Year in Review: 2009-2010 Season
The 38th season of the Delaware County Youth Orchestra was a highly successful year, opening with the excitement of the first rehearsal at our new, more spacious facilities at Proclamation Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr and closing with a spectacular, crowd-packed final concert featuring Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue at West Chester University’s Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre. Highlights of the season include the lively and productive fall rehearsal weekend at Camp Tockwogh, the popular fall and spring performance hours, and the spring Distinguished Visiting Artists Program featuring a panel discussion on careers in music. Throughout the season music director Brad Smith continued to engage his talented young players by programming exciting and challenging repertoire and eliciting exceptionally high levels of performance – all the while maintaining a positive, supportive atmosphere that encourages each student musician to grow and reach his or her full potential.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE ORCHESTRA
The Delaware County Youth Orchestra is a highly selective, full-size symphony orchestra of talented students through senior year of high school. DCYO students come from a wider geographic area than the name implies: during the 2009-2010 season, 54% came from Delaware County, 20% from Chester County, 23% from Montgomery County, and 3% from other parts of the Greater Philadelphia area. In 2009-2010, approximately 92% of the members were high school students, the majority of whom were juniors and seniors. Exceptionally advanced middle school students made up about 8% of the orchestra’s membership. Approximately 84% of the students attended public schools, 10% attended private schools, and 6% of the students were schooled at home. During 2009-2010, the orchestra had 90 students: 62% were male and 38% were female.
DCYO members tend to be high achievers, both musically and academically. Over the past few years DCYO students have been accepted at such prestigious music schools as the Cleveland Institute, the Eastman School of Music, Northwestern University, and Peabody Conservatory. Of the 2010 graduating seniors, 44% are going on to major in music. Other 2010 graduates are attending such highly selective schools as Cornell, Princeton, Stanford, and UC Berkeley.
BRAD SMITH – CONDUCTOR
The 2010-2011 season marks Brad Smith’s sixth year as Music Director of the Delaware County Youth Orchestra. He is also Music Director and Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble at the University of Pennsylvania. Originally trained as a trumpeter in the state of Texas, Smith holds degrees from The University of Texas at Austin and Stephen F. Austin State University. His primary teachers were Kevin Noe, Jerry Junkin and Kevin Sedatole.
Dr. Smith has served as guest conductor on the faculty of the American Festival for the Arts and is active as a clinician and adjudicator in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Texas. He has conducted a program featuring the music of Samuel Barber for the award-winning arts program “The Front Row” on Houston PBS affiliate KUHF. Dr. Smith has written on the topic of programming philosophies and has a strong interest in the promotion of living composers. He maintains professional memberships in the College Orchestra Directors Association, League of American Orchestras, College Music Society, and the Conductors Guild. He and his wife Becki have two daughters, Emily and Heather.
2009-2010 CONCERT SEASON
Returning for his fifth concert season with DCYO, conductor Brad Smith demonstrated his many talents as music director and educator. Each year our orchestra welcomes a large number of new students to many of its sections. These students, though exceptionally talented, start relatively young and untested. Hard work and dedication from all of our student musicians resulted in impressively strong fall concert performances. DCYO played to an enthusiastic audience for the season’s opening concert on November 22 at Neumann University’s Meagher Hall. This concert featured Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 as well as Dvořák’s lively Carnival Overture and Saint-Saëns’ popular Danse Macabre. The fall concert program was repeated two weeks later on December 6 at the Strath Haven High School Auditorium. This concert was also warmly received and a perfect close for the fall season. With newfound experience and a couple of recent additions to the brass sections, the stage was set for more spectacular performances in the coming spring season.
The major work presented for the spring 2010 concerts was Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, which featured gifted pianist and DCYO co-concertmaster Jennifer Campbell. The first half of this concert also included Verdi’s popular overture to the opera La Forza Del Destino and Ravel’s Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte. The second half of the program was represented by Schumann’s masterfully orchestrated Symphony No. 4. This ambitious program was first presented on May 2 in an evening concert at Garnet Valley High School Auditorium. The concert program was repeated on May 16 to a capacity crowd at the beautiful Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre at West Chester University’s Swope Performing Arts Center. This final concert of the season was sponsored in part by a grant from The Presser Foundation. Both concerts, showcasing the talents of our student orchestra as well as many individual soloists, were met with great audience enthusiasm. Congratulations once again to all of the dedicated DCYO musicians under the direction of Dr. Brad Smith.
