It was like a musical cage-match rumble, but with an O. Henry twist. Six young orchestras came into Davies Symphony Hall on Sunday afternoon, and they all emerged not only alive but victorious.
The occasion was the Bay Area Youth Orchestra Festival, a gathering of local ensembles to show off their stuff and raise money for homeless youth. The longtime news anchor Wendy Tokuda served as the genial emcee, shepherding the orchestras on and off the stage and entering into chats – some straightforward, some slightly surreal – with their respective music directors. (FULL ATICLE: Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle)