PACIFIC ACADEMY FOUNDATION

Established in September 2018, the mission of Pacific Academy Foundation Orchestra (PAFO) is to provide the opportunity for talented young musicians to perform advanced music and reach their highest levels. Although PAFO is newly-formed in the music community of Southern California, our members are full of energy and vigor, and they are granted access to receive masterclasses by world renowned artists, learn from world-class conductor, build mentorship, and perform domestically and internationally."

Being small by design, the Pacific Academy Foundation Orchestra has a low coach-student ratio to allow every member to receive sufficient guidance from coaches and to improve rapidly by learning techniques side by side with coaches through sectionals and coaching sessions. Younger or newer members are also paired with student leaders to help them better integrate into the orchestra community both musically and socially. Therefore, in PAFO, members are able to ameliorate their skills at a faster pace.

One of the most prominent features of PAFO is our conductor, the world-renowned Maestro Jorge Luis Uzcátegui. Uzcátegui won First Prize at the Debut Hamburg International Conducting Competition in Germany and at the Paraná Symphony International Conducting Competition in Brazil, obtaining the unanimous vote from the jury and all orchestra members. He also won First Prize at the Wise Conducting Competition in Los Angeles, where he is completing his doctorate in orchestral conducting at UCLA. Uzcátegui has conducted members from distinguished orchestras in Europe, North and South American, and has gone on to perform concerts all over the world since the age of 13.

We are beginning our season online, where students have the opportunity to interact in a safe way, building relationships and maintaining a sense of community during the pandemic.