DISTINGUISHED VISITING ARTISTS PROGRAM
On April 6, 2010, DCYO was pleased to host its second annual Visiting Artists Program. This event, entitled “Careers in Music,” consisted of a panel of three professionals who gave brief presentations on their music careers and then entertained student questions at length. The distinguished panelists were Richard Amoroso, violinist in The Philadelphia Orchestra; George Blood, audio engineer and owner of George Blood Audio; and Min-Young Kim, violinist in the Daedalus Quartet. Topics were wide-ranging, but a few examples of the discussion stand out: Mr. Blood’s advice on education choices for careers in music (he recommends college or university degree rather than a conservatory degree); Mr. Amoroso’s description of transcendent moments of musical perfection he experienced under gifted conductors such as Wolfgang Sawallisch; and Ms. Kim’s eye-opening description of the practical challenges she has experienced as a member of a touring chamber group.
DCYO’s Visiting Artists Program was established during the 2008-2009 season, when, at the suggestion of Music Director Brad Smith, the DCYO Board of Directors agreed to establish an annual guest program, which would consist of an evening where a noted performer, composer, or music educator – or a panel of several of these distinguished musicians – would discuss specific works the students were performing that semester and also discuss music as a career. The program would be funded in its initial years by a grant received at the end of the 2008-2009 season from an anonymous donor.
The first Visiting Artists Program took place in March of 2009, when, at the invitation of Dr. Smith, prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon visited a DCYO rehearsal to help the students rehearse her composition blue cathedral, which the orchestra had programmed for its May concerts. During this session Ms. Higdon provided invaluable feedback about the piece – its compositional history and the specific techniques required to perform it successfully. She also talked at some length about the career path that led to her success as a composer and fielded many questions in general about life as a musician. Her insights proved to be invaluable to the students in terms of interpretation and perspective.
Only a few months after Ms. Higdon visited DCYO, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Music for her Violin Concerto. DCYO is greatly honored to have hosted Ms. Higdon’s spring 2009 visit.
PERFORMANCE HOUR
The DCYO Performance Hour is a program that features members of the orchestra as soloists and chamber musicians. This evening performance gives the students a chance to play in a friendly, intimate setting for their friends, family, and peers, and to socialize during the reception that follows the performance. The program allows students to perform pieces that they have prepared outside of the orchestra rehearsal time. At times students perform on instruments other than the ones they play in the orchestra. Students also have the opportunity to perform original works that they have written.
On December 8, 2009, the orchestra held its fall semester Performance Hour in the orchestra’s rehearsal room at Proclamation Presbyterian Church. Violinist Austin Berman, bassoonist Julie Clement, and hornist Andrew Pasquier performed on their instruments, accompanied by Nozomi Takashima. Violinist June Lee performed on the piano, and David Lai sang. Matt Brown and John Sweeney performed on the guitar and bass. Clarinetists Stephanie Herrmann and Eddie Sundra performed a jazz duet on saxophones. Reginald Johnson and Jennifer Campbell had members of the orchestra perform their original chamber music works.
On May 18, the orchestra had its spring Performance Hour in the beautiful sanctuary of Proclamation Presbyterian Church. Amy Semes, Bradley Berman, and trombonist Jim Tobias performed solos, accompanied by Nozomi Takashima. Harpist Caitlin Mehrtens performed solo. Brothers Bradley and Austin Berman, clarinetists Nastassia Dotts and Stephanie Herrmann, and violinist Jennifer Campbell and clarinetist Eddie Sundra performed duos. Reginald Johnson and Eddie Sundra presented original works performed by several orchestra members. Receptions followed both performances.
CAMP TOCKWOGH REHEARSAL WEEKEND
At the beginning of each season, DCYO schedules a weekend of intense rehearsals at Camp Tockwogh, a YMCA camp on the upper Chesapeake Bay. This annual September retreat encourages camaraderie between new and returning members and provides a jump-start towards mastering the fall repertoire.
Approximately 90% of our students were able to attend this program on the weekend of September 26-27, 2009. The weekend consisted of several intensive rehearsals interspersed with ample time for lively camaraderie. This, as always, was an opportunity to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a remarkable group of talented young musicians, which typically includes many newcomers. Conductor Brad Smith again demonstrated his superb abilities as educator and mentor as well as conductor. Although the bay area camp surroundings are relaxed, the students themselves were predictably energized and enthusiastic at rehearsals. During these rehearsals visitors and passersby were treated to strains of Tchaikovsky’s lushly melodic Symphony No. 5 and Dvořák’s lively Carnival Overture, as well as Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre.
