[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 18537-18538]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 AMERICAN YOUTH PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise to commend and congratulate the 
American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra of Annandale, VA on its fortieth 
anniversary.
  The cultural and political history of the United States has changed 
dramatically over the last five decades. During that time, however, the 
American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras have provided a vital service 
for young musicians throughout northern Virginia and the District of 
Columbia. The 2004-05 concert season will commemorate the 40th year in 
which the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras have trained new 
generations of children, teenagers, and young adults to become 
extraordinary musicians. To give an example of the marvelous impact 
that this institution has had, over 100 public and private schools from 
Washington's metropolitan area are represented within the orchestra's 
current enrollment. The students of the American Youth Philharmonic 
constantly strive for excellence in their performances; such 
preparation increases the chance that they will seek to make a positive 
impact on our society, whether through the arts or other endeavors.
  With a group of approximately 400 students, the orchestra has 
represented Virginia and the District of Columbia with distinction in 
the performances at the Kennedy Center, the Festival of Youth 
Orchestras, and the Spoleto Festival in South Carolina. Remembering 
this Nation's tragic losses on September 11, 2001, the Philharmonic 
performed a touching concert, entitled ``The Spirit of Freedom,'' at 
New York's Carnegie Hall in January 2002. In addition to their 
exceptional performances in the United States, the American Youth 
Philharmonic was a dignified cultural ambassador for this country at 
the International Rachmaninoff Festival in Russia, the Aberdeen 
International Youth Festival in Scotland, and the British Festival of 
Youth Orchestras. The young men and women of the orchestra have offered 
the diplomatic language of music to our friends abroad, and they 
deserve to be recognized for their efforts.
  If we were to gauge the success of the American Youth Philharmonic by 
the rate at which its students are accepted to the best musical and 
educational schools in the United States, we would see that the 
American Youth Philharmonic is unrivaled in its training of our 
Nation's best and brightest. Members of the American Youth Philharmonic 
have continued their study of music at the Oberlin Conservatory, the 
Juilliard School, Carnegie Mellon, and the Cleveland Institute of 
Music, while others proudly accepted offers to Harvard, Princeton, 
Stanford, and the University of Southern California, to name a few.
  Beyond the beauty of the sound generated in their performances, the 
American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras have given their time and 
service to the surrounding communities of Northern Virginia and the 
District of Columbia. The American Youth Philharmonic created a music 
mentorship program that trains designed high-school members to offer 
free tutoring to younger musicians in the area. In this way, the 
students of the orchestra are able to strengthen their own abilities as 
teachers while providing an enriching experience to those who are 
limited by financial circumstances or their special needs. Recognizing 
the value of this community service, the First Place Arts Council of 
Fairfax County, VA recognized the American Youth Philharmonic with the 
Arts for Special Audiences Award in 2000.
  We must also credit the constant dedication of Maestro Luis Haza for 
the brilliance of the American Youth Philharmonic. Mr. Haza has given 
20 years of service to this ensemble in addition to his 29 years of 
ongoing performance as a violinist with the esteemed National Symphony 
Orchestra. Born in Santiago, Cuba, Mr. Haza was honored with a 
Washington Immigrant Achievement Award in 2004, and he truly 
demonstrates a commitment to the values of democracy and freedom on 
which this country was founded. While Mr. Haza has shared his talent 
for musical direction with the London Symphony Orchestra, our own 
National Symphony Orchestra, and the national orchestras of Panama, El 
Salvador, and Guatemala, his passion for music is

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never more evident than in his direction of the American Youth 
Philharmonic. Mr. Haza has dedicated a lifetime to sharing the gift of 
music with young people throughout the Americas, and his legacy to this 
country will be reflected in the values of his students for many years 
to come.

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