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While DCYOP has proudly offered instrumental and ensemble training for children from age four and a half through high school for decades, how many students have actually taken this thirteen-and-a-half-year-long journey with us from start to finish?

There are quite a few DCYOP “lifers,” and some families whose kids have each gone through the program one after another. But more than one kid at the exact same time? Twins Corinne and Henry Hess may be the first in DCYOP history. For them, it all started at the neighborhood farmer’s market.

“When I was around four years old, I saw two women playing the violin at a farmer’s market,” Henry recalls. “I really wanted to do what they did, so at four and a half, I started playing the violin with DCYOP and then switched to the viola at age twelve.”

For Corinne, it was more a matter of family logistics, but it turned out to be a wonderful opportunity for both siblings. “I started playing because my brother expressed interest in playing a string instrument,” says Corinne. “My parents wanted to keep us together, so they enrolled us in DCYOP. I started playing the recorder when I was four and a half and eventually switched to oboe at age eight. I’ve been playing the oboe for almost ten years now, and I love it!”

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Being a part of DCYOP for so many years gave Henry and Corinne the time and space to grow as young musicians and develop life skills that transfer beyond the concert stage. “My favorite thing about DCYOP is the resources it has given me,” Corinne shares. “I’m a more confident player and leader because DCYOP has encouraged me to find and share my strengths.”

A true sense of community and belonging also played a big role in keeping them coming back year after year.

“I love that DCYOP gives me the chance to play with a diverse group of students from across the DC metro area,” says Henry. “It has allowed me to learn and grow with people I may have never met without orchestra. These are friends and experiences I will keep with me for life.” Corinne adds, “I love the close-knit community that I am a part of at DCYOP. The staff, fellow musicians, and conductors are always there for me when I need them.” 

And what does the future hold for the Hess twins? This fall, Henry will attend the University of Washington, where he plans to major in Medical Laboratory Science and minor in either music or Native American studies. Corinne is excited to head to the University of California, Berkeley. Both are hoping to play in their school orchestras alongside their studies.

Before then, they still have a few special performances to give with our Youth Orchestra – first, at our spring concerts at UDC in late May and then in early June, in the Concert Hall of the Kennedy Center. Last year’s Kennedy Center performance stands out as a favorite memory for both young musicians. “It was a really exciting and exhilarating experience for me,” says Henry. “It makes me so happy that I was able to play at such an amazing venue with my friends and peers.” Corinne echoes Henry’s feelings. “I had such a blast playing with my friends, and it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

It will be an epic conclusion to a lifetime of music-making with us, something Corinne hopes more students will get to experience for themselves. “I love DCYOP, and I think every kid should be given the opportunity to be a part of our community!”

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