NYO2, Kaiser Report, and Vail

Philadelphia Orchestra Cellist Gloria dePasquale, fourth from left in the front row, shares her thoughts about NYO2, the Philadelphia Orchestra's recent major educational initiative. Other Philadelphia Orchestra cellists pictured are Ohad Bar-David, Hai-Ye Ni, and Yumi Kendall.

Q.  In what ways did you participate in the NYO2 program?

A. I coached the strings and taught the 'cellists  in sectionals and private lessons.

Q.  How many students and Philadelphia Orchestra musicians were there?

A.  There were 78 high school age students, and 19 members of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Q.  How long was the program?

A.  The entire program was 2 weeks long, split between  Purchase, New York, and Philadelphia.  

Q, How does this program fit in with the Philadelphia Orchestra's history of educational activities?

A.  The Philadelphia Orchestra has in recent years expanded our educational and community outreach activities beyond our home region. This is the first time as an orchestra we have been involved in a project of the length and depth of NYO2.
 
Q.  Under whose auspices was the program organized?

A,  It was designed and implemented by the Carnegie Hall Weil Music Institute.

Q.  How does the program fit in with the Philadelphia Orchestra's diversity initiatives?

A. This program was designed to address the lack of diversity represented in classical music. Specifically students from under-served or under-resourced areas of the country were recruited, providing them with opportunities they would not otherwise have had. The program is also designed to have an eventual impact on the composite ethnic make up of symphony orchestras.

Q. Do you have any final remarks on this program?

A.  The opportunity to work with and develop relationships with these talented young musicians was extremely rewarding both for the students and for our Philadelphia Orchestra musicians.

NYO2 has been widely covered by the press including articles in the New York Times, and the Philadelphia Inquirer.  

Michael Kaiser, formerly  president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., was commissioned to write a report on the Philadelphia Orchestra as a result of our contract negotiations last year. Although we are bound by a confidentiality agreement and therefore will make no comments at this time, his activities have been widely reported in the press, particularly in an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer by Peter Dobrin.  We hope to have more to say in future newsletters.  You can read the Inquirer article here. 

As we end our annual Vail, Colorado residency with Mahler’s glorious Second Symphony, we look forward to a whirlwind finish to our busy summer season.

First comes a week at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, followed by twelve concerts in three weeks at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. You can see a list of our Saratoga concerts here.  We hope to see you at some of these events, and, following our contract negotiations, during our coming fall concert season.

The Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, where we perform our concerts in Vail.

Here are a few images of the natural beauty that surrounded and inspired our musical performances during our Vail residency. Join us next year for gorgeous scenery and fantastic music making!