During their free time students found no shortage of activities, including archery, rock-wall climbing, basketball and hiking. The bay was calm and many of the adventurous tried their skill at canoeing or kayaking. Other students found the beach to be a great location to simply relax or to play beach volleyball. Nearly perfect, mild late summer weather made for a most pleasurable weekend. The evening beachfront bonfire under starry skies was one of many highlights. The retreat was a great success, stimulating the orchestra to develop as an ensemble both musically and socially.
SECTIONAL REHEARSALS
As has been the tradition, DCYO held sectionals twice during the 2009-2010 season: fall sectionals on October 20 and spring sectionals on March 2. This is the time in the semester’s work that each section has the opportunity to work on its unique technical issues and character. Our musicians had the opportunity to be coached by some outstanding musicians in our community. In the fall, our violin section was coached by Ellen DePasquale, former associate concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, and in the spring by Richard Amoroso, a member of the first violin section of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Violists Evelyn Luise and Carol Briselli, cellists Sue Lerner and Vivian Barton-Dozor, and bassists Anne Peterson and Lesa Bubak coached their respective sections. Philadelphia Orchestra associate principal flutist David Cramer coached our woodwinds this spring. Allison Herz, Kathy and Russ Mehrtens, and Ralph Sorrentino worked with our woodwinds, brass, and percussion sections.
These sectionals are beneficial because there is not sufficient time during our normal rehearsals to concentrate on the many technical details of each instrument. At the sectionals, the experts focus on the nuances of the instruments and the specific issues of the works being learned. The challenging parts can be rehearsed separately and mastered. These professionals know the traditions of the music, what the students should listen for as they play, and the techniques necessary to achieve a particular style or sound in the music. When the orchestra comes together again, there is a noticeable improvement in the work as a whole because each section has mastered its parts. The students look forward to their time with these prestigious musicians.
MEMBERS’ ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
During the 2009-2010 season, Delaware County Youth Orchestra members achieved significant musical honors. Although only about one-half of the orchestra members take part in district, regional, and state orchestra and band festivals, eight members won seats in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Orchestra, Band, and Wind Ensemble. One member won the position of principal clarinet in the PMEA All-State Band. In addition, many DCYO members won seats in district and regional orchestras and bands, some as principals in their sections.
DCYO members distinguished themselves in several local music competitions during the 2009-2010 season. Four members won first place in various divisions of the Tri-County Youth Festival. Two members were winners in concerto competitions sponsored by local orchestras. Other members won competitions sponsored by the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Harp Society and by New England Music Camp. This past season our students were featured as soloists with the Ambler Symphony, the Bucks County Symphony, the Lansdowne Symphony, and the Shanghai Philharmonic. In a rare occurrence, one of our own co-concertmasters was featured as piano soloist with DCYO this spring in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Several members received significant scholarships at area chamber music programs, including those at Darlington Arts Center, The Music School of Delaware, Settlement Music School, and Temple Music Prep. During the summer of 2010, some DCYO members participated in such highly selective music programs as the Aspen Music Festival and Boston University Tanglewood Institute. For further information, please see the list below of “DCYO Distinguished Members, 2009-2010: Music Awards and Achievements.”
DCYO June 2010 graduates include seven students recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program, including two National Merit Scholars. June graduates are going on to such highly selective schools as Cornell, Princeton, Stanford, and UC Berkeley. Well over a third of the graduating seniors are majoring in music: they will be attending such schools as the Eastman School of Music, Ithaca College, Northwestern University, and the Peabody Institute, among others. For further information, please see the list of “Delaware County Youth Orchestra June 2010 Graduates” included below.
DELAWARE VALLEY YOUNG MUSICIANS' ORCHESTRA
The Delaware Valley Young Musicians’ Orchestra (YMO) has been in existence as part of the Delaware County Youth Orchestra Organization since the fall of 1989. The orchestra rehearses at Springton Lake Middle School’s Band Room on Thursday evenings during the school year. The orchestra performs a mixture of classical arrangements and popular music at a high school level. There are two concerts each year, in November and late April. Auditions are held each spring for new players interested in joining the orchestra for the next season. All current players must re-audition in the spring as well. Each year a number of players advance to the Delaware County Youth Orchestra. In May 2010, over 20 YMO players were accepted into the more advanced youth orchestra.
