Senior Spotlight: Myah Tokajer, Percussion

What is your current AYPO ensemble?

Philharmonic (AYP) & Percussion Ensemble

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

AYCO/SO 21-22, AYP 22-23, AYP 23-24

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

Eastman School of Music to study Percussion Performance and Composition

What do you hope to do after graduation or your more long-term goals?

“Not really sure!”

A favorite, or memorable AYPO experience?

“Music For All percussion ensemble trip.”

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

“Alexandre Desplat is one of my favorite composers. I think a lot of his compositions are very distinct and also a bit eccentric which is cool. There’s also a lot of percussion in his scores which is even cooler. I enjoy listening to film scores and I hope to explore that field in the future.”

Your advice for young musicians?

“Count rests carefully.”

Congratulations, Myah!

Senior Spotlight: Emily Hyun, Cello

What is your current AYPO ensemble?

Philharmonic (AYP)

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

AYDO 18-19, AYSE 19-20, AYCO 20-21, AYSO 21-22, AYP 22-23, AYP 23-24

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

George Mason University to study Bioengineering

What do you hope to do after graduation or your more long-term goals?

“Study abroad at Yonsei. Long term goal would be to become a pediatric surgeon.”

A favorite, or memorable AYPO experience?

“Amiliya and I recording a few parts of rehearsals. Also Ryan almost dropping his cello.”

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

“Dr. Dixon. PA to VA every Monday is commitment. Also Lowei. His passion for music is contagiously motivating.”

Your advice for young musicians?

“Don’t play because you have to. Play because you want to and enjoy it. Have musical role models to look up to (like Lowei) and play with people who share your passion.”

Congratulations, Emily!

Senior Spotlight: Owen Hochwald, Clarinet

What is your current AYPO ensemble?

Symphonic Orchestra (AYSO)

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

AYSO 23-24

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

University of British Columbia to study Computer Science

What do you hope to do after graduation or your more long-term goals?

“Travel to Asia after graduation with my friend!”

A favorite, or memorable AYPO experience?

“Preparing for the concerto competition and playing Montagues and Capulets in the first cycle.”

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

“Martin Fröst inspires me for his technical ability to play anything on the instrument in such a genius way. His arrangments of non-clarinet pieces make them sound meant for the instrument, like his version of Csardas.”

Your advice for young musicians?

“Practice and record yourself.”

Congratulations, Owen!

Senior Spotlight: Nina Howell, Double Bass

What is your current AYPO ensemble?

Philharmonic (AYP)

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

AYP 23-24, AYP 22-23

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

Schulich School of Music and the Bieler School of Environment, McGill University

What do you hope to do after graduation or your more long-term goals?

“Get my Bachelors and a Masters or two - after that, I’m not quite sure yet but I hope to travel a lot!”

A favorite, or memorable AYPO experience?

“The camaraderie of the bass section! I feel like we all get along really well and are supportive of one another, which makes it a great environment to play in.”

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

“My Great Grandfather, Norman Irvine - he played bass professionally his whole life and never turned down an opportunity to perform. His ability to play different musical styles and genres really inspires me to be a versatile musician that others can rely on.”

Your advice for young musicians?

“Stick it out even when it’s hard. It’s easy to give up but you gain so much from playing music and the challenge is always worth it. Also, start using a metronome asap!”

Congratulations, Nina!

Senior Spotlight: Shane Gomez, Trumpet

What is your current AYPO ensemble?

Symphonic Orchestra (AYSO)

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

AYSO 23-24

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

The New School, Art History

What do you hope to do after graduation or your more long-term goals?

Live in New York City and become a writer of some sort.

A favorite, or memorable AYPO experience?

One dress rehearsal, we were mid-piece when a squirrel materialized out of thin air and ran through the entire orchestra before disappearing in some nearby shelves. No one stopped playing.

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

Gianandrea Nosdea. I love his passion and spirit. I saw him conduct The Ring Without Words with the NSO and it was spectacular.

Your advice for young musicians?

Practice.
Any additional memories or thoughts you would like to share?

