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For our latest edition of Get to Know DCYOP, we thought it would be fun to introduce you to one of our students, horn player Austin Adaranijo. Read on to learn more about Austin, how he get started and some of his favorite experiences as both a member of our Youth Orchestra and the Washington Musical Pathways Initiative.

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My name is Austin Adaranijo, and I am a horn player at the DC Youth Orchestra (DCYOP) and a member of the Washington Musical Pathways Initiative (WMPI). The first time I ever picked up an instrument was in sixth grade, when I started on the trumpet. My band teacher told me that she needed a horn for the following year and that she wanted me to do it. So, in seventh grade, I began playing the horn, and I’ve been doing so for the past four years.    

I first joined DCYOP because a family friend told my dad about the program. During this time, I had just started playing the horn and was enjoying it. My dad thought it would be a good idea to broaden my perspective on music outside of my middle school band; he took me to the audition, and I made it into the Repertory Orchestra (RO). The one thing I remember Maestro Solomon saying to me at the audition was, “thank you for choosing to play French horn.”

DCYOP is the orchestra program where I’ve most grown in my musicianship and the place where I’ve been introduced to the most classical music. There hasn’t been an experience here that I haven’t enjoyed. One of my favorite experiences with DCYOP was my first performance. This was my first orchestra performance ever! Although the music wasn’t that difficult, I was extremely nervous that I would mess up because I was the only horn in RO at the time. I played well in the concert, and numerous people congratulated me afterwards. It felt amazing. Another one of my favorite memories is the 2022 Spain and Portugal tour; it was one of the best musical experiences I’ve had. We rehearsed for hours outside of normal rehearsal to put together our concert program, and it was so rewarding to perform in 1,000-year-old castles and famous concert halls across the world.

The first time I heard of the Pathways program was in DCYOP. I thought it would be something good to try because I wanted to experience something closer to the life of a professional musician. I also thought the reasoning behind it was great: trying to support underrepresented BIPOC musicians pursue successful careers in the orchestral world. It was, and still is, a little intimidating with the juries and papers and applications, but it is preparing me for what’s to come, which is why I’m still in it. My favorite thing about the program is that everything it does is for the benefit of the student. Personal mentors, juries, masterclasses, instrument purchases, college assistance, trial lessons—all of this is to help the student succeed wherever they want to go in music.

One of the most memorable experiences I’ve had with Pathways was the 2022 Chicago Youth in Music Festival and National Pathways Summit. Pathways students from all over the country come to one state once a year and perform a piece together with a famous orchestra, usually with a world-renowned conductor. In 2022, the festival was held in Chicago, performing Listz’s Les Préludes with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Riccardo Muti. This was an amazing experience; not only did we get to perform with Maestro Muti conducting, but we also were able to rehearse with him. On top of all of that, we were able to play a piece by Valerie Coleman under the direction of the LA Opera’s resident conductor, Maestra Lina González-Granados. She was extremely engaging and very prepared. Every time she stepped on the podium, she got straight to what she needed to do. Performing with her is not only something that I will never forget, but also the audience. There were many people who got emotional because of our performance, and that shows how powerful her impact was.

One of the driving forces behind my joining a lot of orchestras, bands, chamber groups, and Pathways is to help me decide if this is something I would like to pursue after high school. So far, although my schedule is never empty, I love having this much music in my life. Music is not the only thing I would like to pursue. I have a great interest in science as well, and I was thinking about doing a double major in music and biochemistry or cell biology. Overall, I’m still in the undecided stage of picking my major(s), but I do want to plan on pursuing music and science.

Outside of classical music and playing the horn, I also like to learn how to play other instruments. I play various woodwind instruments in the pit orchestra at my school. Last year, I played flute, tenor saxophone, and baritone saxophone for my school’s production of Hairspray, and this year I will be playing tenor sax, flute, and bass clarinet in my school’s production of SpongeBob the Musical. Although my schedule never lacks music, I still find time to do things outside of music, including photography, reading biology texts, hanging out with my friends, and watching shows on Netflix.

