TempoOnline Newsletter of

MarylandClassic Youth Orchestras Volume II October 09

Featuring. . .

Conductors' MusingsA Spectacular Season Startup

Meet our...

Recent Performances

SectionalCoachesManagers

NewChamberEnsembles

Alumni News

Admininstrative Staff

Executive Director... . . . . . . . . . .Cheryl JukesArtistic Adviser... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jonathan CarneyDirector ofMusic Ed... . . . . .David Levin

Associate Executive Director...Christine CoxOperations Manager... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John ParkAccountant... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Julie Hamre

MCYO |

MCYO Tempo www.mcyo.org

MCYO Staff and Board of Directors

Chair... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sunny KapoorSecretary... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bette Eberly-Hill

Vice Chair... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .David PhillipsTreasurer... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Suzanne Rosetti

Eric Anderson, Kevin Beverly, Nan Cooper, Linda Ferrara, Bill Ford,Jon Liu, Tony Ni, Pamela Thompson, Anita Segreti

Become a Friend ofMCYO!Your contribution ensures that our young

musicians, regardless of financialcircumstances, have access to a full orchestralexperience. Participation stimulates theirmusical growth and provides them withunique performance opportunities. Donate toMCYO and become a “Friend” in one of ourmember clubs.

Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras is a501(c)(3) Nonprofit Corporation and iseligible to receive tax-deductible charitablecontributions.

Please make checks payable to MCYO andmail your donation to:

Maryland Classic Youth OrchestrasThe Music Center at Strathmore

5301 Tuckerman LaneNorth Bethesda, MD 20852

Concert Program Advertising2009-1 0 Seasons!

Advertising in the Maryland Classic YouthOrchestra program booklets is a great way toshow your support for youth arts in our area.There will be three concerts this year, with adistribution of approximately 1 ,500 programseach time:

•Winter Concert – Dec. 6, 2009•March Concert – March 10, 2010•Spring Concert – May 23, 2010

SUBMISSION DEADLINES ARE FOUR (4)WEEKS PRIOR TO CONCERT DATE!

Directors-at-Large

Conductors

Board ofDirectors

Jorge Orozco, Jacomo Bairos, Scott Herman, Pablo Saelzer, David Levin

Managers

Niki Flanders, Ashleigh Townsend, Tim Beadle, Janet Wolfe, Linda Kuhn

Executive Director... . . . . . . . .Cheryl JukesArtistic Adviser... . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jonathan CarneyDirector ofMusic Ed... . . . .David Levin

Operations Manager... . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John ParkAssociate Executive Director...Christine CoxAccountant... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Julie Hamre

Staff

Contents | MCYO

www.mcyo.org MCYO Tempo 1

Table of Contents

Conductors' Musings

A Spectacular Season Startup

Meetour...

RecentPerformances

Upcoming

2

2

3

7

9

6

9

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Alumni News

5

MCYO Financial News7

Audition Volunteers

MCYOMentoring Initiative9

10

10 An Invitation to London!

Founded in 1946, Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras is the oldest and most establishedyouth orchestra program in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

MCYO “nurtures, develops, and advances young talented musicians in a quality orchestralprogram” by offering three full orchestras, one chamber orchestra and one string orchestra andchamber ensembles to over 400 talented musicians in grades 4-12 throughout Maryland.

For additional information, contact the MCYO administrative offices (301) 581-5208 or 5209

Cover Design by Cathy Dobos

MCYO | A Spectacular Season Startup

MCYO Tempo www.mcyo.org2

A Spectacular Season Startup - Cheryl Jukes, Executive DirectorFor all those taking part in this 64th season ofMCYO, congratulations on your success and thank you for your

hard work and dedication! The level of talent and increasing numbers of students auditioning for MCYO from all

around our metropolitan region--five MD counties, the District and Virginia--make it quite an accomplishment to

be selected for a seat in one of our ensembles. You should be very proud. We are privileged to have such

outstanding members and look forward to a musically rich year!