Two conductors share the rehearsals and concert stage. A. Scott Kiehner has been the conductor of the orchestra since 1994. He is an instrumental and general music teacher in Wallingford-Swarthmore School District, where he has taught since 1988. Mr. Kiehner holds a Bachelor of Music Education and a Masters in Performance on French Horn from the University of Michigan. Elizabeth Klinger, retired string specialist from the Springfield School District, has conducted the YMO since the 2007-2008 season. She has also guest-conducted the Reading Youth Orchestra and the Lansdowne Symphony. She is a graduate of Temple University and the University of Miami.
During the 2009-2010 season the YMO had 85-90 performers in grades 5 through 12. Most were in 8th grade. They came from over 17 school districts. The greatest numbers were from Wallingford-Swarthmore School District followed by significant numbers of players from Springfield, Radnor, and Haverford School districts.
Two free concerts are prepared each year. Both concerts in the 2009-2010 season were held at Neumann University’s Thomas A. Bruder, Jr. Life Center in Aston, Pa. On Saturday evening, November 21, 2009, the Delaware Valley Young Musicians’ Orchestra played works by Ravel, Brahms, Schubert, Del Borgo, Holst, and Schönberg. On Sunday afternoon, April 25, the orchestra played music by Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, Saint-Saëns, Robert Smith, and a medley of themes from 007 movies by Norman, Conti, McCartney, and Barry.
A LOOK AHEAD TO THE 2010-2011 SEASON
DCYO members have an exciting season to look forward to this September. The fall repertoire features great orchestral favorites from the 19th and 20th centuries, including Tchaikovsky’s beautiful music from the ballet Swan Lake and Hindemith’s challenging and witty Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber. The spring repertoire will present an array of exotic orchestral colors with works by Bernstein, Borodin, Dvořák, and Respighi. For the most up-to-date information go to “Concerts.”
DCYO DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS, 2009-2010:
MUSIC AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
(partial list)
Zachary Alexander, co-concertmaster – PMEA All-State Orchestra; Temple Music Prep Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Music Program.
Austin Haley Berman, violin – Recipient, Advanced Study Scholarship (Gray Piano Trio), Settlement Music School Chamber Music Program; recipient, Starling Scholarship, Temple Music Prep Center for Gifted Young Musicians; first-place winner (with Bradley Berman), Senior Ensemble Division, 2010 Tri-County Youth Festival; second-place winner, Kennett Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition.
Bradley Forrest Berman, principal cello – Recipient, Advanced Study Scholarship (Newman String Quartet), Settlement Music School Chamber Music Program; Temple Music Prep Chamber Orchestra and chamber music program; first-place winner (with Austin Berman), Senior Ensemble Division, 2010 Tri-County Youth Festival; soloist with the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra and the Ambler Symphony during the 2009-2010 season; week-long master class with Stephen Gerber, principal cellist of the Cleveland Orchestra, summer 2010.
Matthew Brown, trumpet – American Music Abroad program, summer 2010.
Jennifer Campbell, co-concertmaster – Merit scholarship recipient, Darlington Arts Center and the Music School of Delaware; first-place winner, Senior Piano Division, 2010 Tri-County Youth Festival; composition winner, Pennsylvania Chapter of the Music Teachers National Association; winner, Association of Church Musicians of Philadelphia Student Musician Award.
Julian Bell Clement, bassoon – Recipient, Advanced Study Scholarship, Weinstein Quintet at Settlement Music School’s woodwind ensemble program; Boston University Tanglewood Institute Woodwind Ensemble, summer 2010.
Eric Cohn, bassoon – PMEA All-State Orchestra; Kimmel Center Chamber Music Camp, summer 2010.
Nastassia Dotts, clarinet – Second-place winner, New England Music Camp Concerto Competition, summer 2009; master classes with Tage Larsen at New England Music Camp and Stanley Drucker at University of Delaware.
Anna Forman, co-principal viola – Karen Tuttle Viola Workshop at Oberlin Conservatory, summer 2010.
Sophie Fortunato, violin – Temple Music Prep Chamber Players Orchestra.
Madeline Friese, oboe – PMEA All-State Orchestra; principal oboe, PMEA Region VI Orchestra and Band; Penn State Summer Music Camp, summer 2009.
Changhee Han, violin – PMEA Region VI Orchestra.
Stephanie Herrmann, clarinet – PMEA All-State Concert Band.
Reginald Johnson, violin – Established a youth orchestra at his local church.
Seth Kelley, horn – Recipient, Advanced Study Scholarship, Weinstein Quintet at Settlement Music School's woodwind ensemble program; Bravo Brass; Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Orchestra, summer 2010.