Despite everything I do with music, I actually do not have a favorite musician or composer. I’ve played a lot of music: Dvořák, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Copland, and more. Out of all the music I’ve played or heard, there hasn’t been a piece that I didn’t like or haven’t grown to like. I am very indecisive, so I feel like picking a favorite musician or composer would be like limiting myself to only truly enjoying that person’s music.

Eva Cappelletti Chao knows the struggles of young musicians very well. Not only is she a professional violinist who has played with major orchestras and in famous venues around the world, but she is also the parent of a busy DCYOP student AND a certified life coach who specializes in helping musicians at all stages of their careers learn to navigate challenges by connecting their authentic self with their artistic self.

“I am finding that the spaces I am creating are rare, very meaningful, and so wanted by musicians of every age and stage of their journey,” Ms. Cappelletti Chao shares. “There is an increasing awareness that we need to support our inner well-being as musicians as we focus on the outer well-doing of our discipline.”

This November, Ms. Cappelletti Chao conducted a workshop with students in our Young Virtuosi ensemble  to introduce them to the importance of understanding how our brains work, discuss the power our thoughts can have over our sense of self, and teach them some specific strategies for managing negative or discouraging thoughts. Students also had the opportunity to write their own personal internal commitment to help remind themselves of the skills they learned and empower themselves to move towards achieving their goals.

“It was a privilege to work with your teen musicians of YV!” Ms. Cappelletti Chao shares. “I found them to be curious and honest in talking about their inner experiences as musicians and also quite open to trying perspective-opening tools.  The insights they shared with each other empowered some of them to set their own unique intentions for themselves as musicians; onstage and off.”

While many seemed unsure of what to expect initially, the resulting conversation seemed to help foster a greater sense of connection and camaraderie within the group. As one student shares, “I thought it was really interesting to hear people’s thoughts about DCYOP (good and bad) and I think it would be helpful to have more workshops that focus on the mental health part of orchestra.” 

Other students were eager to share with parents and teachers what they learned and how they might incorporate it into their daily practice. “I’m really grateful you held a special workshop like that,” one YV parent shares. “It’s hard to get through to teens who tend to have a black-and-white outlook. It’s normal – their brains are wired that way for now. I really appreciate that you are helping students develop more fully psychologically as well as musically.  Understanding the power/role of the mind and regulating internal thoughts is so important, especially in performance.”

As DCYOP continues to deepen its commitment to meeting our students where they are and nurturing the whole child, we hope to continue to offer more supplementary courses that will support each student’s growth, not just musically but mentally, physically and emotionally. Stay tuned for more announcements and events in 2023!

 

It feels like the season just began, but our students are already reaching the home stretch of preparations for their winter concerts, which will take place in just a few short weeks. Here’s what you need to know:

Sunday, December 11th – 1:00 PM
Performances by Debut, Concertino, and Sinfonia orchestras
PROGRAM

Sunday, December 11th – 4:30 PM
Performances by Premiere Winds, Wind Ensemble, and Young Artists Orchestra
PROGRAM

Saturday, December 17th – 1:00 PM
Performances by Repertory Orchestra and Youth Philharmonic
PROGRAM

Saturday, December 17th – 4:30 PM
Performances by Young Virtuosi and Youth Orchestra
PROGRAM

All concerts will take place at the UDC Theater of the Arts, located near the intersection of Connecticut Ave NW and Windom Place NW on the UDC campus. Concerts are free and open to the public.

 

 

 

DCYOP has a proud tradition of welcoming alums back to the fold over the year: Principal Conductor, Kenneth Whitley, violin and viola teaching artist, Ken Giles, Program Director, Rashida Coleman, and Board President, Robert Blaine, are just a few of the former students and parents who have rejoined our organization in new roles.

This season is no different. One such alum who has returned to DCYOP is Sydney Ebersohl, who now works with many of our students as a violin teaching artist and played violin in YO from 2016-2017.

“Three years before I joined, I had not been a part of an orchestra program outside of school,” Sydney shares. “Being in an orchestra with a group of young musicians who are all passionate about music was something I had missed. During my time in the Youth Orchestra, we went on tour to Chile during the New Year, played under the baton of renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel, collaborated with amazing singers, and played in the Concert Hall at the Kennedy Center.”