After only 6 weeks of rehearsals, I am impressed by the sounds emanating from each room. The music is

demanding, but it is also very exciting repertoire for our young musicians at all levels. In addition to programming

more rigorous literature, you may have noticed several other initiatives underway this season:

•trimmer full orchestras to attain more appropriate and better instrumental/musical balance;

•our new Chamber Orchestra with its select wind section, enabling more authentic performance of chamber

orchestra repertoire;

•a Chamber Strings concerto competition for a Vivaldi soloist in December concert

•four additional chamber groups: a Flute Choir, a Clarinet Choir, a Harp Ensemble, and a Young Artists

PreparatoryWind ensemble.

•Special guest artists: soloists on piano, trumpet & trombone; vocalists and children’s chorus members; BSO

Beethoven Trio, Classical Jam residency in spring, rehearsal guest conductors

•Outreach performances for various association or corporate conventions; also with BSO Orchkids, as well as at

Children’s Inn and St. John’s Church, to name a few

•Additional master class collaborations with Strathmore partners

•Student mentoring

How is it possible?

The direct involvement ofmany different people make it possible for MCYO to maintain its standard of excellence

and provide valuable musical opportunities. First, the bright and talented young musicians, who work hard with their

dedicated private teachers to develop skills and master music for auditions and performances, and their families, who

enthusiastically support this endeavor. Next, our wonderful artistic staff: the MCYO conductors, who thoughtfully

plan challenging and rewarding programs to train these young musicians and to provide enjoyable concerts for our

audiences; the orchestra managers, who take care of each group, interfacing with conductor, parents, and office to

ensure that all needs are met; the artistic advisement, coaching and master class opportunities provided by MCYO

Artistic Adviser, Jonathan Carney, BSO concertmaster; the sectional and rehearsal coaches, who work with specific

instrumental groups to hone repertoire and develop musicianship. Thirdly, the Board ofDirectors, which oversees

the well-being of the organization together with office staff, who manage all operations involved in running the

program at our world-class facility, the Music Center at Strathmore, as well as at satellite and outreach locations.

Grantors and donors also provide necessary funding. Finally, our Strathmore partners--BSO, National Philharmonic,

Levine, CityDance, and WPAS --who make possible additional unique musical collaborations for our students and

staff. MCYO is grateful for the dedication and involvement of all of these factions, without whom the program

would not be what it is today.

Audition Volunteers: We couldn't do it without you!!MCYO relies on a small army ofvolunteers to help us run the audition process, which went smoother than ever

this year! MANY students volunteered their time all-week long to help with jobs such as managing the check-in desk,

monitoring the warm-up rooms and “running” the auditioners up to their proper locations at the right times.

Our fantastically enthusiastic student helpers this August included: Sherman Leung, Brian Tien-Street, Sharona

Yen, Sherri Zhang, Laura Song, Tanya Shi, Kristin Jones, Melissa Yang, Ehden Sinai, Elizabeth Leung, Giselle and

Celine Nakpil, Andrew Shebest, Arjuna Subramanian, Kelley Jo Wallace, Michelle Yuen, Alexander Zhang, Cindy

Zheng, Eric Slesinger, Ariana Yeatts-Lonske, and our dedicated Board member RosemaryWebster.

Conductors' Musings | MCYO

www.mcyo.org MCYO Tempo 3

Philharmonic - David Levin, conductor

It's great to be back in full rehearsal mode. We have

just completed a round of sectionals and the coaches have

all reported that a lot was accomplished in that very

special time period. I am very excited about our first

program in December. The music is quite challenging for

everyone in the orchestra. Some of the selections will be

new to most of you and several of the selections will be

instantly recognizable. Additionally, we are excited to

welcome Lura Johnson, concert pianist with the Baltimore

Symphony,and highly regarded soloist in the professional

world, to our opening concert. The Philharmonic

Orchestra will be accompanying her performance of

Brahms' Second Piano Concerto. This is a terrific work, a

standard in the piano repertoire, and a tour-de-force for

any orchestra to perform.

