Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra

The Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra (PACO) is a distinguished youth orchestra that serves string musicians of high-school age and younger in the regional area. Founded in 1966 by William Whitson, a well-known teacher and chamber musician, PACO has grown from its modest beginnings in Whitson's living room to an internationally recognized collective of five strings-only chamber orchestras. These ensembles include SuperStrings, Preparatory, Debut, Sinfonia, and Senior PACO, each consisting of approximately 25 members who rehearse weekly and perform throughout the year.\n\nPACO's mission is to teach young string players to play well with others, to forge a musical community, and to make the world a better place. The organization emphasizes the importance of cooperation, teamwork, compassion, empathy, and imagination. Its focus on chamber music sets it apart from other youth programs, fostering creativity and collaboration among its young musicians.\n\nThroughout its history, PACO has provided its members with numerous opportunities for advanced ensemble training and performance. The Annual Chamber Music Workshop, also known as PACO Camp, is an event exclusively for current PACO students from the Debut, Sinfonia, and Senior PACO orchestras, featuring instruction from a nationally renowned faculty. For younger musicians, the organization offers PRESTO PACO, a local 5-day workshop for string players aged 8 to 13, which is open to Superstrings and Preparatory orchestra members as well as community members by audition.\n\nWilliam Whitson led PACO until 2002, after which violist and conductor Benjamin Simon became the second Music Director. Under Whitson's direction, the orchestras initially focused on Baroque music, but the repertoire has since expanded to include masterworks for string orchestra from all periods, major concertos, and symphonies. While the training continues to focus on strings, experienced wind, brass, and percussion guest musicians join when the repertoire requires.\n\nPACO celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2016 with a special Anniversary Concert in Palo Alto that drew alumni from around the globe. The organization's founder, William Whitson, was a respected violinist and teacher who studied under notable instructors and developed his chamber music repertoire and style significantly. He was also a veteran of the U.S. Army Continental Command Band and performed extensively with various chamber ensembles. Throughout his 37-year tenure with PACO, Whitson led the orchestra on numerous national and international tours, received several awards and accolades, and was recognized for his commitment to musical excellence and his work with young musicians.\n\nFor more information and a connection to PACO's past and present, interested parties are encouraged to visit the PACO Archives and engage with the community through the PACO Alumni and current PACO Facebook pages.