San Jose, California Francisco Bay. Santa Clara Valley is the population center of the Bay Area and, like the hub and spokes of a wheel, surrounding communities emanate outwards from the valley. This growth, in part, has shaped the greater Bay Area as it is today in terms of geographic population distribution and the trend of suburbanization away from the valley. There are four distinct valleys in the city of San Jose: Almaden Valley, situated on the southwest fringe of the city; Evergreen Valley to the southeast, which is hilly all throughout its interior; Santa Clara Valley, which includes the flat, main urban
San Jose Youth Symphony (the Avant Flute choir, the Percussion Ensemble, and the Concert Wind Ensemble). SJYS has received the Ambassador's Award for Cultural Diplomacy for its performances in Poland as well as letters of commendations from both the City of San Jose and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. As a non-profit organization, the San Jose Youth Symphony is supported by the Silicon Valley Arts Council, the City of San Jose, the San Jose Symphony Foundation, the Steinway Society, and various other foundations and corporations. The Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Yair Samet, is SJYS's premiere orchestra. Simply referred to as the 'Phil', it is composed