Attendance has been quite good, overall. I want to

extend a special note of appreciation to those who have

joined us from areas outside ofMontgomery County. I

realize that many ofyou must travel quite far and are

making special arrangements to be at rehearsal each

week...and on time, at that. Your special efforts, and the

efforts of everyone to make MCYO a major commitment

in their lives does not go unnoticed.

Finally, a special mention to the orchestra members

that gave MCYO their Saturday morning to perform for

an audience of 2,000 physicians in Washington D. C.

several weeks ago. Musicians from the Philharmonic,

Chamber, and Symphony Orchestras combined to make

the Annual National Pediatricians Conference open with a

warm tribute to the hard work and dedication that

children...YOUR children...have for the music in their

lives.

Chamber Orchestra - Pablo Saelzer, conductorChamber Orchestra Inaugural Performance.

The new MCYO Chamber Orchestra is preparing its

first concert ever. This is a momentous occasion for

MCYO and in particular for the Chamber Orchestra. This

orchestra consists mainly of the top 10th grade players in

the MCYO program and works on repertoire written for a

"classical orchestra," a medium size symphonic ensemble

with a string body of the right size to achieve a balance

with its eight woodwinds, two horns, two trumpets, and

timpani. Its a "classical" because most symphonies,

concerti, and overtures by composers like Haydn, Mozart,

Beethoven, Schubert, and Mendelssohn where written for

this type of orchestra. And as this roster of celebrated

composers imply, this is fundamental music, not only for

a student orchestra, but for any orchestra! Many

composers during the 20th century also chose to write for

this medium size ensemble, so we have the option of

combining older and newer music in our programs.

For our first public appearance on Sunday, December 6

concert, the Chamber Orchestra will present a program

containing a variety ofmusic that represents the

possibilities of this new ensemble. We will open with the

"Impresario" overture by Mozart, followed by the overture

and aria 'una voce poco fa' from Rossini's opera The

Barber of Seville. The spectacular young soprano that will

sing with the orchestra is under the tutelage ofmaestro

Carlos Rodriguez, the coach of the Placido Domingo

program for Young Artists. We will continue with

"Winter's Passed" music by 20th century American

composer Wayne Barlow and will finish with the iconic

first movement ofBeethoven's Symphony number 5.

In the spring the Chamber Orchestra will perform

Beethoven's concerto for violin, cello, piano and orchestra

with Jonathan Carney (BSO concertmaster and MCYO

Artistic Advisor) and the BSO new principal cello Amit

Peled and the Director of the Peobody Institute, pianist

Jeffrey Sharkey.

These are very exciting times for MCYO and for me to

be conducting this extraordinary group ofyoung

musicians called the Chamber Orchestra.

MCYO Projected on HUGE Screen!

MCYO | Conductors' Musings

MCYO Tempo www.mcyo.org4

Symphony - Scott Herman, conductor

A Terrific Start!

The MCYO Symphony has had a terrific start to the

2009-2010 Season. After a very competitive round of

auditions, the Symphony has started the season with some

of the best talent and depth in almost every section of the

orchestra. Careful consideration and planning has been

given for each program so that the orchestra will develop

and mature throughout the season, and present exciting

and varied repertoire at each ofour concerts. Special care

has been taken to utilize our full instrumentation, in

addition to exploring works which are authentic to the

composer's pen. Our December program will open with a

great full symphonic sound from the "March and

Procession ofBacchus" by Delibes. Included in the

program will be the lush and lively "Hungarian Dance No.

4" by Brahms and the beautiful contemporary Irish tune

"Yorkshire Ballad" by James Barnes. Our strings will be

highlighted in the "Overture to Lucio Silla" by Mozart, and

we will cap our program with the well known "Russian

Sailors Dance" by Gliere.

Some Exciting New Challenges for March and May!

If our weather cooperates for our winter rehearsals, we

will move onto more substantial orchestral works for our

March program such as "Finlandia" by Sibelius. This will

be a great stretch for our orchestra, but I am hopeful our

musicians are ready for the musical challenge. The rest of

the program will be very nice with "Nimrod" by Elgar,

"Slavonic Dance No. 7 by Dvorak, and the "La Belle Helene

Overture" by Offenbach. We are also going to feature a

trumpet soloist from the "Presidents Own" United States

Marine Band on a flashy rendition of the "La Virgen de la

Macarena." May will bring some exciting surprises to close

the season.