Sydney didn’t just play at the Kennedy Center – she won the 2017 concerto competition and performed a movement of the Mendelssohn violin concerto with YO. “I was so humbled to be able to play a solo on such a historic stage, but all of the experiences and memories I had would not be the same were they not with the incredible friends I made in the program.”

Being part of an international tour is always a transformative experience for students, whether it’s creating new friendships and strengthening existing ones or directly shaping decisions they make about the trajectory of their young lives. “During the tour in Chile, I was receiving results from pre-screening auditions at various conservatories,” Sydney recalls. “I was deciding between attending one of these conservatories or a college. Being involved in a youth orchestra before deciding to go to CCM was pivotal in my final decision to pursue a conservatory instead of a ‘regular’ college.”

Sydney went on to study violin performance at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) with Timothy Lees, former concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. After graduating last April, she moved back to the D.C. area and shortly thereafter secured her position teaching with DCYOP. It’s a career step that carries deep meaning and purpose for Sydney.

“It is important to me to give back to the community what it gave me as a child. I was fortunate enough to have been given so many opportunities in my youth to grow my musical education. I decided to come back to DCYOP as a teacher so that I can help the next generation of musicians find their own passions and guide them towards their own musical and personal success. I want to be a part of an organization that gives every child who wants to learn a memorable experience with music, and DCYOP does just that.”

The excitement on October 8^th was palpable as we welcomed one of today’s preeminent chamber ensembles, Imani Winds, to program. For over two decades, the twice Grammy nominated wind quintet has established itself as both a champion of the classic chamber music repertoire as well as a thoroughly modern ensemble that seeks to expand the repertoire by commissioning new works by living composers that reflect this moment in history.

We were also excited to welcome back one of our very own alums, oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz. Along with bassoonist, Monica Ellis, Spellman-Diaz is one of the original members of Imani Winds and continues to perform with the ensemble full-time in addition to her own busy teaching and performance schedule.

Members of Imani Winds spent the morning working with our advanced flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn students in small masterclass groups, where they received one-on-one coaching and invaluable technical and musical advice from these seasoned artists. Afterwards, students of all ages and instruments were treated to a special performance by Imani Winds, where they played a variety of works from their broad repertoire. In between pieces, each member of the ensemble took a moment to talk about their career journey, share some practical advice with the students, and answer their questions.

Everyone walked away from the event charged with energy and fresh ideas and perspectives on the hard work of improving and growing as a musician. We are incredibly grateful to our friends at The Clarice at the University of Maryland, College Park, for arranging this special visit, and send our deepest thanks to Toyin and her colleagues for this opportunity!

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DCYOP is thrilled to welcome widely respected thought leader, educator, and musician, Dr. Robert Blaine, as the new president of our Board of Directors. Among the many titles that demonstrate how Dr. Blaine has distinguished himself professionally, we are proud to note that he is also a DCYOP alum!

“Being in DCYOP gave me a foundation to play at the Kennedy Center and move on a different plane, but it also gave me a set of friends,” Dr. Blaine recently shared. “That was my tribe, my community. To have a group of people around me that understood me and where I was coming from, that was incredible.”

Since his DCYOP days, Dr. Blaine built an enviable career as a trombone soloist, orchestral musician, and conductor, performing with and conducted professional ensembles around the world and all across North America, including appearances with the U. S. Army Orchestra “Pershing’s Own.” He then extended his passion for music to the realm of education, taking on academic appointments including Associate Provost at Tougaloo College and as Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Cyber Learning, Director of Orchestral Studies, and Professor of Music at Jackson State University, and recognition as an Apple Distinguished Educator.

Dr. Blaine currently serves as the senior executive and director for the National League of Cities’ Institute for Youth, Education and Families (YEF Institute), an organization to empowering thousands of municipal leaders across America to take bold actions that lead to better outcomes and greater equity for all children, youth, and families in their communities.

Prior to his role at the YEF Institute, Dr. Blaine served as the City of Jackson’s Chief Administrative Officer. Dr. Blaine led the development and implementation of the city’s strategic plan, which promotes a “dignity economy” – an economic model in which municipal investments were made towards the inherit dignity of every citizen in Jackson through early childhood success, financial empowerment, and equitable workforce development. 

