With 2 years left on his current contract, the 8-year extension leads him to YSO's 100-year milestone.

The York Symphony Orchestra has committed to an 8-year contract extension with current Music Director and Maestro Lawrence Golan. Golan has been expertly leading the YSO's orchestra since 2014. With 2 years left on his current contract, the 8-year extension leads him to YSO's 100-year milestone.

"The fact that the organization believes in me enough to want to keep me on the podium for at least the next ten years. But beyond that, the York Symphony Orchestra has been growing and improving steadily over the past ten years. We are firing on all cylinders." Golan said.

Golan continues to grow not only the audience but also the musical excellence of all musicians on stage. Recognized as a treasured leader in the musical community, Golan strives to connect on and off the stage.

Lawrence Golan conducts the Bayerische Philharmonie in
collaboration with the Denver Philharmonic in a program featuring American composer/conductor Diane Wittry's Ode to Joy Fanfare, and two works by Beethoven: Choral Fantasty with pianist Maria Stadnik, and Symphony No. 9.

Bernstein is the focus - and his world renowned, legendary West Side Story in this high octane concert that features the Yakima Symphony Chorus

Opening with Mozart’s delightful Divertimento followed by his restless and famous Symphony No. 40 in G minor York Symphony's February 18 concert journeys into the brilliant world of Mágico as Westwater Arts weaves stunning photographs of Mexico with the colorful sounds of Revueltas and Moncayo throughout this multimedia performance. Prepare for an immersive multisensory experience with animated images of ancient ruins, festivals, and snowcapped volcanoes.

Lamont Symphony Orchestra is joined by the Lamont Choirs, Cosima Luther, and David Byrd-Marrow and Friends in this February 4 concert featuring works by Saint- Georges, Mozart, Hollingsworth, and Schumann.

Nicholas Bardonnay, photographer & multimedia artist extraordinaire, joins Golan and Yakima Symphony in this fascinating concert.

The concert is all about the German-American partnership. Bayerische Philharmonie presents Lawrence Golan of the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra as Principal Guest Conductor at the Bavarian Philharmonic. The program includes Brahms' "Love Song Waltz", which is one of his most popular works. Likewise Schubert's important composition "Fantasy for Piano Four Hands", a work of almost symphonic character. The cheerful choral song cycle "From the Bavarian Highlands" by Edward Elgar can also be heard. In doing so, Elgar erected a musical monument to Bavarian-Alpine music.

Explore the complicated relationship between two friendly rivals—Bach and Telemann in York Symphony's  January concert. Telemann’s technically challenging Suite in A Minor borrows Bach’s use of French dances from his Orchestral Suite No. 1. Fashioned after a Polish folk song, Bach’s famous and demanding Orchestral Suite No. 2 will showcase  York Symphony's new principal flutist.

Lamont Symphony Orchestra - Season Finale with DU Solo Honors Competition Winner

Featuring Sean Friar's Emerald Oasis, Florence Price's Symphony No. 1  and a solo by competition winner

Lawrence Golan's Fantasia for Solo Violin, as performed on his newly released album Fantasia, is included among the August 6- 13, 2021   ASCAP New Music Friday Spotify Playlist compilation.

"Lawrence Golan’s father, Joseph, did not push him into music. But when Golan waves his conductor’s baton, there’s no doubt he’s channeling the spirit of the man who served as a Chicago Symphony Orchestra violinist for nearly five decades."

New posts for two artists as relationship between two orchestras expands

Lawrence Golan, Music Director of Denver Philharmonic,
and Mark Mast, Artistic Director of Bayerische Philharmonie named Principal Guest Conductor respectively of each orchestra

Enjoy the  lastest installment "From The Vault" -Ysaye's Sonata No. 4 in E Minor: III. Finale as we say goodbye to 2020 and welcome 2021.

"From the Vault" The next work in the series: Ysaye's Sonata No. 4 in E Minor

The latest "From the Vault" - the fifth and final movement of Bach's Partita No. 2, the Ciaccona (Chaconne)! It is speculated that Bach composed it following his wife's death. Composer Johannes Brahms wrote in a letter to Clara Schumann of the work: "On one stave, for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings."
Available to watch on Facebook.

"From the Vault" video series from Lawrence Golan continues with Bach's  Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004: IV. Giga

Available to watch on Facebook

 "From the Vault" Bach: Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004: III. Sarabanda - the third installment from Lawrence Golan now available on Facebook

Visit Maestro Golan's Facebook page for the second installment in Lawrence Golan's online series, "From The Vault" featuring Bach's Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004: II. Corrente

American Conductor Lawrence Golan has released an online video series entitled, “From The Vault,” as a contribution to the need for classical music in everyday life. “During this global pandemic, live music performances have been almost completely nonexistent,” states the Maestro in his Facebook introduction to the series. “One of the saddest things is that during times like this, we need music more than ever.”

“From The Vault” will be released weekly on Golan’s professional Facebook page @LawrenceGolanConductor. Each video will also have an introductory post that will include interesting historical and educational information.