Young Artists - Jacomo Bairos, conductor

I am so excited for our upcoming concert with Young

Artists! In a short amount of time, the orchestra has

grown musically by leaps and bounds. Our music is

challenging, and I am impressed with how well our young

musicians have worked together, truly showing that they

can meet this challenge. I feel proud that everyone is

becoming a better listener and ensemble player. Students

performing solos are also doing a fabulous job. Getting to

know my musicians has been a treat! As this year

progresses, I look forward to getting to know everyone

even more personally.

Our concert is going to be fun. Full of beauty, colors,

and passion, our French composers offer us a chance to

learn different styles, listen in new ways, and understand

how to perform in an ensemble that is moving in perfect

harmony. Other works offer a chance to play with

character and joy! Overall, this concert is going to be a

great new leap for the artistic growth ofYA, and I'm so

happy and privileged to part of it! Oh yeah, we may have a

holiday surprise on our concert as well!

My Best Wishes, Jacomo

Chamber Strings - Jorge Orozco, conductorI am delighted to welcome the Chamber Strings

musicians and parents to this new season of exciting

music making and learning. What a talented and energetic

group! We will present this year, for the first time, the

Chamber Strings concerto competition. 17 of the CS

violinists are auditioning! ! The winner of this competition

will be Chamber Strings’ featured soloist in the December

6th concert. The music ofVivaldi and Mozart will kick off

the first program. A variety of colorful and contrasting

musical pieces will follow after. This is official, the

conductor has promised pizza if all CS musicians learn

how to tune their instrument before the end of the

season...

Consider Playing Viola! - An appeal from Mr. HermanDespite the hundreds of violinists who audition, it is completely surprising and

puzzling that only a dozen or so violas try out. MCYO needs many more violists.

Many violinists would make fabulous viola players, and would enjoy the

experience to play viola in the full orchestra; those unable to make the cut on

violin would make top tier viola section players! Yet, violinists continue to audition against hundreds of others for

the 32 violin seats in our orchestras. Consider trying viola! The switch is very easy and likely be very rewarding!

Meet our... | MCYO

www.mcyo.org MCYO Tempo 5

Meet our Managers

Chamber Strings -Nikki Flanders

Chamber Orchestra -Janet Wolfe

Philharmonic -Linda Kuhn

Young Artists -Ashleigh Townsend

Symphony -Tim Beadle

These two managers also coach the

Young Artists Prep Winds

Meet our Sectional Coaches

First Violin -Adrian Semo

Cello -David Cho

Second Violin -Shelley Mathews

Viola -Maria Montano

Bass -Lynn Fleming

Percussion -Ken Krohn

Woodwinds -Dr. James Badolato

Brass -Chris Gekker

Our wonderful YA/Sym Winds and Brass coaches, Andrea Cameron and Robert Isle, are not pictured.

MCYO | Meet our...

MCYO Tempo www.mcyo.org6

Young Artists Preparatory Winds -Tim Beadle & Ashleigh Townsend, co-coaches

The YA Prep Winds Ensemble is off and running!

Started as a training ground to get more wind players

involved in the MCYO organization at the entry level, the

group has had tremendous success in the first few

rehearsals. The group has be focusing on the skills needed

to perform as an orchestral wind section, including sound

projection, intonation, articulation and musical style as an

ensemble. They have been working on everything from

Bach chorales to transcriptions ofmajor orchestral works.

Look forward to hearing Brahms "Academic Festival

Overture" and Saint-Saen's "Marche Militaire Francaise"

on the December 13th Chamber Recital. The Prep Winds

have a lot of fun and we would love to welcome some

select new talented wind players (especially horns and

bassoons) to join for the next semester.

