2026 Program Guide | Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music

Youth Ensemble Concert 3:30pm SAT AUG 8 Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium This Youth Ensemble performance is made possible through the generous support of concert sponsor: MICHAEL GOOD & JOANN CLOSE The Youth Ensemble invites you to enjoy a free concert of original works performed and produced entirely by these talented young musicians, ages 16–24. Come witness their boundless creativity, and hear the future of new music, now! The Youth Ensemble program's aim has always been to support music education and performance avenues for young artists. Now in its 31st year, the Festival’s Youth Ensemble Program encourages its participants to interact directly with Cabrillo Festival Orchestra members, Festival staff, and Conductor in Residence Octavio Más-Arocas. Members of the Youth Ensemble are provided the rare opportunity to engage musicians, composers, and conductors in topics of contemporary music- making. The program nourishes participants in areas no less profound than technical and leadership skill development, and the chance to program, present, promote, and perform their own Youth Ensemble concert with professional staging, lighting, and recording. In addition to having free access to Cabrillo Festival performances as ushers, the program provides a fertile ground for the participants’ musical interests in other ways: master classes with Festival Orchestra members, artists, and technical staff; dialogues with composers in residence; participation in the Youth Ensemble as composers and performers; and the chance to attend various social gatherings and connect with other young people who share their curiosity and passion for new music. It’s quite a full plate for two weeks in any young musician’s life. The Youth Ensemble Program is free and open to non-musicians and musicians alike. The rewards of participation are many, and we are excited by the prospect of positively affecting the quality of a young person’s individual growth and development. When attending a concert, please feel free to ask our Youth Ensemble ushers about their experiences as members of the program. If you know someone who might be interested in joining, recruitment begins each new year. Email youthensemble@cabrillomusic.org or call 831.426.6966 for more information. BENJAMIN GOODWIN YOUTH ENSEMBLE CO-DIRECTOR Benjamin Goodwin (b. 2006) is a composer with a background in music theory, violin, and piano, who began writing music at age eleven. His works have been premiered by the Santa Cruz Symphony, Santa Cruz Youth Symphony, andstudentsatOberlinConservatory,wherehe just finished his second year as a composition major. His works frequently take inspiration from video game soundtracks and Celtic music, two of his favorite genres. This summer will be his fifth year in the Youth Ensemble program and he is excited to return for his fourth year as Co-Director. ZOË HUET YOUTH ENSEMBLE CO-DIRECTOR Zoë Huet joined the Cabrillo Festival as the Youth Ensemble Co-Director in 2023 and is excited to return for her fourth year as a Co- Director. Zoë started playing music through the El Sistema program in elementary school and has since participated in various musical ensembles as a flutist, including the Santa Cruz Youth Symphony. She will be returning for her third year at Smith College and is excited to continue playing with the Smith College Wind Ensemble and continuing her studies as a psychology major. When not playing music, Zoë enjoys spending time with friends, sewing, tinkering, reading, and playing with her cats. 2026 YOUTH ENSEMBLE Michael Chang AndrewNeal Kaydyn Drake Emiliano Ramirez Benjamin Goodwin Jack Roche Arden Hardy Justin Saelee Zoë Huet Jacob Stone LoganManildi Ava Storm Manuel Mattila OliviaWhite EstellaYe CABRILLO MUSIC.ORG 35