Nathan Lutz, horn – PMEA All-State Orchestra.
Caitlin Mehrtens, harp – First place, Senior Pedal Division, the American Harp Society 2010 Competition (Philadelphia Chapter); first place, Senior Musica Diversa Division, 2010 Tri-County Youth Festival; Harp in the Mountains Festival, summer 2010; Richmond Summer Harp Institute, 2010.
Mary Petrone, flute – PMEA All-State Concert Band.
Seth Rawleigh, tuba – Finalist, Harrisburg Symphony Young Artists Competition; finalist, Lancaster Symphony Senior Instrumentalist Competition; Leonard Falcone International Tuba-Euphonium Festival, summer 2010.
Amy Semes, co-concertmaster – Recipient, Advanced Study Scholarship, Settlement Music School Chamber Music Program (Auger Piano Quartet); recipient, Starling Scholarship, Temple Music Prep Center for Gifted Young Musicians; performances with the Shanghai Philharmonic and the Bucks County Symphony during the 2009-2010 season; Aspen Music Festival, summer 2010.
Carolyn Semes, violin – Performed as soloist and as a member of an ensemble with the Shanghai Philharmonic, September 2009.
Elizabeth Shertzer, violin – Recipient, PMEA District 12 Music Education Scholarship; recipient, National John Philip Sousa Award; Strings International Music Festival, summer 2010.
Emily Shertzer, oboe – Strings International Music Festival woodwind program, summer 2010.
Edward Sundra, clarinet – Principal clarinet, 2010 PMEA All-State Concert Band; assistant principal clarinet, PMEA Region VI Orchestra; principal clarinet, PMEA District 12 Orchestra and Band; finalist, Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium Young Artists Competition; outstanding soloist awards (jazz and classical) at Music Showcase Festival 2010, Six Flags Great Adventure; Boston University Tanglewood Institute Wind Ensemble and Clarinet Workshop, summer 2010.
Jim Tobias, trombone – Winner, Lansdowne Symphony concerto competition; Bravo Brass; master classes with Luis Bonilla and Blair Bollinger, summer 2009; New York Summer Music Festival, summer 2010.
Will Tobias, trumpet – PMEA All-State Concert Band.
Laura Yuen, flute – PMEA All-State Wind Ensemble; National John Philip Sousa Award.
DELAWARE COUNTY YOUTH ORCHESTRA: JUNE 2010 GRADUATES
(Partial list)
Zachary Alexander, co-concertmaster – A National Merit Scholarship Commended Student, New York University, major undecided.
Hank Bao, cello – A National Merit Scholarship Finalist, Cornell University, major undecided.
Emma Boettcher, viola – A National Merit Scholar, Princeton University, English.
Jennifer Campbell, co-concertmaster – Peabody Conservatory on scholarship, piano performance.
Julian Bell Clement, bassoon – Eastman School of Music, bassoon performance.
Nastassia Dotts, clarinet – Ithaca College, music education and clarinet performance.
Anna Forman, co-principal viola – Buchmann-Mehta School of Music of Tel Aviv University on full-tuition scholarship, viola performance.
Anna Hopkins, flute – A National Merit Scholarship Finalist and Presidential Scholar Nominee, Williams College, major undecided.
Hyun-Tae Jin, clarinet – University of Pittsburgh, pre-med.
Seth Kelley, horn – Northwestern University on full-tuition scholarship, horn performance.
David Mattson, horn – Travel and studies abroad for the coming year.
Elizabeth Owens, viola – Bowdoin College, neuroscience.
Seth Rawleigh, tuba – Roberts Wesleyan College, tuba performance.
Elizabeth Shertzer, violin – Temple University Boyer College of Music, music education.
Siyang Sun, violin – A National Merit Finalist, Duke University, major undecided.
Edward Sundra, clarinet – Penn State University Schreyer Honors College on scholarship, clarinet performance.
Yinjie Xiong, trumpet – A National Merit Finalist and AP Scholar with Distinction, University of California at Berkeley, business administration.
Laura Yuen, flute – A National Merit Scholar and AP Scholar, Stanford University, human biology and English.
PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS
To download one or more DCYO newsletters, click on the following:
2009-2010 Newsletter
2008-2009 Newsletter
2007-2008 Newsletter
2006-2007 Newsletter
2006-2007 Mid-Season Newsletter
2005-2006 Newsletter
2004-2005 Newsletter
2003-2004 Newsletter