Meet our Chamber Ensembles for 09-1 0

Clarinet Choir - Dr. Albert Hunt, coach

It has been a real pleasure to work with these talented

musicians. In a few briefweeks, we've gotten to know

each other musically and we are beginning to develop a

wonderful ensemble sound. We have sightread many

pieces over our first few rehearsals and have settled on

two wonderful arrangements of the music ofMozart for

the concert. One of the selections, an Adagio, was

originally composed for a trio of clarinets and basset horn

(the basset horn is a kind of early alto clarinet.) Another,

"Eine Kline Nachtmusik," is a lot of fun to play, and, we

hope, for you to hear. Next time we meet, we will

discover the rest of our program. We are looking

forward to our inaugural concert in December.

Harp Ensemble - Elizabeth Blakeslee, coach

The harp ensemble is off to a great start! We are

working on a variety ofmusic for the December 6 concert,

including “At the Tori Gate” by Renée Quinn. This piece

is everyone’s favorite as it uses some fun special effects.

We will close our program with “Virginia Sampler” by Ray

Pool, an arrangement of two tunes: Shenandoah and an

old Virginia Reel. The harp ensemble has four dedicated

players and would welcome new members.

Flute Choir - Janese Sampson, coach

The MCYO Flute Choir began rehearsal for it's Debut

Season with the Orchestra Program on September 30th.

This season finds 12 very talented young people playing

music written for flute choir/ensemble. All of the music

to be performed at our December 13th, 2009 concert will

be taken from different eras and musical styles. As with

any new ensemble, the students, who are coming from

various backgrounds and musical training, are learning

how to musically "speak" with one voice, both stylistically

and with a sense of firm musical balance. The students

are very enthusiastic and are working very hard and we

expect to perform fabulously on the Winter Concert.

Several outside performances are being explored and we

are eagerly looking forward to performing whenever we

have an opportunity. We are psyched and ready to strut

our stuff. See you in December!

Clarinet Choir with Dr. Hunt

Flute Choir with Ms. Sampson

YoungArtists Prep Winds Ensemble with Mr. Beadle & Ms. Townsend

Alumni News | MCYO

www.mcyo.org MCYO Tempo 7

MCYO Financial NewsAs is the case for almost all non-profits in this tough economic climate, MCYO needs to continue to closely

monitor finances throughout the season. So far, we are off to a strong start with first quarter numbers right on

target. Nearing completion is the annual audit, which is now under review by MCYO Board financial officers.

Thanks to the good work ofour Financial Assistance/Scholarship Chair, Bette Eberly-Hill, MCYO was able to award

over $23,000 need-based scholarships for tuition, lessons and work-study to 32 students so far this season.

Recently, and quite fortunately, MCYO was designated a recipient of two new grants. We are very grateful to the

Montgomery County Community Foundation and the Wiegand Family Foundation for their financial support.

Mark your calendars for the month ofFebruary for our annual Practice-a-Thon! In recent years, only the

younger orchestras have been involved, but this has proven to be such a great success that we plan to involve all of

the orchestras in this easy but worthwhile and beneficial fundraiser. Look for more details next semester!

Meet our Alumni

Ari Allal:I was the principal bassoonist in the Philharmonic in

1999-2000. I went to the University ofMaryland where I

earned degrees in both bassoon performance and music

education. I then went to the University ofMichigan and

earned a masters degree in bassoon performance. My

career path finds me playing and gigging around town,

teaching bassoon students privately, and teaching for

Montgomery County Public Schools. I'm recently

married to my wonderful wife who I met at the University

ofMaryland. We both then went to the University of

Michigan together. She is an oboist and has a masters

degree from Michigan in oboe too!

I'm still playing my bassoon has taken me to many

places including the Sarasota Music Festival in Sarasota

Florida, the BanffCenter for the performing arts in Banff,

Alberta, Canada, and most recently to southwest France

where I was principal bassoon with Opera du Perigord's

production ofOffenbach's La Vie Parisienne and La

Perichole last summer. Locally I've been playing with the

Alexandria symphony and the Kennedy Center Opera

House Orchestra in their productions of Siegfried and Le

Corsaire with the Bolshoi Ballet.

I am currently an Artist in Residence at Strathmore for

the month ofMarch 2010. I'll be giving 2 recitals there

and 1 educational program (the bassoon masterclass)

during the month. The Kennedy Center has also invited

me to come and perform on the Millennium stage as part

of the Artist in Residence program as well.