I have had an amazing time playing with AYSO. I will miss all the new people I have met and the great memories I have made.

Congratulations, Shane!

Announcing the Winners of the 23-24 Concerto Competition

We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 23-24 AYPO Concerto Competition! In the first round, over 50 candidates from AYCO, AYSO, and AYP competed for a chance to perform live with their orchestra.

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AYCO Winner
Elaine Zhang, cello
Cello Concerto in D Minor by Édouard Lalo

AYCO Finalists pictured from left to right: Jackson Winn, Timothy Oh, Elaine Zhang, Yenna Kang

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AYSO Winner
Goldie Woods
Danses Sacrée et Profane by Claude Debussy

AYSO Finalists pictured from left to right: Goldie Woods, Gianna Thiede, Jane Morrison, Owen Hochwald

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AYP Winner
Ryan Chun
Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47 by Jean Sibelius

AYP Finalists pictured from left to right: Enzo Baldanza, Ryan Chun, Michelle Pan, Anne Valerie Ter

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Winners will perform with their respective orchestras at their final concerts of the season

AYCO & AYSO
Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall
Sunday, May 12th at 3:00 PM

AYP
Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall
Sunday, May 19th at 3:00 PM

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Congratulations to all of the competitors on wonderful performances!

Congratulations to the AYPO musicians accepted into the VBODA North Senior Regional Orchestra!

For those located in Northern Virginia, many AYPO 9th-12th grade musicians recently auditioned against high school players in the VBODA districts 10, 11, and 12 to receive the honor of acceptance into the prestigious VBODA North Senior Regional Orchestra (SRO). Each year, musicians compete for one of the highly coveted spots and AYPO is delighted for the 40+ musicians admitted who are members of various AYPO ensembles and orchestras. These musicians are also now eligible to audition for All-Virginia Band and Orchestra. SRO will perform Ballade for Orchestra by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and selections from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet with conductor, Daniel Myssyk on November 11th at Wakefield HS (Arlington County). Congratulations to all that auditioned!

Announcing the American Youth Prelude Violins!

AYPO is proud to announce the development of our newest ensemble for young violinists! The American Youth Prelude Violins* will meet for the first time on September 18th.

This newest ensemble will aim to provide a continued focus on reading and ensemble skills and will also provide showcase performances for young, elementary school-age violinists. The creation of this ensemble will allow for smaller performance ensemble sizes and a shorter rehearsal time. These factors will help to create a more intimate learning experience for all, as younger musicians benefit from a shorter rehearsal and specialized teaching. This ensemble aims to provide support for violinists specifically in grade 4 or younger. 

The American Youth Prelude Violins will also be taught by Kristin Gomez, the director of the American Youth Prelude Strings program, and the ensemble will rehearse from 5:00-5:50PM on Mondays. Come see AYPV in action at their first Showcase in January 2024.

*2023-2024 season program only

AYPO Welcomes A Staff Member - Ike Sae-Tang, Music Librarian

Ike Sae-Tang graduated with a Bachelor’s in Viola Performance from Stetson University in Deland, FL in the Spring of 2020. While at Stetson, he served as the head librarian for the Stetson Symphony and Stetson Chamber Orchestras as well as prepared music for Stetson Opera Theatre, Choral Union, and guest composers. After graduating, Ike was accepted into the Glimmerglass Festival Apprenticeship Program as the music librarian apprentice for the 2022 and 2023 summer seasons, At the Glimmerglass Festival, he had the opportunity to work on Glimmerglass premiere productions, commissioned operas, and music for guest artists including Denyse Graves, Anthony Roth Costanzo, and Natalie Merchant.

As the music librarian for AYPO, Ike will be managing music acquisition, preparation, and distribution for all seven orchestras. Ike will also be overseeing the Flute Ensemble, Harp Ensemble, Clarinet Ensemble, and Co-Managing Percussion Ensemble for the 23-24 season!

Please help us give a warm welcome to Ike in this new, full-time role at AYPO!

Ike can be reached at isaetang@aypo.org.