Congratulations AYP 2021 Solo Competition Winners and Alternates!

A 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)

Congratulations AYSO 2021 Solo Competition Winners and Alternates!

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)

Congratulations AYCO 2021 Solo Competition Winners and Alternates!

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)

Congratulations AYSE 2021 Solo Competition Winners and Alternates!

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)

Congratulations AYDO 2021 Solo Competition Winners and Alternates!

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)

Congratulations AYP musician Benjamin D'Haiti - From the Top performance

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.

Listen to Ben

Show 395
Trumpet Concerto Mvmt. 1 by Joseph Haydn

https://soundcloud.com/fromthetop-1/1-benjamin-dhaiti

Statement of Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access (EDIA)

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 

AYCO performs in the last virtual concert of 2020

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.

AYPO Alumnus Feature - Brian Hong, violin

A year in review -

In January 2020, the American Youth Philharmonic performed for the the first time at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. The orchestra was joined by AYPO alumnus, Brian Hong, who performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47. We hope that all AYPO families and alumni enjoy seeing and hearing from alum, Brian Hong.  

Message from Brian Hong:

To all my friends and colleagues at AYPO,

As the holiday season passes, we all find ourselves in varying states of isolation. I am sure that many of you miss playing chamber music, as do I; and the world needs great music more than ever before.  In this spirit, I would like to offer you a gift of a personal chamber music concert curated for you by myself and my colleagues here at NEXUS Chamber Music Chicago, performed and recorded at Guarneri Hall.  

Program:

Giovanni Battista Viotti: String Trio in G Major

Texu Kim: "Homage to Anonymous Ancient Fiddlers"

Augusta Read Thomas: "Silent Moon" for Violin and Cello

Arcangelo Corelli: Sonata de Chiesa in B minor, Op. 3 No. 4

Zoltan Kodaly: Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7

The concert is interspersed with a music video and some artist profiles we filmed!  I sincerely hope you all enjoy, and I wish you all a safe and healthy holiday season.

Until we can meet again,

Brian Hong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqLtTy4Gru4

Program:Giovanni Battista Viotti: String Trio in G Major, W. 3.15 1. Allegro vivace e risoluto 2. Andante con espressione 3. PrestoTexu Kim: "Hom...

AYSO performs its first virtual concert - December 13, 2020

Join AYSO in its first virtual concert! Conductor Glenn Quader starts the AYSO season with selections from Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet.

A message from Conductor Glenn Quader:

Dear Parents and Friends of the AYSO, Thank you for your continued support of the AYPO and for tuning in to appreciate the amazing talents of our orchestras. It has been my honor to continue as conductor of the very capable Symphonic Orchestra. It is continually gratifying to work with these fine young musicians.

The premise of this video performance needs no explanation. Rather, what is to be celebrated are the outstanding achievements of our players in an uncharted and untested realm. Our players had to transition from honing their ensemble skills in a live rehearsal setting to becoming experts in the recording studio environment. The technological challenges alone could have easily stopped us in our tracks. Yet what you will witness and enjoy in the production is the determination of our members to uphold the exceedingly high standard they themselves have created through generations of AYPO.

None of what you will see would have been possible without the tireless work of Dr. Elliot, who secured the funding to provide weekly sessions with the incredible AYPO coaching staff. We are also indebted to Miranda Martin and Molly Schranck for their infallible savvy in keeping us operational in a virtual world. Of course the production itself is to be credited to the stunning work of Doug Wallace, whose care and artistry with our performances is something to behold.

Please sit back and enjoy the tremendous work of the AYSO, and join me in taking great pride in their overwhelming success. I hope you have a safe and happy Holiday season.

Sincerely,

Glenn Quader

Conductor - American Youth Symphonic Orchestra

Join AYP in its first ever virtual performance!

A Message from Dr. Bill Hong, AYPO Board President

We, at AYPO, are very proud to present this video of the American Youth Philharmonic's Fall Concert, as performed according to proper safety protocols, but with all the enthusiasm and skill these extraordinary young musicians can provide.

It is our hope that you'll enjoy this performance as you would any other musical event. Please send feedback to info@aypo.org.

Click the link for the AYP Concert Program https://issuu.com/americanyouthphilharmonic/docs/ayp_11.22.20_concert_program__11_

Join AYP in its first ever virtual performance, more detail here https://www.aypo.org/20-21-season-performances. Thank you!