FOOSA I 10.22.2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fresno, CA (October 22, 2024) – FOOSA Philharmonic, a collaboration between the Youth Orchestras of Fresno (YOOF) and California State University, Fresno, is excited to announce that their recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, released by Tonsehen, has been made GRAMMY® eligible and is currently awaiting First Round Voting for a potential nomination in the “Best Orchestral Performance” category. This prestigious recognition underscores the exceptional talent and dedication of the young musicians and professional faculty who brought this monumental piece to life.

The Mahler 5 recording, performed and recorded on June 24, 2022, at Fresno's William Saroyan Theatre, represents the culmination of the FOOSA Philharmonic's summer program. The program offers advanced high school and college-age musicians a fully immersive orchestral experience, allowing them to perform alongside world-class faculty in iconic venues like the Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the William Saroyan Theatre in Fresno.

Dr. Thomas Loewenheim, conductor and artistic director of FOOSA Philharmonic, expressed his pride in this achievement, stating, “I am deeply honored that our release of Mahler 5 is GRAMMY® eligible and is being considered by the voters. At FOOSA, our mission is to deliver top-tier and professional music annually, and this acknowledgment is beyond complimentary. This recognition not only celebrates our hard work but also underscores the incredible potential of young musicians to achieve greatness, regardless of the challenges they face.”

This GRAMMY® consideration comes as FOOSA continues to grow in both impact and reputation, offering young musicians from around the world the chance to hone their skills through rigorous rehearsals, masterclasses, and performances with distinguished faculty. The 2025 GRAMMY® nominations will be announced on Friday, November 8, 2024, ahead of Music's Biggest Night on Sunday, February 2, 2025.

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PRESS CONTACT:
Andrea Andrade, (213) 321-3782
andrea@andradeandco.com

ABOUT FOOSA

FOOSA, Fresno Summer Orchestra Academy, is a pre-professional orchestra that allows advanced musicians of college and high school age to enjoy a side-by-side performance experience with professional faculty members. The program allows advanced young musicians worldwide a fully immersive Summer program that culminates with a performance at the prestigious Walt Disney Hall. FOOSA is facilitated by the Youth Orchestras of Fresno (YOOF).

ABOUT THE YOUTH ORCHESTRAS OF FRESNO: A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE

The Youth Orchestras of Fresno (YOOF) is a non-profit organization that serves young musicians throughout the Central Valley, committed to the principles of access and excellence, and strives for comprehensive inclusiveness. MUSIC IS LIFE. LIVE BIG! START YOUNG.

The Youth Orchestras of Fresno, celebrating their 75th anniversary this year, continues to enrich the cultural landscape of the Central Valley. Recently, YOOF was selected as a recipient of a significant grant from the Fresno Arts Council, funded by Measure P. The grant will support YOOF’s mission to expand access to arts and culture for young people across the region, ensuring that this legacy of community impact continues for years to come.

For more information about FOOSA Philharmonic, their upcoming projects, and the Youth Orchestras of Fresno, please visit www.youthorchestrasfresno.org

ABOUT THOMAS LOEWENHEIM

Thomas Loewenheim maintains an international career that combines cello performance, conducting, and teaching. He has toured North America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East, performing as soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician.

He is Professor of Cello and Director of Orchestras at California State University, Fresno, Music Director and conductor of the Youth Orchestras of Fresno, and founding Artistic Director of the FOOSA Festival/Fresno Summer Orchestra Academy. As conductor he has collaborated with numerous soloists including violinists Vadim Gluzman, Richard Lin, and Rachel Barton Pine, cellists Lynn Harrell, Clive Greensmith, and Brinton Smith, and pianists Peter Klimo, Steven Vanhauwaert, and Jeremy Denk.

As a cello soloist, he has most recently premiered Daniel Akiva’s Requests for Cello and Orchestra, a concerto dedicated specifically to Loewenheim. As a chamber musician he has collaborated with a wide range of musicians from cellist Lynn Harrell to violinist Martin Beaver to pianist Evelyne Brancart. Lately, with violinist Limor Toren-Immerman and pianist Peter Klimo, he has founded the Topelli Piano Trio.

Loewenheim has been a guest artist at prominent music festivals around the world, among them the Montecito International Music Festival, the Music in the Mountains Festival and Conservatory in Durango, Colorado, and, in California, both CSU Summer Arts in Fresno, and the Chamber Music Unbound Festival in Mammoth Lakes…as well as his own FOOSA Festival/Fresno Summer Orchestra Academy.

Loewenheim’s discography includes conducted works as well as works for cello solo. Newly released is a CD on the Tonsehen label of Loewenheim conducting Mahler 5 with the FOOSA Philharmonic. Upcoming recordings will feature the same orchestra in two works from the first quarter of the 20th century: Sergei Lyapunov’s Piano Sextet and Ernest Bloch’s Concerto Grosso. An upcoming solo CD features virtuosic works for cello by Bach, Handel, Rózsa, and Ysaÿe.

Loewenheim earned a doctorate in cello performance from the renowned Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, where he studied with Janos Starker and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, and was mentored in conducting by David Effron. He received a master’s degree from the University of Michigan under Erling Blöndal Bengtsson and a bachelor’s degree from the Rubin Academy for Music and Dance in Jerusalem. He plays a Jean Baptiste Vuillaume cello made in 1848.

ABOUT FRESNO ARTS COUNCIL

The FAC is a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization originally established in 1979 under the name “Alliance for the Arts” by local artists, arts organizations and interested individuals who wished to create a voice for the arts in the Central San Joaquin Valley. By Memorandum of Understanding, the FAC serves as the local arts agency for the City & County of Fresno and is tasked to support and promote the arts industry.

Our mission is to enrich people’s lives through the arts, and our purpose is to foster an arts community that recognizes and honors the contributions of its citizens to the arts. We are managed by a volunteer board of directors, and our agency solicits financial support from foundations, membership dues, and government and corporate funders as well as private donors. To learn more about Fresno Arts Council, visit https://www.fresnoartscouncil.org.