KUDOS

Current Members - The Latest News as of April 10, 2008!

Jeremy Malvin (percussion) is the winner of PYSO's 2008 Concerto Competition and will perform a selection from Creston's Marimba Concerto on the May 3, 2008 Heinz Hall Concert. Alexander Lee (Violin) participated in the PMEA Western Regional State Orchestra at Bethel Park HS March, 2008. PYSO Members who are going to the PMEA All-State Orchestra in Hershey in April, 2008 are: Andrew Ho, Jeffrey Yeh, Lucy Bender, Alexander Lee, Tommy Dougherty, Kathryn Feczko, Erika Pinkerton, Bryon Zajdel, Steven Kang (violins); Catherine Schilling, Daniel Smith, Colin MacLaine Fadzen, Matthew Ross, Heather Powell (violas); Jeffrey Lin, Anne Caruso, Kirsten Ashbaugh (cellos); Ben Thurau, Elise Charters (basses); Kelly Mozeik (oboe); Zachary Good, Nolan Petote (clarinets); Luke Plizga (bassoon); Sarah Knapp (horn); Daniel Blumenfeld, Kevin Halenda (trumpets); Bryan Powell (trombone); and Jared Altomore (tuba). Hope Vanucci (violin) placed second in the Duquesne Young Artists Competition in the 13-15 age group on March 7. Lana Greenawald (harp) and Laura Block (flute) received honorable mention for their audition of Mozart's Flute & Harp Concerto. Eleanor Lee (cello) performed with pianist Dr. Susan Woodard, Chair of Music at Washington and Jefferson College for Symphony South on March 25. She took second place in the McKeesport Symphony Orchestra’s concerto competition and was also selected by audition to play the Lalo cello concerto (1st mvt) with the Washington County Symphony Orchestra at their concert on February 9, 2008. Michael DePasquale (cello), Alexander Lee (violin), and Peter Levine (cello) were winners in the 2008 Pittsburgh Concert Society Young Artist Auditions. Zachary Good (clarinet) won first place in the McKeesport Symphony Orchestra's Young Artists Competition and will perform with the MSO on March 8.Sarah Knapp (horn) won first chair in the 2007 PMEA District 5 Honors Band auditions. Jeffrey Yeh (Violin) was 3rd chair 1st Violin at 2007 PMEA SHS District Orchestra, 3rd chair 1st Violin at 2007 Western Regional Orchestra, and 7th Chair 1st Violin at 2007 PMEA All-State Orchestra. Ben Thurau (bass) placed first at PMEA District 2,3,5 Orchestra as well as first place at PMEA District 2,3,5 Jazz Festivals. Erika Pinkerton (violin) won the Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra Young Artists Competition and will be performing Lalo Symphonie Espagnole with the PCO on May 10. Alexander Lee (violin) participated in the PMEA District I High School Orchestra Festival on January 24-26, 2008 and will be going to PMEA Western Region Orchestra in March. Other PYSO violinists in the PMEA District I orchestra were Erika Pinkerton who was concertmaster and Tommy Dougherty who was assistant concertmaster. Elise Charters (bass) was accepted for PMEA Western Region Orchestra Festival May 5-8. Grace Callahan (violin) recently played in the Young Artist's Recital of the Steinway Society of Western PA and is an accomplished fiddler who has distinguished herself at the Virginia Games, Scottish Highland Games, and the Jr. National Scottish Fiddling Competition; she is also the student accompanist in the choral department at her school. Andrew Ho (violin) is the winner of the Butler County Symphony Orchestra's Young Artists Competition and will be performing Introduction and Allegro by Saint-Saens with the BCSO this spring.

