Alumni - The Portland Youth Philharmonic

Alumni
The Newsletter For The Alumni Of The Portland Youth Philharmonic FEB. 2007
Alumni Advice
What they know now
Several undergraduate students came back to PYP in December to present a panel
discussion for the benefit of their former colleagues about what they have learned
since leaving PYP.
Even if you are not planning on a career in
music, there are tons of opportunities
to keep music in your life after high
school. Doing orchestra and chamber
music at Harvard has been a fun and
rewarding continuation of the music
education I enjoyed in PYP. And in
addition to developing the discipline and
dedication needed in college, the PYP family
is a strong support system that gave me the
confidence and maturity I needed to transition
into college life.
—Jennifer Lo,
Freshman, Harvard University
PYCO cello 2000-2002, PYP 2002-2006
Being in PYP helped me develop so
many skills like dedication and
maturity that continue to come in
handy in many aspects of life in the
real world, even after I’ve graduated
from the orchestra.
—Morgan Cummings
Sophomore, MIT
PYCO viola 2002-2004, PYP 2004-2005
To kids who are trying to decide where to
audition/apply and ultimately attend, I
would emphasize that it’s not like
you’re locked in. There are a lot of
students who decide after their
freshman or sophomore year that
CIM is not for them, and we have a lot
of transfer students coming in halfway
through undergrad. There is no shame or
penalty in changing your mind, and a lot of
people do it. Don’t feel too much pressure to
make the right choice the first time.
—Ellen Cockerham
Junior, Cleveland Institute of Music
PYP violin 1998-2004
Public universities are
underrated!!! The
University of Oregon is a
wonderful school with
one of the top music
schools in the nation. The
staff is remarkable.... I have
not met one person who has
not had the same wonderful
things to say about their instrumental
professors as I have to say about mine. I didn’t
even realize until afterwards that I was the only
“public” school attendee [on the panel], sitting
in between an MIT and a Harvard student,
accompanied by Rice and WPUNJ. It didn’t
even seem intimidating because I know I
belong at U of O and I know that it is a great
school, and I would definitely recommend it.
Basically, the point is that higher tuition does
not mean a better program.... It all depends on
the staff. They need to really, REALLY visit
and meet their specific instrumental professor,
or maybe even sit in on a studio class.
—Nicole Redding
Freshman, University of Oregon
PYCO French Horn Jan. 2004-Dec. 2004,
PYP Jan. 2005-2006
Half Notes | Winter 2007
PYP Alumni • Page 1A

Retrospective
Michael Stodd, PYP Trumpet, 1979-1984
A note from the editor: This article is about two very important things. First, this story is about
keeping in touch. We were put back in touch with Michael, an alumnus of PYP, thanks to a letter
from his mother. His path might never have led to a life in music, but it did. We hope other
alumni, and parents too, will be inspired to write in and tell us more about life after PYP/PJS.
Your stories help us tell others why PYP is still important after all these years.
Second, this story is about how gifts from our donors make it possible for us to continue our
mission to inspire and educate so that more young people can live the dream and make it their life’s
work to play beautiful music. If you are a donor, thank you for your support. If you have not
donated before but could, we hope you will be inspired by these stories, both of the musicians
themselves and of the opportunities they were exposed to in PYP, to become a donor.
When we spoke with Michael’s mother, Dorothy, she said that she thinks a lot of people don’t
think to give to the arts but should because donating to the arts, and to PYP, is about improving
quality of life. A small gift can forever enrich someone’s life. Here is how.
I
was a member of the PYP from 1979 to 1984, including two international tours to Japan and
Europe. This was my first experience in a full symphony orchestra, and the sounds I heard
back then on fourth trumpet were awe-inspiring. After performing as soloist with the orchestra in
1982 I received a PYP fellowship to attend the Aspen School of Music. This was made possible by
an anonymous donor who had heard that concert. I was ecstatic, and it was then that I decided to
become a professional musician.
“ . . .it was then that I
decided to become a
professional musician.”
Page 2A • PYP Alumni
Portland Youth Philharmonic Association | www.portlandyouthphil.org

