Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra Senior PACO Season Finale Concert (free admission)

We are excited to bring back PACO camp faculty and alums the father and son duo Stefan and Alex Hersh performing the Brahms Double Concerto for Violin and Cello! Please join us for Senior PACO’s last concert of the season as we celebrate our 2024–2025 Concerto Opportunity winner Sebastian Tsai and honor our fourteen graduating seniors! The program will feature the exciting premiere of "Scherzando" an original composition by our graduating senior violinist and composer Nadia Karpenko. We warmly invite you to attend this special celebration!

Free admission. The concert is open to the public. Please reserve a ticket. http://paco.vbotickets.com/event/senior_concert_no._4_and_graduation_celebration/147600

We will be presenting:

1. Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto in D Major Op. 35 III. Finale: Allegro vivacissimo

Sebastian Tsai violin soloist

2024--2025 Concerto Opportunity winner

2. Dvořák - Symphony No. 9 in E minor “New World Symphony” IV. Finale: Allegro con fuoco

3. Brahms - Double Concerto in A minor Op. 102

Stefan Hersh violin soloist | Alexander Hersh cello soloist

4. Nadia Karpenko - Scherzando

Tchaikovsky - Serenade for Strings Op. 48

and chamber works

About our guest artists-

Stefan Hersh violin soloist:

Violinist Stefan Hersh has a diverse background having served as Principal Second Violin of the Minnesota Orchestra Associate Concertmaster of the Vancouver Symphony and as a member of the Callisto Ensemble the Chicago String Quartet and the Chicago Chamber Musicians. He has appeared as a featured guest artist and soloist in venues across North and South America Europe and Asia. He was Associate Professor at De Paul University before joining the faculty of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University in 2003.

Stefan Hersh is the founder and Artistic Director of Guarneri Hall NFP a Chicago organization that produces a curated mix of live performances original music videos and other digital content. Hersh is also an expert appraiser of rare violins and bows and evaluates rare antique string instruments and bows all over the world as a partner at Darnton & Hersh Fine Violins in Chicago.

Alexander Hersh cello soloist

Having given his Carnegie Hall debut recital in 2022 cellist Alexander Hersh has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting and creative talents of his generation. He frequently appears as soloist with major orchestras including the Houston Symphony and the Boston POPS and has received top prizes at competitions worldwide.

A passionate chamber musician Hersh has performed on tour with Musicians from Marlboro and at festivals including: Marlboro Chamber Music Northwest Caramoor Ravinia Music@Menlo I-M-S Prussia Cove Manchester Perlman Music Program Amsterdam Cello Biennale Kneisel Hall Lucerne and NEXUS Chamber Music for which he serves as co-Artistic Director. He performs on a G.B. Rogeri cello on generous loan from the Guarneri Hall Affiliate Artists program. In his spare time he composes original music and makes short films that marry classical music with narratives. These can be viewed on his youtube channel: @Alexander Hersh

Sebastian Tsai violin (2024-2025 Concerto Opportunity Winner)

Sebastian Tsai is a sixteen-year-old violinist who loves classical music. He has played violin for over 11 years and is in his 7th year with PACO. He has previously won prizes in USOMC and the Charleston International Music Competition and played in the Junior Bach festival. Sebastian has performed in Carnegie Hall for the Concert Festival Competition grand prize and was also in the San Francisco Conservatory of Music's pre-college program for two years. This summer he will attend Center Stage Strings at the University of Michigan and the Addicott Chamber Music Festival at Indiana University. Outside of music Sebastian enjoys watching sports playing golf and playing video games. Sebastian is currently studying with Elbert Tsai.

Nadia Karpenko composer

Nadia Karpenko is a 17-year-old Korean-Ukrainian composer. She has played the violin for 12.5 years studying with Mrs. Hisako Mori and (currently) Mr. Elbert Tsai. Some of her recent awards include earning 2nd place in the Senior Strings division of the Diablo Valley Competition playing the Dvorak Violin Concerto and winning the PACO Concerto Opportunity last year playing the Beethoven Violin Concerto 3rd Movement with an original cadenza (later soloing this with the Debut orchestra). She has been a part of PACO for eight years. Aside from being one of its concertmasters she has also performed multiple improvised solos in orchestral repertoire. 

Nadia has composed since she was five years old and has received formal training from Mr. Arkadi Serper since 11th grade. Some of her recent compositions include Scherzando for string orchestra “Dances for String Quartet” and cadenzas for the Haydn Cello Concerto in C Major and the Beethoven Violin Concerto. Nadia’s other hobbies include competitive mathematics and arts-and-crafts. She has qualified for the AIME since 9th grade drawn surrealist art pieces written stories manufactured cosmetics and sewn pillows clothing and other stationery.

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