Solano Youth Chamber Orchestra

Solano Youth Chamber Orchestra (SYCO) Solano's foremost orchestral youth ensemble. We aim to influence the region's youth for the advancement of musical skill, musical appreciation, and greater community cohesion around the arts.

Now entering our 6th Year, Solano Youth Chamber Orchestra offers orchestra training and performance opportunities throughout Solano County. Our conductors and sectional leaders bring acclaim and professional direction to orchestra members.

Student members of SYCO are selected following audition and are typically ages 14-18.

Interest Form

Summer Auditions for Membership

Solano Youth Chamber Orchestra

Solano Youth Chamber Orchestra (SYCO) is Solano County's only professionally directed community youth orchestra. The Conservatory invites string, percussion, and woodwind, and brass players ages 14-18 with sufficient skill to audition for chair placement into this disciplined, and enjoyable musical ensemble.

Set up your private audition this Summer. Call for more information at 707.451.7200 or use this interest form above and our representative will contact you.

September - May

$980.00| Membership Fee $100.00

Performances: December, March, May

Rehearsals are Mondays 6:00 - 7:30 pm

500 Davis Street, Vacaville

Volunteer hours are required to help set up, tear down, and manage rehearsals and events.

YACM understands that due to COVID, orchestra students have had less opportunity to develop their skills. We have adjusted our audition requirements to accommodate the skills of prospective SYCO orchestra members.

Audition -24 Seats Available

Your audition will determine your chair placement.

Plan your audition with the following:

Two octave major scale of your choice
Two octave harmonic minor scale of your choice
An excerpt from a violin solo or orchestral part.
Sight-reading

Private Auditions are will be scheduled through the office. Please email the office for information.

You will be advised of your chair and group via email.

Email Us

Meet Music Director,

Jaymes Kirksey

Jaymes Kirksey joins the YACM faculty with a shared vision to develop a significant youth symphony in Solano County.

Jaymes Kirksey has become a national presence as a violinist, pianist and conductor. Entering his first season with Solano Youth Chamber Orchestra, Kirksey brings with him versatility, precision, and an exciting stage presence. As a conductor and educator, Jaymes has created high quality musical interpretations ranging from Baroque to modern symphonic repertoire.

Kirksey made his conducting debut in 2014 with Young Musicians Choral Orchestra (YMCO), filling in for famed Los Angeles conductor and Hollywood musician Anthony Parnther leading rehearsals in arias by Verdi, Donizetti, Mozart and Aaron Copeland’s Lincoln Portrait with narration by famed actor Delroy Lindo. For five years now, he has served as Music Director for the Bay Area’s acclaimed Young Musician Choral Orchestra and frequent guest artist/conductor for Golden Gate Symphony.

Some of his performances have included Brahms’ Symphony. No 4 with Golden Gate Symphony, Richard Strauss’ Finale Trio from der Rosenkavalier with Frederica von Stade as guest soloist, Prince Igor by Borodin, Star Wars overture by John Williams and a specially commissioned work by famed jazz and R&B singer/songwriter and composer Patrice Rushen entitled Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory. Jaymes is excited to bring his creativity and musicianship to members of the Solano Youth Chamber Orchestra and the Solano community.

Charter Conductor 2014-2019. Issac Pastor Chermak

The Board of Directors and YACM community is grateful for the leadership and vision of SYCO's charter conductor, Isaac Pastor-Chermak. Under Isaac's leadership SYCO grew to demonstrate the standard of excellence in orchestral learning.

Isaac is currently a member of the Monterey Symphony, the Dayton Philharmonic (Ohio) and the West Virginia Symphony (Charleston). He also maintains affiliate membership in the New World Symphony (Miami) and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. During the summers, he is an orchestra member in the Eisenstadt Classical Music Festival in Austria. In past years, he has played in the cello sections of Orchestra Iowa, the Walla Walla Symphony, and the Washington-Idaho Symphony, in addition to regular appearances as guest principal cellist of the Iowa City String Orchestra.