And well, it happened! But it was not easy. After polishing
my trumpet skills at Northwestern University and in the Civic
Orchestra of Chicago with Bud Herseth, Vince Cichowicz,
and Arnold Jacobs of the Chicago Symphony, I spent five years
taking auditions in the States and abroad until finally winning
an audition at the Komische Oper Berlin, a full-time opera
house with a 123-member symphony orchestra. Being part of
the musical life in Germany’s capital has allowed me to travel
throughout Europe, Japan, and South America not only with
the Komische Oper but also with the Berlin Staatsoper,
Berlin Radio Symphony and Berlin Philharmonic.
During my fifteen years as principal trumpet at the
Komische Oper Berlin, I have been able to draw upon the
lessons learned in the PYP. One occasion was when the
Dresdner Staatskapelle, a legendary ensemble renowned for
its associations with Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss, asked me to come in that evening for
first trumpet in Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, an extremely difficult work for orchestra, with no
rehearsal. Fortunately for me, I had performed this very same part in the PYP under Mr. A, and
that got me through. I frequently recall Mr. A’s admonitions “Respond to the
moment” and “If the choice is to look at your music or to look up, the choice
is clear: Look up!” That advice has saved me time and time again.
Sincerely,
Michael Stodd
“ I frequently recall
Mr. A’s admonitions
‘Respond to the
moment’ and ‘If the
choice is to look at
your music or to look
up, the choice is clear:
Look up!’ That advice
has saved me time and
time again.”
T
he
trumpet concerto of 1950 is a lively pot-boiler of a work
that exploits the spirit and virtuosity of soloist and orchestra.
In Stodd, 20, the concerto had an able advocate. The Lewis and
Clark sophomore is a student of Oregon Symphony principal
trumpet Fred Sautter and Jim O’Banion. Stodd also will be a
member of the official brass quintet for the Spoleto Festival USA
at Charleston, N.C., in May and June.
The young soloist had understatement and flair for the concerto.
The brassy moments were presented with a rounded, full-bodied
sound, and the lyrical, almost “pop” flavored slow movement was
treated to a delicate, warm tone.
Supporting Stodd’s excellence was a lively accompaniment by
Svoboda and the orchestra. The musicians were totally committed
to the neo-romantic excesses of the music, and the general
enthusiasm of soloist and orchestra resulted in one of the youth
orchestra’s most appealing performances.
—excerpt from “Trumpeter shines with Philharmonic”
By Robert Lindstrom, The Oregonian, 1984
Half Notes | Winter 2007
PYP Alumni • Page 3A

2006 Alumni Orchestra
At the Concert-at-Christmas on December 26, 2006, the Alumni Orchestra played
Borodin’s The Polovetsian Dances. Remember, all PJS/PYP alumni are invited to
sign up and play in the annual Alumni Orchestra, so please consider joining us
next year, and tell your friends too. All are welcome!
This year’s Alumni Orchestra members were:
Derek Bondy, trombone
Kiley Borrevik, trombone
Linda Brest, oboe
Mike Brest, trumpet
Bridget Callahan, viola
Geoff Carlisle, viola
Nikki Chang, harp
Tina Chen, flute
Brandon Chin, violin
Kukrim Choe, violin
Suhrim Choe, cello
Alex Chung, cello
Ellen Cockerham, violin
Emmanuel Costache, viola
Emily Cox, violin
Morgan Cummings, viola
Levis Dragulin, trumpet
Ted Eimstad, clarinet
Ryan Erp, trombone
Daniel Evans, trombone
Paul Feeny, clarinet
Margaret Francis, flute
Greg Francis, clarinet
Steve Frankel, violin
Kendal Freyer, viola
Vidya Ganapati, violin
Nic Granum, horn
Amber Gudaitis, trumpet
Margaret Harrison, horn
Nate Helgeson, bassoon
Heather Johnson, harp
Jessica Kaplan, violin
Alex Kienle, horn
Ben Landsverk, viola
Robert Langslet, percussion
Megan LaPorte, viola
Jon Larson, percussion
Amanda Lawrence, violin
Sun Jin Lee, oboe
Aaron Levine, clarinet
Jerry Lin, violin
Jennifer Lo, cello
Anne McLean, flute
Laurent Nickel, cello
Erling Nielsen, trumpet
Louis Olenich, trombone
Siri Overstreet, violin
Alan Pierce, trombone
Nicole Redding, horn
George Reinmiller, trombone
David Richmond, bassoon
Leslie Richmond, flute
Emily Richmond, oboe
Neil Ruby, percussion
Ruth Sadilek, violin
James Salamanca, percussion
Carl Schnoor, viola
Alex Singer, percussion
Tyler Stollberg, oboe
Luke Storm, tuba
Erik Thogerson, trumpet
Alex Wadner, percussion
Tiffany Wang, violin
Matt Warming, bass trombone
Jayde Weide, flute
Peter Yurkovich, horn
Fang Zhou, clarinet
Your name here?!
Page 4A • PYP Alumni
Portland Youth Philharmonic Association | www.portlandyouthphil.org