Current and Recent Members

Daniel Smith (Viola) was selected for 2nd chair Viola for the Fall 2006 PMEA Honors Orchestra…Alexander Lee (Violin) was selected by audition for Violin I section the 2007 Honor Orchestra of America, which performed in Indianopolis, Indiana in March 2007. Larry J. Livingston conducted and Pinchas Zukerman soloed with the orchestra. Alex also was selected to play in the Violin I section of the PSO’s Side-By-Side Concert this past April and he was selected to receive the annual music study scholarship from the Washington County Music Education Fund of the Washington County Community Foundation to help toward the tuition and fees at the Meadowmount School of Music this summer…Robert Kotcher (violin), Colin Brookes (Viola), Matthew Feczko (Bass) and Sierra Pastel (Harp) were 2007 winners of the PCS Young Artists Auditions and performed in their Recital in February 2007 at Kresge Recital Hall, College of Fine Arts, Carnegie Mellon University…Eric Cheng (Violin) was selected to participate in PMEA District 1 Honors Strings Orchestra on October, 2006. He also performed for the MENC Eastern Division Orchestra in Hartford Connecticut from March 8-11, 2007. Eric will attend Carnegie Mellon University in the fall.…Colin Brookes (Viola) as well as Matthew Feczko (bass) were awarded the Blackwood Scholarship. They performed in a recital on Sunday May 6 at the Frick Art Museum. Colin also performed the Vaughan Williams Suite for Viola and Orchestra with the PSO in their April 2007 Audience of the Future Concert at Heinz Hall. Colin will begin his studies with Misha Amory at Julliard in the Fall of 2007. Devon Maloney (Cello) was principal chair at the PMEA District 2, 3 and 5 orchestra concert in January at Knoch High School. Alexandra Thompson (Cello) was principal chair at Regional State Orchestra in February, 2006. Kelsey Kordella (Horn) was selected to be a member of the PMEA District 1 Honors Band, PMEA District 1 Orchestra and PMEA District 1 Band. She advanced to PMEA Western Regional Orchestra, PMEA Western Regional Band and PMEA All State Band. Zoe Li (Violin) was 3rd chair in the 1st violin section at PMEA SHS District Orchestra, 6th chair 1st violin in Regional Orchestra and was in the 1st violin section at States. Matt Feczko (Bass) was not only the 2006 winner of the Pittsburgh Concert Society Young Artists Competition and the first prize winner of the 2006 Merrill Lynch Young Artist Competition, but he also was awarded second place in the Duquesne University Young Artists Competition, Solo Strings, ages 16-18. He received honorable mention for the 2006 PYSO Concerto Competition and was Principal bass in PMEA district, regional and state orchestras. Angela Liu (Harp) and Jacob Nathanson (Cellist) (here as a solo pianist) performed in the Pittsburgh Concert Society Young Artists Concert in March at Kresge Recital Hall of Carnegie Mellon University. The Montgomery Fellowship String Quartet, which consists of PYSO members Thomas Hu (Violin), Laura Czarnek (Violin), Colin Brookes (Viola) and Alexandra Thompson (Cello) also performed as winners. Eric Cheng (Violin) participated in the 2006 PMEA District 1 Orchestra and Western Regional Orchestra. He played in the first violin section in the PMEA All State Orchestra in March. He was also selected to participate in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Side-by-Side concert in May. Kerry Kavalo (Viola) was first place winner in the Duquesne Young Artist Competiton in the Solo Strings Division, ages 16-18. He also attended ENCORE in the summer to study with Jeffery Irvine. Maria Xu (Violin) was Concertmaster of the WVU Honors Orchestra, associate concertmaster of the WV All-State Orchestra, and associate concertmaster of the PSO Side-by-Side Concert. Michael Tracht (Cello) participated in PMEA District 1, Western Region, and All-State Orchestras. Francesca Martin (Violin) is the recipient of the Blackwood Theater Organ Society scholarship award. She played before a panel of eight judges at the Frick Museum in Pittsburgh and was unanimously chosen to receive a scholarship of $3,500. She was also selected again to be the concertmaster of the Franciscan University Chamber Orchestra for the spring 2006 semester. Gretchen Bloss (Viola) and Sam Bakkila (Viola) participated in the April 2006 PMEA State Orchestra, held in Valley Forge, PA. Dalena Klavin (Violin) participated in Honors Orchestra in Fall 2005 and also went to PMEA Districts, Western Region State Orchestra and All State Orchestra. Jeffrey Borrebach (Cello) attended the Governor's School for the Arts held at Mercyhurst College. Shundeena Beard (Viola) was the winner of the Pittsburgh Concert Society Young Artists Concert Series. She performed in February at Carnegie Mellon University's Kresge Hall. Hannah Sams (Viola) is attending Penn State University to study viola performance and music education. She also plays in the Penn State Chamber Orchestra. Marek Romatowski (Oboe) started at Penn State University. Peter Cai (Violin) started his freshman semester at Harvard University. Betsy Skinner (Viola) is attending the University of Virginia and plans to major in engineering. She is also playing viola in the Charlottesville & University Symphony Orchestra. Sha Jin (Flute) and her family moved to Seattle, WA in the summer of 2006. She will also begin her freshman year at Harvard University in the Fall. Corrine Seifert (Viola) is attending Penn State, University Park and plans to study engineering. Niranjani Thuppal (Violin) is attending the University of Rochester. Emily Hawkins (Percussion) started at Carnegie Mellon University in the fall of 2006 for percussion performance. Kari Lynn Kramer (Bass) is studying music education at Slippery Rock University. Jingnan Hou (Violin) is studing biology at Case Western Reserve University. Matthew Sheppard (Violin) is at Penn State University, University Park, and is in the Music Education department. Caroline Drozdiak (Violin) is a violin performance major at Carnegie Mellon University. Jonathan Gribe (Violin) is majoring in pre-optometry with a minor in music at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Bessie Sunwoo (Cello) is majoring in Digital Communications/Multimedia at New York University

PYSO FORMER MUSIC DIRECTORS: Where are they now?
