Welcome to the YSPF’s 25th Anniversary Season!
© Fred Cattroll
Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Students,
On behalf of the YSPF Board of Directors, I welcome you to our exciting 25th anniversary season. Over these many years, many students have benefited from the numerous opportunities provided by YSPF, including creating performance experiences; providing bursaries and providing additional subsidies to further the students’ musical education; organizing master classes; maintaining an on-loan instrument bank; and fundraising. We have over 40 YSPF alumni who are currently active in performing in orchestras, teaching and mentoring. We are so proud of each and everyone of them. And wish them continued success!
The National Capital Region should be offering congratulations to the talented students who not only performed on our concerts, but who also have received bursaries and awards from other organizations this past season.
Concert dates for the 2026-2027 Season are:
October 24, 2026
January 30, 2027
March 20, 2027
April 24, 2027
June 5, 2027 (Fundraiser)
All concerts will take place on Saturdays, starting at 7:30 p.m. in the First Unitarian Congregation, 30 Cleary Ave.
- During this season, there will be special performances by several of our alumni and other guest artists. More information will soon be available on our website www.yspf.ca.
- If you are unable to attend a concert, please consider a donation. Details are available on our website. We very much appreciate your generosity!
Thank you. We look forward to seeing you throughout this season!
- Please mark our concert dates in your calendar so that you may continue, now more than ever, to support and nurture the young talents of the National Capital Region.
- As usual, tickets may be purchased at the door by cash, cheque or Interac e-Transfer.
Joan Milkson
President
News
On Thursday 16 November 2023, our founder and president, Joan Milkson, was honoured to be one of 15 people inducted into the Order of Ottawa this year.
Joan is a founding member and assistant concertmaster of the National Arts Centre Orchestra. During her 39 years with the orchestra, she founded the NAC Musicians in the School Quintet and, with her NACO colleagues, performed in schools in the National Capital Region, offering young people an introduction to, and broader understanding of, classical music.
In 2002, she founded the Young String Performers’ Foundation (YSPF) to “create, provide, promote and subsidize opportunities that will develop the abilities of promising young string performers of the National Capital Region up to the age of 18” (see About the Foundation). During the more than 20 years the YSPF has been in existence, it has offered performance opportunities and financial support to several hundred aspiring young string musicians in the National Capital Region, some of whom now have solo careers or are members of internationally renowned orchestras.
We are pleased that the City of Ottawa has chosen to formally recognize Joan’s contribution not only to the city, but also to the entire National Capital Region.