Greenville County Youth Orchestra

August Newsletter 2024

Support our Scholarship Programs by Donating to GCYO

With a new season starting we need your help...

Dear Friends, GCYO Parents, and Community Members,

At the beginning of every new financial year the GCYO board and myself work hard to increase access to a classical music education for our students. We want our program to thrive. And we have big dreams! One of them is being realized this very year with our first domestic tour in some time, a historic "return" to the Kennedy Center (read a Greenville Journal article here).

Consider making a donation to support scholarships for our students. Scholarships help our students attend the trip to Washington. GCYO's Young Artist Orchestra is only 1 of 4 ensembles performing at the 2025 Capital Orchestra Festival.

GCYO also awards private lesson scholarship to deserving students each year. We are one of a few programs that offer this kind of scholarship.

Wait, there's more! GCYO offers tuition assistance scholarship, a senior scholarship, and summer study scholarships.

Read about what our scholarship recipients have been doing over summer BELOW.

I'd also encourage you to save our home concert dates in your calendars: October 19 at First Presbyterian Church, March 8 at Gunter Theatre, April 4 at White Oak Baptist Church and May 6 at the Peace Center.

But who are the educators behind all the good things at GCYO? We are fortunate to have a small army of professional musicians working for our students. I'll take the liberty of sharing their names and affiliations now by ensemble:

Young Artist Orchestra and The Philharmonic

Dr. Pyeongkang Park, Conductor (Music Director of the Lawrenceville Symphony)

Jackie Tso, First Violin Coach (Concertmaster of the Greenville Symphony)

Dr. Leslie Warlick, Second Violin Coach (Lecturer of Music, Clemson University)

Savannah York, Viola Coach (MM Eastman School of Music)

Dr. Seth Russell, Cello Coach (Principal Cellist of the Greenville Symphony, GCYO Alumni)

Braxton Ballew, Bass Coach (Bassist with the Greenville Symphony)

Dr. Lauren Vaughn, Woodwinds Coach (Music Department Chair, SCGSAH, GCYO Alumni)

Sinfonia

Charis Burger, Conductor (Orchestra Director, Mauldin High School, GCYO Alumni)

Jeff Purcell, Coach (Orchestra Director at Fisher Middle School)

Intermezzo

Elizabeth Conrad, Conductor (Orchestra Director, Woodmont High School)

Patrick Murch, Conductor (Orchestra Director, Northwood Middle School)

Prelude

Kathy Robinson, Conductor (Greenville Symphony Violinist)

Katelynn Lowe, Low Strings Coach (Orchestra Director, Blue Ridge Middle School)

You can support our programs by giving a donation. Donors at and above the $50 level will be acknowledged at each of our concerts. Help us support our students! In most cases donations may be tax deductible.

How do I give?

Make out a check to Greenville County Youth Orchestras and mail it to 102 Pine Knoll Drive, Greenville, SC 29609. Attn. GCYO
Make a donation online: https://gcyo.net/support/

Thanks for your support and we hope to see you at an upcoming concert,

David Kiser

Executive Director

david.kiser@gcyo.net

Letters from our Summer Scholarship Students

Samuel Bursch attended Brevard Music Center

"I spent my summer studying at the Brevard Music Institute in Brevard, North Carolina. It is an incredible place with so many talented people and faculty and I’m so grateful for my opportunity to work there. I studied orchestral percussion with an amazing faculty including Leonardo Soto from the Houston Symphony and James Wyman from the Baltimore Symphony. I got to play in orchestra, wind ensemble, percussion ensemble, and also had private lessons that were incredibly valuable to me as a musician. I’m very lucky to have gotten to go, and I’ll always remember my experiences at the festival."

-Samuel Bursch (Timpanist of the Young Artist Orchestra)

Gabriella Bernal worked with Fine Arts Center Instructor Jennifer John

"Dear GCYO Board,

Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. The scholarship allowed me to obtain private summer violin lessons with a wonderful instructor, Ms. Jennifer John from FAC. Her knowledge and experience has taught me new techniques that will prepare me for my future at FAC and GCYO."

-Gabriella Bernal (Violinist in Sinfonia)

Herman O'Keefe went to Luzerne Music Center

"At Luzerne Music Center, I got to learn lots of new musical skills from many talented musicians. I also got the chance to make lots of friends and have many fun times. During my four weeks at camp, I usually played my violin for about four hours a day. We had two hours of orchestra rehearsal, one hour of chamber music rehearsal, private lessons for thirty minutes to an hour and independent practice time every day. Every two weeks, each chamber group would perform, and every week our orchestra would perform. I had a lot of fun and hope to be going back next year!"

-Herman O'Keefe (seated on the left!, Violinist in the Young Artist Orchestra)

Isabella Bensal Studied Violin

"During Summer 2024, I took weekly private lessons to further strengthen my technique, confidence, and music theory abilities. Not only were these lessons beneficial for one-on-one training, but also guided me during home practices. Thanks to the GCYO board, I was able to continue my studies during Summer to prepare me for Philharmonic this Fall.

"GCYO has opened doors of opportunity and encouraged my passion for music. I’m grateful for the contribution GCYO has made and look forward to continuing to play Violin throughout High School and as a career after graduation."

-Isabella Bensal (10th grade- Philharmonic)

Benjamin Webb at the Jacobs School of Music

"My Summer 2024.

I spent four weeks at IU Jacobs School of Music Senior String Academy. Even though it was only four weeks, I gained so much knowledge and appreciation for music, met remarkable teachers, and made friends with young musicians from all over the world. Through the lectures, private lessons, and masterclasses given by teachers and guest artists, such as Susan Moses, Kerson Leong, Pacifica Quartet, Mimi Zweig, and Amir Eldan, I discovered many new ideas that will not only help me perform better but also allow me to practice more effectively. I received two private lessons per week from different instructors, whose feedback helped me improve different areas of my playing.

"Concerts, performed almost every night by both faculty and guest artists from around the world, were always engaging and intriguing. Some of my favorite concerts were by the Pacifica Quartet, who played Shostakovich’s String Quartet No.2, and Kerson Leong who played Faure’s Sonata No. 2. Besides, the camp faculty advised me on applications to music schools and shared their experience about music as a profession. Finally, the student body was diverse and multinational. My own quartet, for example, included violinists from Finland and Spain. Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend my summer."

-Benjamin Webb (Cellist in the Young Artist Orchestra)