My fondest memories ofMCYO are just getting to be

in that rehearsal setting, going to rehearsal, and

collaborating with other people who cared as much about

music as I did. I didn't expect to walk in as a senior not

having been in MCYO before and find that I had won the

principal chair. That memory was particularly rewarding

because it let me know that the work I was putting into

the bassoon was paying off.

My advice to young musicians is to always strive to

improve. Get a good teacher and listen to them! Do

everything that you can to be a better musician. Buy

CD's, listen to recordings, go to concerts, take lessons

from more than one teacher on occasion to get a different

opinion about your playing. Learn about colleges and

conservatories and what they have to offer. Try to get a

lesson with the teacher at the college you want to go to

before you decide to go there! Maybe you will click with

that teacher, and maybe you won't! Also, practice doesn't

make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect! You must

practice carefully and with a purpose. Don't sit in a

practice room for 2 hours playing anything without trying

to improve something.

Gavin Fallows:I was in the Junior orchestra in 1993/4 and 94/5 under

David Levin. At that time I was in Sligo Middle School. I

went on to Albert Einstein High School in Fall, '95 and

continued studying privately with Amy Horman. I was a

participant in the Kennedy Center Young Soloist

competition in '98, playing the first movement of the

Brahms Violin Concerto.

continues on page 8

MCYO | Alumni News

MCYO Tempo www.mcyo.org

Meet our Alumni continued...After high school I began a career as a jazz bassist,

which allowed me to attend the Amsterdam Conservatory

in the Netherlands for a year in 2004 before moving to

New York City, where I made some of the biggest

accomplishments ofmy career, performing and touring

with many renowned jazz musicians. I have performed

extensively in Italy, France, Germany, Belgium and the

Netherlands, as well as in many American Cities. I have

led masterclasses in improvisation in Azerbaijan, Brazil,

and the Netherlands. I am a current member of the Jeremy

Pelt 'Wired' Quartet, on whose 2007 MaxJazz release

"Shock Value: Live at Smoke" I am featured on electric

bass and upright bass. I still appear regularly as a sideman

in New York's jazz scene.

In 2008 and early 2009 I performed in New York as a

section violinist with the String Orchestra ofBrooklyn and

the Broadway Bach Ensemble. Since moving back to the

DC area this spring, I have participated in several

masterclasses and recitals for Amy Horman's studio.

Some ofmy favorite pieces to this day are pieces I

performed under Mr. Levin. The Finale from Beethoven's

fifth was virtually the soundtrack to my eighth-grade year!

The variety in material was very beneficial to my

technique, and it really helped my reading skills. I always

felt excited to find people my age who were as dedicated

and enthralled as I was by the great music we worked on

in MCYO. My advice to anyone involved in music

performance would be this: Try to identify what it is that

you really love; specific composers or pieces, time periods,

styles. The more you know for yourselfwhat entices and

moves you in music, the less phased you will be by the

obstacles and choices along the way to a career in music.

Ted Gordon:During my senior-high years, my conductor was the

legendary Chester Petranek. During my Jr. High years,

Mr. Bauer wielded the stick.

I attended Albert Einstein High School in Kensington,

and during my senior year, spent half the day at the music

dept at Montgomery College. In 1976, I graduated and in a

few weeks joined the Navy Band—first stop, Guam. The

duty station after that, San Diego. After four years I exited

the Navy and headed off to college. Just married, I

doubted my chances to make a living as a musician, so I

entered University ofMaryland in electrical engineering.

And more lately, in my dotage, I’m studying for a master’s

of theology at Wesley Theological Seminary.

I make my living today as an electrical engineer at the

Consumer Product Safety Commission. Here we design

and conduct tests to prove the safety of electrical products.

What sticks in my memory about MCYO are some of

our venues. We performed routine concerts at Blair High

School, the only school at the time that boasted of an

auditorium. But now and then we hit the road—the

Kennedy Center, where we played Aaron Copeland, St.

