Senior Spotlight: Ellie Chang, viola

What AYPO ensembles have you played in and for how long?

I've been in AYP for four years now! Before that, I was also in AYSO, AYCO (two years), and AYSE. This year, I joined the Chamber Ensemble as well.

Your advice for young musicians?

Keep playing and practicing—I promise it's worth it! Music and orchestra aren't supposed to be stressful; in fact, they were my main stress relievers throughout high school.

What college/university do you plan on attending this fall?

I plan on attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I will be majoring in computer science!

A favorite, or memorable AYPO experience?

My most memorable AYPO experience is when we played Rachmaninoff's Symphony no. 2 during my first AYP season (2017-2018) with Maestro Zimmerman. This might sound cliche, but it really felt like time just stopped when we performed that piece; it was so breathtaking and awe-inspiring. I think that was truly the moment that got me hooked onto playing viola.

What do you hope to do after graduation?

I hope to study computer science at UIUC, travel more (once it's safe to do so of course), and continue music for as long as I can!

What musician, conductor, or orchestra inspires you and why?

I listened to a podcast (Smartless) with LA Phil director Gustavo Dudamel as a guest, and it really sounded like he had the right idea as to how to spread classical music to the masses.