The Yonkers Ledger reported on the most recent and upcoming performances to be held by the Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra, including the upcoming 47th Annual Young Artists Concerto Competition Winners Concert on May 9th at Saunders Trades and Technical High School.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Anne Frascarelli, a community member of the orchestra and also the Treasurer, and Music Director, Ari Rudiakov, to gain even more insight on the Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra’s illustrious past and all the work they do to keep music alive in Yonkers.
The Origins of the Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra
The Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra (YPO), founded in 1962, is lower Westchester’s flagship community symphony orchestra and one of the jewels of the City of Yonkers and Westchester County. The orchestra provides free classical music concerts to Yonkers and the surrounding communities, and its diverse programs are funded primarily through grants from ArtsWestchester, the Westchester Community Foundation, the Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation and the City of Yonkers, as well as through generous contributions from its loyal audience members. Overseeing YPO is the Fine Arts Orchestral Society of Yonkers (FAOS), a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) organization founded by the late Dr. Kathleen Pistone-Carucci, and currently led by its President, Victoria Jimpson-Fludd. Ariel Rudiakov, conductor, violist and a Yonkers boy, is the current Music Director of the Yonkers Philharmonic. He is also co-founder and Artistic Director of Taconic Music in Manchester, VT, Music Director and conductor of Danbury Symphony Orchestra, CT, Assistant conductor of the Greenwich (CT) Symphony Orchestra and Adjunct Faculty at the University of Indianapolis. In most years, YPO presents three free concerts, featuring orchestral masterpieces, and has also presented free outdoor summer concerts in collaboration with the Hudson River Museum. For Flag Day, June 14, 2026, the Yonkers Philharmonic in collaboration with Yonkers Parks, Recreation and Conservation will hold a concert at the JFK Marina. Among YPO’s signature programs is the Annual Young Artists Concerto Competition and Concert, featuring Westchester student winners as soloists with the orchestra.
The Development of the Young Artists Concerto Competition
The Young Artists Concerto Competition was created to identify, encourage, and showcase exceptional young musicians of all types from Westchester County. The 47th Young Artists Concerto Competition Free Concert will be held on May 9, 2026 at 3:00 pm at Saunders Trades and Technical High School.
First Prize Winner, Ben Puts, from Yonkers will perform the first movement of Lalo’s cello concerto, which reflects Lalo’s Spanish-inflected Romanticism—restless, colorful, never predictable. The writing is idiomatic and demanding, showcasing the instrument’s full expressive range from deep, resonant lows to singing upper register passages.
Second Prize Winner, Taira Matsumoto from Pleasantville introduces the saxophone as a solo concert instrument with Glazunov’s Concerto for Sax. Cast in a single continuous movement, the opening theme, songful and aristocratic, displays the alto saxophone’s uncanny ability to sing like the human voice.
Third Prize winner, Yuto Lim from Harrison completes the celebration of our Westchester high school students with the 1st movement from one of the most beloved violin concertos ever written, Mendelssohn’s E minor Concerto.
The Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra will open the concert with Strauss Fruhlingstimme (Voices of Spring) This sparkling concert waltz distills everything that made Strauss the undisputed King of the Waltz. Tchaikovsky’s stirring March Slav will open the second half of the program. It unfolds from a solemn, folk-tinged opening to a triumphant conclusion incorporating the Russian Imperial anthem.
It will be a wonderful afternoon celebrating three talented Westchester high school students.
How the Winners of the Young Artists Concerto Competition are Selected
Three winners are chosen through a judged audition process. Key elements usually include:
- Submission of repertoire (specified concerto movement(s) or solo pieces) and sometimes a recorded preliminary round.
- Live auditions before a panel of adjudicators made up of conductors, professional musicians, and music educators.
- Evaluation criteria such as musicality, technical proficiency, stylistic understanding, stage presence, and readiness to perform with an orchestra.
- The winners receive a scholarship prize and an opportunity to perform with the Yonkers Philharmonic.
What to Expect at the Winners Competition/Winners’ Concert
Those in attendance for the Concerto Competition can expect a formal concert setting with introductions, program notes on the soloists and works, and often a celebration or reception after the performance. The selected winners will perform full concerto movements or shortened concerto presentations, with a mix of repertoire spanning classical concerto staples and occasional contemporary works, accompanied by the Yonkers Philharmonic. These talented young soloists will have the ability to showcase their technical and expressive abilities, as well as the chance to gain orchestral performance experience and visibility. The audience also gets the unique opportunity to see emerging local talent—all for free!
Why Keeping Orchestral Music Alive in Yonkers Matters
The YPO is committed to cultural enrichment in Yonkers. They believe that live orchestral music enhances community life, offers shared cultural experiences, and raises the city’s artistic profile. The local orchestra also inspires and trains young musicians, supports music education, and creates pathways like the concerto competition for advancement.
Not only that, but the free concerts provided by the YPO help to build connections across generations and neighborhoods, providing accessible arts programming. Arts organizations also drive attendance to local venues, encourage patronage of nearby businesses, and contribute to a vibrant public sphere. Sustaining orchestral activity ensures continued performance and appreciation of a broad repertoire for future generations.
Please consider supporting the wonderful work that the YPO does by becoming a donor. You can also subscribe to their email list to stay informed of all upcoming outreach and performances.