With his unique perspective as a professional musician, educator, and innovative leader dedicated to equitable development, Dr. Blaine offers an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience that will no doubt enrich and bolster our organization as it continues to grow and evolve. We look forward to working with Dr. Blaine in his new leadership role and hope you will join us in welcoming him back to the DCYOP family!

Dear DCYOP Community, 

I am so pleased to introduce myself to you – first here and then hopefully in person over the next few months. I’ve joined DCYOP as Interim Executive Director and am thrilled to be here. 

I come to DCYOP having worked with other local arts organizations (Executive Director at Sitar Arts Center, Development Director at Arena Stage) and having served as interim ED for other youth-serving nonprofits (most recently BEST Kids).  I’m also an arts educator, having taught piano and musical theater to young artists over the years. But more importantly, I come to this role knowing DCYOP, its long history, and the great music it makes.  I’ve had the pleasure of working with DCYOP over the past few years in an advisory capacity, and before that, my brother Dave was a DCYOP percussion instructor.   

Thanks to my prior work with DCYOP, I know that the strength of this community and our talented, committed and professional team will help me ensure a smooth transition until we welcome the new permanent ED together sometime next year.  

In the meantime, I can’t wait to meet you all.  I’m eager to see the excitement of our student musicians as they arrive for the first day of rehearsals – both the veterans who are back for another year with us and those who are picking up an instrument for the very first time. If you have any questions about DCYOP, the new year of music education about to start, or getting more involved with our program, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team!

Best,

Ed Spitzberg
Interim Executive Director

 

Get to Know DCYOP is a regular feature that introduces you to some of the many people who make DCYOP the amazing organization that it has been for over sixty years. Visit our blog regularly to see who you’ll meet next! 

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We are excited to welcome Gerald Fowkes to the DCYOP family as the new conductor of our Young Artists Orchestra! An experienced conductor, educator and performing artist, Gerald brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this position. We cannot wait for you to meet him, but in the meantime read on to learn a bit more about our newest faculty member.

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Where did you grow up?  

I grew up in Northern Virginia, then my wife and I moved back in 2003 to raise a family and work.  

How did you get started as a conductor?

Conducting was a fortuitous path for me. It wasn’t until I started teaching in the public schools when I had to waive a stick around to conduct ensembles. I had no idea what I was doing at first! Trial and error have been my most influential teachers. 

 Do you play an instrument? How did you get started?

Yes, I am a cellist! I started playing in the public schools in fifth grade. I desperately wanted to play the double bass, but my parents were not keen on transporting that size instrument. So, we compromised on the cello and here we are 35+ years later.

Did you always want to become a professional musician? What was your path?

Ninth grade was a musically pivotal year for me. In 1992, Mstislav Rostropovich, the famed cellist and former music director of the National Symphony Orchestra, was a Kennedy Center Honoree. A massive cello orchestra was assembled to celebrate Slava at the event. The orchestra was compromised of members from the National Symphony and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestras, as well as a handful of students; I was fortunate to be selected as one of the student cellists. Oh, and, of course, Yo Yo Ma was the principal cellist. To say I was in awe was an understatement. Their dedication to the craft in our lone rehearsal was revelatory. Yo Yo Ma’s dedication to humanity as a musician was inspirational. I knew then that I had to be a cellist and musician from that moment, there really wasn’t any other choice. 

Do you do perform or teach outside of DCYOP? 

Currently, I am the director of orchestras at Fairfax High School in Fairfax, VA. In addition, I’m adjunct faculty at George Mason University where I teach applied cello as well as courses in class strings pedagogy. As a freelance cellist, I continue to play with ensembles throughout the Greater Washington DC area. In addition I perform frequently as a member of the Gunston Piano Trio through GMU’s outreach program.  

What do you like most about teaching/conducting?

I love interacting with kids and providing them with a fun space to play good music. Pure and simple.  

Who is your favorite performer? Why?