Kirk Muspratt is the Music Director and Conductor of the New Philharmonic Orchestra and DuPage Opera Theatre at Illinois’s College of DuPage. Andreas Delfs is the new Music Director of the Honolulu Symphony. Mischa Semanitzky is recently retired from Music in the Mountains (Durango, CO). Edward Cumming is the Music Director of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.

PYSO ALUMNI
Chuck Jacks (Bass Trombone 1991-99) is currently working on a cruise ship for Royal Caribbean International, assigned to "Liberty of the Seas" which is the largest cruise ship in the world. He plays trombone in the pit orchestra and also the jazz band. Chuck calls this is a dream job. "I spend a lot of my free time walking along beaches from all over the Caribbean. We are back in Miami every Saturday, too."...WVU music student Ruth Miltenberger (flute 2004-06) of Morgantown recently won first place and a $1,000 prize at the Chicago Flute Club's 2007 Solo Artist Competition. Robert Mellin played double-bass with the PYSO from 1966-68, studying at the time with Anthony Bianco. After leaving Pennsylvania, he was principal bassist with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra from 1982 to 1984. He later became a registered architect in Canada and is currently professor at the School of Architecture, McGill University in Montreal. Dr. Albie Micklich (bassoon 1989-90) was named Associate Professor of Bassoon at Arizona State University in the fall of 2006. He is currently Co-Principal Bassoon with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, and also performs with the Ocotillo Winds. Evan Hertrick (bassoon) has been named the Pittsburgh Jazz Society/Mellon Jazz Scholarship recipient for 2007. The Juilliard School has announced the appointment of several prominent artists to its faculty, effective with the 2007-08 academic year, including Pedro Diaz, oboe. On May 5, 2007, forty alumni spanning all 60 years of PYSO came back and joined the current members for an alumni side-by-side concert: Helen Andrascik, Joe Liu, Dalena Klavin, Martha Kukich-Steen, Zsolt Zavodszky, Jonathan Gribe, Esther Hwang, Virginia Mills, Michael Cresanta, Frances DeBroff, Samantha Duffy, Mary Persin, Lucia Soltis, Bill Tackett, Laura Evans, Lisa Kellerman, Bridget Meacham, Sarah Morris, Dennis R. Persin, Nadia Tuma, Melanie Samson Tuttle, Felix Cohen, Don Evans, S. Hartley Johnston, Lawrence Tamburri, Lucy Scandrett, Barbara O'Brien, Patty Zawadski, Rita Brockway, Matthew Litterini, Bonnie McDonald, Jack Scandrett, Bernard Baiden, Susan McKinney, Michael Zeglinski, Robert Fleischman, Georgina Gutierrez, James Wright, Gary Ryan, and Vincent Guentner. Following the concert, alumni and friends attended a reception at Six Penn restaurant. Simon Cummings (cello 2002-04) performs with Cellofourte, a group of four classically trained cellists that play rhythmically charged original instrumentals that sound like a mix of Vivaldi baroque and speed metal. Angela Blotzer (violin 1994-95) graduated from medical school this spring from UNC. She will be entering her residency at UNC as a urologist. She married Patrick Smith, who is working on his doctorate in psychology at Duke University. Dr. Albie Micklich (bassoon, 1989-1990) joined the music faculty of Arizona State University in the fall of 2006. Prior to this appointment Albie was on the faculty of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, University of Missouri-Columbia, Michigan State University and University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Albie holds degrees from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Michigan State University and The Juilliard School. As winner of Juilliard¹s concerto competition, Albie gave his Avery Fisher Hall solo debut performing the New York premier of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's Bassoon Concerto. Albie has performed in recitals, concerts and master classes on five continents and can be heard on a number of CD recordings and soundtracks. In his free time, Albie is a competitive runner and marathoner. Butler native Jim Anderson was a member of the PYSO's French horn section 1968-1969. He appeared on a recent episode of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report." The show was opened by Morley Safer of ''60 Minutes,'' and included appearances by Henry Kissinger, New York Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer, Peter Frampton, Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, and rock critic Anthony DeCurtis. Jim Anderson is Chair of the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music at New York University and Apples in Stereo's