisymphony.org – under the Scholarships tab.

We will shortly be sending out to you our annual request for financial
support, and l am encouraging you to reply with whatever donation you are
willing to provide, showing your support for the quality of life we help to
bring to the greater Prescott area.

Chip Shay, President
Yavapai Symphony Association