Matthew’s Cathedral, where we played more baroque

stuff. The architectural grandeur (plus the fine acoustics)

made a big impression. And toward the end ofmy tenure,

we set off for the glitzier—the Convention Hall in Atlantic

City. The concert isn’t vivid in my memory. Rather we

had a different kind of adventure. We headed for home in

three buses. Several friends and I were in one bus along

the very back row. Out of the blue, a flash of light, a

thunderous boom, and the tinkle of glass. We leaped and

turned. Nothing between us and the road but the back of

the seat. Seems the bus behind had struck ours, and off it

went careening off in the distance sideswiping cars and

guard rails. The cab caved in on the poor driver, later

rushed to the hospital, and as the story went, Mr. Petranek

in the forward seats of the careening bus, had to help the

driver wrestle the controls and bring the thing to a stop.

No kids were hurt. We all got out and hiked to a

payphone to let our parents know we were alright. I guess

new buses hauled us the rest of the way. Not a fond

memory, by any means, but a memory. Ask other alumni

from the 1975-76 season—they’ll confirm the story.

As I think back, the richness of the MCYO experience

was its own reward. How else can a teenage boy get in

touch with feeling, learn taste and style, develop subtlety

ofmind? And on top of that, be part of something grand. I

recall during concerts, sometimes having to play notes a

major third higher than those written on the page—no

small mental feat—it would pass through my mind: “I

can’t believe I’m part ofmaking this glorious sound.” No,

I have no advice but to admonish this attitude: If you have

the chance to do it, you’re lucky.

8

Recent Performances | MCYO

www.mcyo.org MCYO Tempo 9

We Commend our MCYO Musicians!Despite being barely two months into our season, many

MCYO students have already performed at the following

Fall events:

September 26 - Magical Montgomery Arts Fair:

Special thanks to Symphony violinist Kristin Jones for

volunteering her time to play to the crowd!

October 1 - MCYO/BSO Concertmaster Master Class

with Jonathan Carney: Kudos to our newly appointed

concertmasters for their splendid playing to a 50+ member

audience in our first master class of the season. Thanks to

all who attended this wonderful class, where invaluable

individual coaching and information was offered by Mr.

Carney. Our student performers included: Andrew Lu

(Chamber Strings), Celine Nakpil (Young Artists), Giselle

Nakpil (Symphony), Julianna Hsing (Chamber Orchestra),

and Kenneth Liao (Philharmonic).

October 16 – Clarinet Master Class with Richard

Stoltzman, sponsored by the National Philharmonic: Two

MCYO PHIL clarinetists, Seyoun Kim and Devin Zhang

performed magnificently for the virtuosic and charismatic

Mr. Stoltzman, who offered (comical) coaching tips such

as standing tall on a chair to play out!

MCYO thanks our partner, NP, for enabling us to be a

part of these wonderful classes! Attendees at this class

included the MCYO Clarinet Choir and our special guests,

the Potomac Valley Youth Orchestra (PVYO) Clarinet

Choir. We were thrilled to have our friends join us!

October 17 – National Pediatrics Conference Opening,

Washington Convention Center: MCYO was invited to

open the plenary session of this huge convention with

some music and the national anthem. Under the direction

ofMr. Levin, a 25-member string orchestra of volunteers

(including staffer John Park) from our Philharmonic,

Chamber Orchestra and Symphony orchestras played for a

crowd of 1800 enthusiastic and appreciative conference

participants! With just one rehearsal and some warm up

time the day of, the group performed superbly and earned

MCYO a nice contribution from the Academy and some

high visibility marks. Thanks to Mr. Levin and our terrific

students for their time and effort in making this

appearance such a success for MCYO! We commend the

following students for their participation:

