ENSEMBLES 2024

Tumon Bay Youth Orchestra

The Tumon Bay Youth Orchestra™ (TBYO) held its first rehearsal in September 2018 officially launching Guam’s newest community youth orchestra. The ensemble is open to all youth ages 25 and under. Current membership includes college students and gifted youth from Guam’s public, private, defense and home schools. This past summer and early fall, youth leaders of the TBYO mentored younger beginner musicians in the TBYO Jr. camps. As a result, TBYO has established a second orchestra (TBYO 2026) composed of youth who are in their high school sophomore year or younger. The ensemble welcomes new members who have previously taken an introductory ensemble course (beginning band/orchestra) or are concurrently taking private music instruction - no auditions are required to join at this time. In July 2024, the Tumon Bay Youth Orchestra will join the Guam Territorial Band - Official Band of Guam, USA (GTB) in representing Guam at the SUMMA CUM LAUDE MUSIC FESTIVAL in Vienna, Austria. Both TBYO and GTB represented Guam at the 2019 Australian International Music Festival in Sydney, Australia bringing back two GOLD Awards. Prospective members must audition to join the orchestra. New members are welcome at any time, year round. The main goals for the TBYO is to provide a platform for youth musicians from various schools to build camaraderie through music. Repertoire for the ensemble is vast and includes the grand masterworks of centuries past to the latest movie or video game soundtracks. We aim to entertain audiences of all ages.

Maximo Ronquillo, Jr.

Conductor

Maximo Ronquillo, Jr., affectionately Max, is a Filipino-American music educator and bandmaster for the US territory island of Guam. He has been a music educator for the Guam Department of Education since 2003. He served as the 8th Chief Band Master/Music Director of the Guam Territorial Band - Official Band of Guam, USA from 2001 until his retirement from the band in 2019. In 2005, he founded the Tumon Bay Music Festival - the region's largest music event. This 10-day event is held every March and draws hundreds of artists and thousands of audience members from the Asia-Pacific region. In 2017, he co-founded the Guam Philharmonic Foundation, Incorporated (GPF) - a new music nonprofit to help elevate the music and arts community in Guam. GPF is the host organization of the Tumon Bay Youth Orchestra. As a conductor, Mr. Ronquillo has appeared, in concert, at many exotic venues worldwide including Manhattan's Central Park, Carnegie Hall, Sydney Town Hall, Sydney Opera House, and Tian An Men Square. He has guest conducted for Oahu's Central District Band Festival and the Northern Virginia Community College Band. He finds it an absolute privilege to make his European debut at the 2024 Summa Cum Laude Music Festival.

Competition Program

Additional Concerts Program