Senior PACO Concert with Grammy Award-Winning Jazz Violinist, Mads Tolling

Free admissions. Seats are limited so please reserve your seats in advance.

https://www.pacomusic.org/events/2026-27/senior-paco-november-7-2026

Senior PACO opens the 60th season with a celebration of bold new voices, remarkable artistry, and the power of the string orchestra. Composer and cellist Quenton Xavier Blache’s Habari Gani opens the evening with a vibrant contemporary voice, followed by internationally acclaimed violinist and composer Mads Tolling as soloist in his Violin Concerto. Shostakovich’s powerful Chamber Symphony brings the orchestra together in music of extraordinary intensity and imagination, before Kilar’s exhilarating Orawa sends the season into full flight.

About Mads Tolling:

MADS TOLLING is an internationally renowned violinist and composer originally from Copenhagen, Denmark, now living in San Francisco. As a former nine-year member of both bassist Stanley Clarke’s band and the celebrated Turtle Island Quartet, Mads won two Grammy Awards, and he was nominated for a third Grammy in 2015. Recently, he was the 2016 winner of the DownBeat Critics Poll Rising Star Violin Award. Mads has performed with Chick Corea, Ramsey Lewis, Kenny Barron, Paquito D’Rivera, Leo Kottke and Sergio & Odair Assad.

After graduating Berklee College of Music in 2003, he was recommended by Jean-Luc Ponty to join Stanley Clarke’s band. He has since been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition, and his recordings have received rave reviews in Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Strings Magazine and DownBeat Magazine. Mads has performed for Danish royalty – Prince Frederik & Princess Mary – at the celebration of The Danish Embassy’s 50-year Anniversary.

Mads has twice been commissioned to write violin concertos – for Oakland Symphony and Pacific Chamber Orchestra. He has performed his symphonic works and soloed with orchestras around the US and Japan.

Mads now leads his own groups - Mads Tolling Quartet and Mads Tolling & The Mads Men. His latest release, Playing the 60s, is a reimagination of classic songs from 1960s film, TV and radio, such as “A Taste of Honey” and “Mission Impossible.” The album, released in 2017, features vocalists Kenny Washington and Spencer Day, and spent two months on US jazz radio’s top 30. 

With his groups, Mads has performed over a thousand concerts around the world, including at The Hollywood Bowl, Library of Congress and at the Bay Area’s Paramount and Herbst Theatres. As a featured Yamaha Artist, Mads leads clinics and masterclasses in the US and internationally.

About Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra:

“This amazing group of musicians is one of the finest and most talented I have heard.” -Itzhak Perlman

The Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra (PACO) is an award-winning youth orchestra for regional string musicians of high school age and younger. PACO's five ensembles, SuperStrings, Preparatory, Debut, Sinfonia, and Senior PACO, each have approximately 25-30 members who rehearse weekly and perform throughout the year, presenting an extraordinary level of music-making and commitment to their art.

At PACO, we believe that making music and lifelong friends are best achieved in an atmosphere of cooperation and teamwork. Our focus on small orchestras and chamber music makes that possible, and we minimize internal competition to foster creativity and collaboration for our young musicians. PACO students get many opportunities to work with each other across orchestra levels, knitting our musical family together and providing teaching and learning opportunities for all. Teamwork, compassion, empathy, and imagination are hallmarks of our community. More than just learning how to play the notes, our students learn the real meaning and value of playing well with others.

Our emphasis on chamber music uniquely sets PACO apart from other youth programs. It lies at the core of our educational success, allowing a highly personalized commitment to both our students and our community.

Members of the Debut, Sinfonia, and Senior PACO orchestras attend PACO camp, our annual chamber music workshop in August, where advanced ensemble training takes place under the watchful eyes (and ears) of a nationally renowned faculty.

Presto PACO is a shorter, local version of PACO Camp. This 5-day workshop for young string players ages 8-13 is open to members of our Superstrings and Preparatory orchestras, and other community musicians by audition.

PACO was founded in 1966 by local violinist, teacher, and conductor William Whitson, who served as the orchestra's music director for 36 years. During that time, Mr. Whitson established PACO as one of the nation's premier youth ensembles. From 2002 to 2023, violist Benjamin Simon continued the tradition of excellence while bringing fresh energy and exciting direction to PACO's programs. Appointed Music Director in 2023, cellist Scott Krijnen has taken the baton from Mr. Simon, leading the 5-orchestra organization and collaborating with guest conductors, fellows, and faculty, while continuing to bring excellence in music performance and education through chamber music and chamber orchestras.