The late baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is, hands down, my favorite artist. The warmth of his voice and the way he shapes phrases within a given text is phenomenal. The violinist Giles Apap is a close second. He’s a wizard on the violin and so incredibly comfortable playing in most any genre, a remarkable musician.

What is your favorite piece of music? Why?

Robert Schumann’s ‘Dichterliebe’, with Fischer-Dieskau performing of course, is my absolute favorite work. It’s a song cycle about a poet’s love; I’m a sentimental sap, what can I say.  

What are your interests outside of music?

I love cooking, hiking, cooking, snowboarding, and more cooking. Did I mention cooking?

What is your favorite thing to do in DC?

I love going to concerts and shows, from the Kennedy Center to the 9:30 club! 

Executive Director Elizabeth Schurgin announced this week that she will be leaving her role at the beginning of August after nine years with the organization. Below is the email she shared with the DCYOP community, followed by answers to questions you may have about what happens next.

Dear Friends:

I have some news to share with you: after nine years, this is my last season as Executive Director of DCYOP.

I love DCYOP, and it will always be a part of me. I am incredibly proud of the work that we have done. During this time, we have turned around a venerated but struggling program into a thriving organization, one that is increasingly recognized as a national leader in arts education. Our students have performed with Gustavo Dudamel, Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, and for President and Mrs. Obama. They toured five countries, and performed at Chile’s Presidential Palace.

We welcomed new students through our expanded after-school programs and deepened our impact through our Talent Development Program. Recently, in collaboration with the Kennedy Center, Levine Music, and National Symphony Orchestra, we founded Washington Musical Pathways Initiative, which is committed to creating access to transformative musical experiences for student-musicians who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color.

DCYOP has grown substantially and is in a strong financial position, which has allowed us to successfully weather the COVID-19 pandemic. We are already nearing our pre-pandemic enrollment. You can remain confident that DCYOP and our partnerships and collaborations are in very good shape for the transition to come.

I fell in love with DCYOP because of its drive for excellence, its commitment to its students, its boldness to challenge systemic inequities, and its willingness to accomplish big and exciting things. But what I have loved most about this role is the community of people I have had the honor to work with.

Little will change for students and families. We have a truly dedicated team and an incomparable faculty. Evan Ross Solomon will continue in his role as Artistic Director, providing continuity for staff, faculty, students, and families.

I informed the Board of Directors in the spring of my plan to leave after this season and my last day will be August 5. The Board is in the process of hiring an Interim Executive Director and is preparing to conduct a national search for a permanent Executive Director. I will be available to the organization this fall to provide knowledge and support during the transition. I am mindful of the imperative that all of our initiatives, collaborations, and the strategic plan can be seamlessly picked up by the next Executive Director.

Thank you for being a part of DCYOP’s musical community.

With much gratitude,

Liz Schurgin

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Questions About the Transition

What will happen next?

The Board is in the process of hiring an Interim Executive Director, who will likely join the team by the end of July, while the DCYOP Board of Directors conducts a national search for a permanent Executive Director. The Board will engage staff and parents in the process and take the time necessary to find the right person for the organization and our community.

How soon will the interim ED be in place?

Most likely by the end of July. 

How soon will a permanent ED be in the job?

A national search will take several months, at least.

When is Liz’s last day?

Liz’s last day as Executive Director will be Aug. 5. She’ll be available to staff and the Interim Executive Director for several weeks after that to help with the transition. 

What will change for parents, students, and faculty?

Nothing. Scheduling, programming, instruction is all led by Evan Ross Solomon, our Artistic Director, and the stellar program team. Most parents and students won’t notice any difference at all.

Where is Liz going next? 

Liz has been with DCYOP for nine years and informed the Board this spring that she felt the time was right for her to take a breather, and explore new opportunities.

How can I say goodbye to Liz?

Call or email the office. A community gathering is being planned, probably for September, and more information will be made available in August.

Will parents/staff/faculty/students/donors be involved in the national search process?

Yes. Working with a search firm, the Board will engage in an inclusive process.

I’d like to share some thoughts/ideas for the executive search and/or the future of DCYOP.

Great! Please email info@dcyop.org and we’ll share with staff and the Board.