Robert Schneider. Anderson is a 1969 graduate of Butler High School and a 1973 graduate of the Duquesne University School of Music. He lives in New York City and his recordings have received 9 Grammy awards. TJ Wible was recently named one of four finalists in the 27th Annual James Pappoutsakis Flute Competition in Boston, MA. The finals round will take place in February of 2007. Diane Persin, violinist with the PYSO (1992-1997) is now an English professor at Indiana University at South Bend. She continues to perform with various musical groups including the La Porte Symphony and the IUSB Orchestra where she will be featured this season in their performance of the Sinfonia Concertante. Former PYSO Principal Violist, Mary Persin (1992-1998) is a founding member of the award winning Biava Quartet who recently performed at Seton Hill University as part of the Distinguished Speaker and Performers Series. The Biava Quartet won the Naumburg Award for Chamber Music in 2003 and was also named prize winners in the London International Chamber Music Competition at Wigmore Hall. The quartet recently was in residence at Yale University where they were teaching assistants to the Toyko String Quartet. The Biava Quartet continues to teach and concertize around the world. www.biavaquartet.com. William Kuhn was a member of PYSO from 1968 - 1970 and is now best known as Billy Kuhn, jazz drummer, clinician, and recording artist. He performs with Duquesne University's renowned guitar faculty group, 'Catch 22' and recently toured Bulgaria, Jazz at the Smithsonian, and Jazz at Lincoln Center. He is featured on their CD, "Sly On Life'. Billy is a clinician and drummer for Duquesne's annual Guitar & Bass Workshop, and has been fortunate to perform with the world's finest jazz guitarists and bassists. He also appear on Ken Karsh's CD, 'Ventana', 'Algo Latino - The Premier Latin Big Band', and produced and recorded legendary Pittsburgh jazz pianist Bobby Negri's CD, 'At Last'. He currently resides in Pittsburgh, remains very active in the local music scene, and would love to hear from PYSO alums. Michael J. Szymanski (Viola 1989-93)is the Orchestra Director at Norwin High School. Lauren Brinn Wurman (nee Croyle) (Oboe 2000-01) graduated from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in 2005 and is currently a junior high band director. Michelle Giansante (Violin 1987-89) is a professional freelance violinist, performing in orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout North America. In Fall 2005, Michelle performed as section violinist with the Thunder Bay Symphony in Ontario, Canada. She has recently relocated to Bloomington, Indiana where she teaches and performs in local orchestras. Simon Cummings (cello) and Alison Webber (Oboe) played in the Chautauqua Student Orchestra from June to August 2006. Lucia Soltis (Viola 1999-03) started her third year at Marshall University School of Medicine, and plays with the University Orchestra…Jesse Rosen (Trombone) was promoted to Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the American Symphony Orchestra League in New York in August 2006. Barbara O'Brien (nee Bashor) (Flute 1973-78) performed with former PYSO Board Member and Pianist Yeeha Chiu in the Pittsburgh Concert Society's 64th Season Concert Series at Carnegie Mellon University's Kresge Recital Hall in September of 2006…Arthur Moeller (Violin 1999-03) finished his fourth year at Juilliard where he studied with Cho-Laing Lin and Naoka Tanaka. He spends his summers at the Aspen Music Festival and has toured Europe and the U.S. with the Juilliard Orchestra..Diane Persin (violin 1992-97) is now an English professor at Indiana University at South Bend. She continues to perform with various musical groups including the La Porte Symphony and the IUSB Orchestra where she was featured this past season in their performance of the Sinfonia Concertante…Dennis Persin (Cello 1997-01) is now Director of Strings and Orchestra at McKeesport High School and remains active in performance with the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra and various other community musical groups…Steven K. Leonard (Violin 1975-77) is currently Director of the Elementary Orchestra Program at The Paideia School, on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestras of Atlanta. He is a clinician at the orchestra workshops in the Southeast and is the Strings Coach for the DeKalb Youth Symphony. Mr. Leonard performs with the Atlanta Opera Orchestra, the Atlanta Lyric Opera Orchestra and the Gwinnett Philharmonic…Gary Ryan (Trombone 1964-67) is Principal Trombone for the Washington (PA) Symphony Orchestra.