Sophia Valenti's European Tour

SOPHIA VALENTI is a 12 year old young violist that in a short time has accomplished a very impressive resume.  Music is Sophia's greatest love.   She practices five to six hours a day and sustains a rigorous rehearsal schedule in addition to her regular schooling. This year after a competitive audition process, Sophia was asked to join the internationally renowned San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra (SFSYO) where she is currently the youngest member.  The SFSYO will be embarking on their European tour this summer and Sophia is currently working hard to put together the funding to make her trip possible.

The tour is organized to mirror the same tours conducted by San Francisco Symphony's professional orchestra.  This is an educational tour that is precisely organized to educate the pre-professional musician. Sophia will tour some of the most historic European cities where many of the greatest European conductors lived, composed and performed.  Sophia and her fellow youth orchestra members will be expected to follow the same rigorous schedule as the professional adult orchestras, which includes up to three performances a week, long rehearsals, and all the other responsibilities expected of working musicians.  Sophia is especially looking forward to playing in some of the greatest music halls of Europe, such as The Berlin Philharmonic. This will no doubt be a life changing experience for Sophia.  We would be sincerely grateful for any contribution you can make in helping Sophia fund her portion of the European Tour. 

A Little More About Sophia:

In 2012 after only one year of study on the viola, Sophia became the principal violist of the Santa Rosa Symphony Preparatory Orchestra.  The following year at the age of 10, she became principle violist of The Santa Rosa Symphony Repertory Orchestra and was also accepted as the youngest member into The Young People’s Chamber Orchestra directed by Aaron Westman. That same year at the age of ten years old Sophia performed with The Young People’s Chamber Orchestra on the stage of Weil Hall in Sonoma County.  

Her private teacher is Jodi Levitz at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.  She has also studied with Ivy Zenobi, Dawn Dover, and Cynthia Albers.  In the summer, she studies with Linda Ghidossi-Deluca.  In the spring of 2014, Sophia participated as a soloist in a master class with principal violist of the London Symphony Orchestra,Paul Silverthorne,  won first place in The Sonoma County Etude Competition and played with Midori Goto on the stage of Weill Hall as a member of the Young People’s Chamber Orchestra.  During the summer, she performed as a soloist with the Santa Rosa Symphony’s Summer Chamber Orchestra, directed by Linda Ghidossi-Deluca.  She capped off her successful summer by gaining acceptance to the internationally renowned San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, where she is the youngest member.  She was also recently accepted to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she will further enhance her musical studies.

Currently, in addition to her full schedule with the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, Sophia is also a member of the Fantasia String Quartet (which donates its proceeds to the musician's overseas tours), The Young People’s Chamber Orchestra conducted by Aaron Westman,  and a member of her 6th grade ensemble dierected by Cynthia Albers.