Chamber Orchestra: Andrew Hu, Kristin Jones, Maggie Dixon,

Alisa Hahn, Paul Kim, Jerome Glick, Cynthia Gan

Symphony: Zeya Luo, ChristopherWoo, Prashan

Dharmasena, Milo King, Ellen Gira, JenniferWang, Sarah

Abernethy

Philharmonic: Elena Perry, Elizabeth Leung, Colleen Swink,

Karisi Tso, Josh Coyne, Aurora Wheeland, Clara McCreery,

Isabella Nogues, Alison Zhang, Hyerim Hong, Kevin Yang

Clockwise from top left:-ConcertmasterMaster Class with Jonathan Carney-Seyoun Kim at ClarinetMasterclass with Richard Stoltzman-Devin Zhangat ClarinetMasterclass with Richard Stoltzman-Academy ofPediatrics National Conference Opening

NEW! MCYO Mentoring InitiativeThis season, select older string students will serve as mentors for our younger orchestras. These PHIL and

Chamber Orchestra musicians will arrive early to help conductors and managers with rehearsal and concert tuning,

as well as occasionally joining in to play in sections during rehearsals. Many ofour older students have expressed a

desire to be more actively engaged in helping and teaching other students. We are happy to provide a chance for

them to do so in a way that directly benefits our program. Kudos to our wonderful role-models!

MCYO | Upcoming

MCYO Tempo www.mcyo.org

First Concerts of the SeasonPromise to delight and surprise!

Sunday, December 6 Concerts at the Music Center at Strathmore:3PM: Chamber Strings, Harp ensemble, Young Artists and Symphony

7PM: Chamber Orchestra and Philharmonic, with pianist Lura Johnson

Tickets on sale now! Call 301-581-5100 or purchase on-line here.

Please invite guests—neighbors, friends and relatives-- to join us for a wondrous day ofmusic. What better

way to show appreciation for your children’s talent and hard work? Let’s fill the concert hall!

Sunday, December 13 Chamber Recital at the Mansion 5PM:

Includes Prep Winds, Clarinet Choir and Flute Choir

Reserved seating only, please contact office 301-581-5209

Preference given to seating for perfomers’ families/teachers.

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Upcoming EventsWednesday, November 4, 6:30-9 PM, Strathmore Education Center Lobby:

String Day by Thomastik-Infeld

Monday, November 16, 7 PM, Strathmore Education Center, Room 309:

Levine Percussion Master Class with master teacher, Nick Petrella, Education Director of Sabian Cymbals

Special MCYO performers include Kurtis Fedde, Jan Nguyen, Sharon Ong and Sam Um.

Tuesday, November 17, 7:30 PM, Montgomery College Rockville Campus, Music Recital Hall:

Montgomery College presents Recital by Jonathan Carney with Lura Johnson, featuring MCYO’s Lauren Song,

Elena Perry and Julianna Hsing as special guest performers ofMozart G Major Duo.Call Montgomery College to reserve 240-567-5209

Thursday, November 19, 5-6:15 PM, Strathmore Comcast Lounge:

BSO/MCYO Viola Master Class with Karin Brown, featuring MCYO violists from each orchestra.

An Invitation to London!!On October 28, MCYO was pleased to receive a visit

from the Lord Mayor of the City ofWestminster,

Catherine Longworth and her contingent (festival co-

directors Robert and Geraldine Bone) to officially invite MCYO to participate in the 25th Silver Anniversary New

Year’s Day Parade and Festival in London in 2010-2011 . Thanks to Dave Levin’s initiatives, MCYO hopes to pursue

this wonderful opportunity with our orchestra students in the upper grades. Along with MCYO Board ofDirectors

officers and staff, Strathmore President and CEO Eliot Pfanstiehl and Community Relations Director, Bill Carey,

helped greet and receive our London guests. They enjoyed an official tour of the Music Center and concert hall, plus

visits to each of the MCYO orchestras to see our program in action. Quite impressed by they saw, the Londoners

said their visit to Strathmore and the MCYO program was the highlight of their trip to the U.S.

In her address to the PHIL students, the Lord Mayor noted that only exceptional U.S. orchestras and bands are

invited to participate in this grand London festival and that she hoped to see many, many of the talented MCYO

musicians she visited sign up to go. More details about planning for this exciting trip will be announced as our

season continues. Stay tuned. . .

MCYO welcomes the LordMayor Catherine Longworth!

MCYO gratefully acknowledges ourmajor funders: