Senior Spotlight: Matthew Cummings, cello
Miranda Martin Southwood
“If you aren't already, get familiar with the your section members. Also, be nice to your conductor, they are trying they're best”
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“If you aren't already, get familiar with the your section members. Also, be nice to your conductor, they are trying they're best”
Read More“Listen to a wide variety of music.”
Read More“Don't be dissuaded from pursuing music opportunities just because you don't intend to enter a music-related career. The skills music teaches are valuable in nearly every field, and the experience of engaging in music now is worthwhile for its own sake.”
Read More“Music is about people: Look around and get to know and connect with the people you make music with. It's a lot more fun this way!”
Read More“Immerse yourself in music! Never feel limited to just the resources that are in front of you - explore new genres, audition for various ensembles, and invest time into what makes you happy.”
Read More“Practice makes permanent”
Read MoreThe AYPO Music Buddies Mentorship Program performed their Spring Showcase on Friday, May 21, 2021.
Read More“Try street performing!”
Read More“Find something you like playing and do that as part of your practicing! It's a lot more enjoyable that way.”
Read More“There will be struggles, but don’t fret because through hard work, there is success in the end.“
Read MoreJosh Ellis joined AYPO in May 2021 after earning his B.A. in Music and M.A. in Arts Management from George Mason University. As Orchestra Manager, Josh manages the day-to-day functions of the American Youth Concert Orchestra and American Youth Symphonic Orchestra and multiple ensembles.
Josh can be reached at jellis@aypo.org
Read MoreAYPO excitedly announces the appointments of Doug Martin, Conductor of the American Youth Concert Orchestra, Gréta Ásgeirsson, Director of the Harp Ensemble, and Loewi Lin, the orchestras lower strings coach. Each of these accomplished professionals joins us in this next step as part of their expansive careers. We are all looking forward to working with these new artistic staff members in supporting and developing the musical education of AYPO musicians. To learn more about the new artistic staff members, view their biographies below.
Read MoreA special congratulations to all of the competitors, click here for the YouTube winner playlist.
Below find the performance links to the American Youth Philharmonic (AYP) 2021 solo competition winners and alternates.
Winner - Benjamin D'Haiti (trumpet), Trumpet Concerto in E-Flat Major (Haydn)
AYP Alternates
Olivia Bond, cello (1st alternate)
Helen Freeman, flute (2nd alternate - tied) Justin Yi, viola (2nd alternate - tied)
A special congratulations to all of the competitors, click here for the YouTube winner playlist.
Below find the performance links to the American Youth Symphonic Orchestra (AYSO) 2021 solo competition winners and alternates.
Winner - Joshua Thrush (bass), Concerto for Double Bass, Op. 3 - K04459 (Koussevitzky)
AYSO Alternates
Olivia Tilley, harp (1st alternate)
Kyle Ryu, cello (2nd alternate)
A special congratulations to all of the competitors, click here for the YouTube winner playlist.
Below find the performance links to the American Youth Concert Orchestra (AYCO) 2021 solo competition winners and alternates.
Winner - Jayden Lee (Flute), Flute Concerto, Allegro (Ibert)
AYCO Alternates
John Rhee, oboe (1st alternate)
Valerie Lai, cello (2nd alternate)
A special congratulations to all of the competitors, click here for the YouTube winner playlist.
Below find the performance links to the American Youth String Ensemble (AYSE) 2021 solo competition winners and alternates.
Winner - Amelia Baisden (cello), Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 (Elgar)
AYSE Alternates
Joshua Gwon, violin (1st alternate)
Mia Gao, violin (2nd alternate - tied) Emma-Grace Kim, violin (2nd alternate - tied)
A special congratulations to all of the competitors, click here for the YouTube winner playlist.
Below find the performance links to the American Youth Debut Orchestra (AYDO) 2021 solo competition winners and alternates.
American Youth Debut Orchestra (AYDO)
Winner - Madison Bae (violin), Violin Concerto No. 3 in G minor (Seitz)
AYDO Alternates
James Post, violin (1st and 2nd alternate - tied)
Bryce Yang, violin (1st and 2nd alternate - tied)
Meet Ben
Ben D’Haiti appeared on Show 395, airing February 15, 2021.
Benjamin D’Haiti (trumpet), 17, hails from Oakton, Virginia and is a senior at the Keystone School. He studies trumpet with Tom Cupples and has performed with the American Youth Philharmonic and Brass of Peace. He is part of the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship program. Ben is proud of being accepted to the National Youth Orchestra of the USA in 2020, as well as performing with the Young Artist Wind Ensemble at Tanglewood Music Institute, and performing the Brandenburg Concerto No. 2. Ben also enjoys music and video production, camping, hiking, hockey, and photography.
Show 395
Trumpet Concerto Mvmt. 1 by Joseph Haydn
The events of 2020, in particular George Floyd’s death and the ensuing calls for racial justice, brought forth in a striking manner the systemic inequities that communities of color have suffered. As an arts education organization, the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras have a special obligation to support anti-racism and embrace greater diversity, social equity, and inclusion within the AYPO community. Music, our art form, is the quintessential medium for fostering cooperation, collaboration, and understanding among all peoples; our students depend on us to show them how their talent may contribute to a more just and hopeful world.
Recent articles have highlighted the very low representation of Black, Indigenous, and people of color in the orchestral profession. As a youth orchestra, we are an important entry point for future performers, conductors, and composers. We strive to attract musically inclined and talented students regardless of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, culture, religious belief, or physical and cognitive ability. We will provide our students with excellent musical instruction and help train the next, more diverse, generation of musical talent. We are committed to ensuring our internal culture, operational practices, and repertoire are conducive to greater representation of students and staff of Black, Indigenous, or people of color. We are also committed to including musical examples from composers of equally diverse backgrounds.
In previous years, the AYPO has tried to alleviate unequal access to music instruction by providing education outreach and mentorship. These efforts have also included providing as much financial aid as possible, and we are working to increase that support from current and new sources of funding.
We will also go further in several areas to increase the impact of our programs:
Improve outreach to schools and communities to raise awareness of orchestral music and playing opportunities among underrepresented students
Improve access to our programs for underserved and underrepresented students
Improve our programs to include more women composers and composers from underrepresented groups, cultures, and global regions
Ensure our hiring practices actively facilitate recruitment of qualified candidates from underrepresented groups into our staff
We are at an important juncture in our nation’s history and the AYPO sees this as an opportunity for all to learn, improve, and contribute. We are privileged to be able to teach your students and expand the musical horizons for many, in as many ways as possible.
Approved by Executive Committee of the Board of Directors
February 9, 2021
At the end of 2020, AYCO performs in its first virtual concert. Conductor Doug Martin leads the orchestra with major works like Beethoven Symphony No. 1 and more.