Both the UC Concert Band and the California Youth Symphony celebrate their 75th year. Ever committed to educating students in the varied genres of wind band repertory, UC Davis Lecturer in Music Pete Nowlen has been director of the UC Davis Concert Band for 25 years and been with the California Youth Symphony for 35 years! The College of Letters and Science at UC Davis — home to the UC Davis Concert Band, arts and humanities, mathematical and physical sciences, cultural studies, the social sciences and more — also celebrates its 75th anniversary.

About the Bands

• The UC Davis Concert Band has existed on the campus for 75 years, performing in commencements, ceremonies, and its own concerts. The Band is a wind-symphony sized group of about 55 musicians, consisting of students, professors, alumni, and community members and includes students from over 30 majors and minors on campus. The Band performs classic works from the extensive band and wind ensemble repertoire, as well as transcriptions of symphonic pieces and the finest new works for band and wind ensemble.
• The McClatchy High School VAPA Music Program is committed to providing its students a comprehensive and substantial education centered on artistic awareness, musical growth, and character development. Guided by national and local music education standards, the program enhances the expected performance-based instruction with exposure to music theory, music studies from a historical and cultural context, and an exploration of real-world opportunities for musicians and applications of their talents. The education process extends beyond the classroom through collaborations with peer, community, and professional organizations in the form of shared performances, clinics, masterclasses, and presentations. In addition, program concerts, recitals, and rehearsals are conducted in a manner consistent with that of professional organizations. Jorge Muñoz earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Trombone Performance, a California Single Subject Teaching Credential in Music, and a Master of Music degree in Instrumental Conducting from California State University, Sacramento. Under the guidance of Dr. Ernie Hills and Dr. Robert Halseth, he was a trombonist, singer, and conductor with the bands, various chamber ensembles, and choirs. He has been a participant in workshops presided by acclaimed conductors such as Fredrick Fennell, Eugene Corporon, Robert Reynolds, Mallory Thompson, John Whitwell, Allan McMurray, Jerry Junkin, Emily Threinen, and Jack Stamp.
• The California Youth Symphony was founded in 1952. Over the years they have established an international reputation for the quality of their programs. In 1963 they became the first American youth orchestra to tour overseas when they accepted an invitation to visit Japan. Over the following years sixteen additional tours to all parts of the world have earned them universal praise. However, their greatest accomplishments and our most intense focus has always been in the San Francisco Peninsula / South Bay area. The San Mateo County Times described the youth symphony as "one of the finest of the world’s youth symphonies." The California Youth Symphony has consistently expanded its programs over the last twenty years in order to meet the growing need for youth music programs. They now have eight programs in Palo Alto and Los Altos that offer musical instruction and performance opportunities on all symphonic instruments for young musicians of beginning through advanced levels. Enrollment exceeds 400.