The Emmy Award-winning South Florida Youth Symphony (SFYS.org), one of the nation’s premier youth music organizations, earned the Gold Medal at the prestigious Young Bohemia 2026 music festival in Prague.
The SFYS is a regular “fixture” in the Homestead-South Dade area, performing in the City of Homestead’s annual Veterans Day festivities. They will return to Homestead Nov. 7 to perform a patriotic concert as part of this year’s Veterans Day event.
The honor marks the ensemble’s second Gold Medal victory in Prague. SFYS previously won top honors at the festival in 2019 and captured Gold at the Heritage Music Festival in Washington in 2017.
“Our young musicians performed spectacularly,” said Marjorie J. Hahn, SFYS executive and music director. “Beyond the performance, they were exposed to a wide range of international music, formed lasting friendships with peers from around the world and experienced a historic venue firsthand.”
Hahn shared conducting responsibilities during the international tour with SFYS associate conductor Richard A. Zogaib, along with Dr. Alberto Bade, adjunct professor of the Miami Dade College Film Score Orchestra, and Lowell R. Thomas, SFYS director of winds.
More than 1,000 musicians from across the globe participated in the festival, with SFYS serving as the sole representative from the United States.
Participating groups, in various categories, also represented Turkey (4), Germany (5), Ireland (2), the Czech Republic (2) and one each from Poland, Austria, Estonia, Sweden, Croatia and Switzerland.
“Many of our 36 students, some from underserved communities in South Florida, had never traveled outside Miami-Dade County, much less internationally,” said Zogaib.
“It was an extraordinary and unforgettable experience for them.”
For more information on the South Florida Youth Symphony, visit SFYS.org or call (305) 238-2729.
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