“From the Vault” video series is another virtual series that Golan offers this season. As Music Director of the Yakima Symphony Orchestra in Washington state, Colorado’s Denver Philharmonic, and Pennsylvania’s York Symphony Orchestra, as well as Colorado’s Lamont Symphony Orchestra and Opera Theatre at the University of Denver, Golan is offering, with his orchestras, virtual performances wherever possible this season.

The YSO’s annual fundraiser, Raise the Baton, has been reconfigured to accommodate the new temporary reality of our ‘virtual-only’ environment

"...This Saturday evening at our usual concert time, Maestro Lawrence Golan will host a live, interactive online event that combines conversation about music and the symphony with a previously recorded video performance by the YSO of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony. This event is free, but registration is required; send an email request to info@ysomusic.org, and check the YSO website for more details."

Dear Friends and Supporters of the Yakima Symphony Orchestra,

It gives me great pleasure to share our 2020-21 Season Brochure with you. Celebrating our 50th season, In Full Bloom is our most exciting and ambitious year yet. ... In Full Bloom,... both mirrors the growth of the Yakima Symphony Orchestra over fifty years and pays homage to the agricultural community in which we live.

Sincerely, Lawrence Golan

Dear Friends of the Yakima Symphony Orchestra,

I am home with my family this evening, writing to say that we are all in this together: the musicians, chorus, staff, board, volunteers, donors and patrons of the YSO, as well as the entire Yakima community, Washington State community, national community and world community. These are unprecedented times; however, together, we will get through them. Along the way, music can still bring us comfort, joy and happiness – familiar music from the great composers through the centuries as well as great music we may uncover for the first time during the weeks ahead as we are diverted from our usual routines. As soon as the dust has settled, we, the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, and all of our colleagues around the world will eagerly return to the stage to play it for you in person!

Like all of you, I could not be more disappointed that our upcoming performance of Scheherazade & Other Remarkable Women has been canceled. But, because this concert was to be so remarkable, I pledge to you that we will, in fact, play it. We’ll just need to wait for the 2021-22 season. That is because the 2020-21 season, our 50th, has been planned for months and is all set.

Our concertmaster, Denise Dillenbeck, has recorded a short video performance (click here for video) of one of the most iconic solo passages from Scheherazade. In this video she is wearing what she had planned to wear in the concert performance as a surprise for the audience: the Scheherazade-inspired costume which has adorned the cover of the YSO’s brochure and program book all season, created by Yakima resident and internationally recognized apparel designer Carolyn Schactler. Ms. Dillenbeck created this as a way to say “thinking of you all” during this time of challenge. It is a wonderful gift to tide us over until we can return in person.

Returning to the upcoming season and my final point….

The release of our 2020-21 season, the most exciting and glorious one we have ever put on, will occur on March 21st. Once you see what and who we have lined up, you might just forget about everything going on in the news right now. I highly encourage you to watch out for the exact time of release and be prepared to call the symphony office as soon as possible to order your tickets.

As I said, the Yakima Symphony Orchestra and live orchestral music WILL BE BACK! We just need to wait a little while…

Sincerely,

Lawrence Golan
The Helen N. Jewett Music Director
Yakima Symphony Orchestra

March 10th, South African saxophonist Karendra Devroop joins Lamont Symphony Orchestra in the Piazzolla Suite and pianist Steven Mayer performs Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Them of Paganini. Also on the program: Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5.

Lawrence Golan and York Syphony Orchestra present a fun-filled evening on March 14th. Think you know nothing about Classical Music? Think again! Come hear the music you never knew that you knew. Relish beloved classical gemstones with an appearance by the York Symphony Chorus. From The Thieving Magpie to Bizet’s Carmen, these pieces will have you saying “Hey, I KNOW that tune!”

Mahler's Fifth, Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, the legendary Dave Brubeck, pianist Rich Ridenour, multimedia artist Nicholas Bardonnay, and Bach's Brandenburg Concertos are all part of York Syphony Orchestra's exciting 2020-21 season!

Roulette!

Two emotional and romantic Russian masterpieces are lead by a rotation of conductors in our first-ever maestro relay. Each movement of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s sixth symphony and Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition will be directed under a different baton. February 22, see and hear the next generation of orchestra leaders from our inaugural DPO International Conducting Workshop.

TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique”

MUSSORGSKY, orch. RAVEL Pictures at an Exhibition

Following yesterday's live streaming of the Final Round conducted by Lawrence Golan, the 14th Unisa International Piano Competition Winners are  'Left' Evgeny Konnov (Russia) 1st Prize Classical Winner and 'Right' Lex Korten (USA) 1st Prize Jazz winner.2nd Prize Classical Winner: Danilo Mascetti (Italy); 3rd Prize Classical Winner: Hao Wei Lin (Taiwan). Congratulations to all!

Unisa Music Foundation has announced the 14th Unisa International Piano Competition Finalists, who will play with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Lawrence Golan in the Classical Final Round on February 1, 2020 in Pretoria, South Africa at th ZK Matthews Great Hall, Unisa Muckleneuk Campus:
- Evgeny Konnov (Russia)
- Hao Wei Lin (Taiwan)
- Danilo Mascetti (Italy).

Photo from Jan. 25th performance - York Symphony's first concert of 2020 with Van Cliburn Gold Medal winner Yekwon Sunwoo performing Ravel's  Piano Concerto in G Major.