Category: “Spotlight” Newsletter

by Emma Kunz Congratulations to all MYSO graduates—from our Progressions program grads to our 99 graduating seniors! And congratulations to our community —for all you’ve accomplished by supporting the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra! Thanks to our donors, our 2023 graduates are out in the world with musical skills—and so many other skills they’ll need to

by Michelle Hoffman Follow our amazing MYSO musicians and alums! Alum Chosen as Commencement Speaker Liam McLean (bass, ‘19), UW-Madison senior class president, was chosen to address the graduating class of 2023 as this spring’s UW commencement student speaker. Read more about Liam! Alums Win Orchestra Positions We are so excited to report that two

by Erica Mendoza We‘re excited to introduce you to three members of the 2023 Belgium and The Netherlands Tour Orchestra. Senior Symphony percussionist Daniel Grady had no idea he would enjoy composing music until he applied for the John Downey Creation Project. Daniel first heard about the opportunity when he saw that one of his

by Ron Oshima Former MYSO bassist Olivia Reyes (‘17) was selected as one of two winners of a Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Fellowship, announced on May 8. The CSO Fellowship program welcomes musicians from populations that have traditionally been underrepresented in American symphony orchestras. Early September was to be the official start date, but Olivia

by Michael Gauger We’re in the final weeks of our 2022-23 season at MYSO—and what a season it’s been, with your support! Thanks to you, we’ve served 900 students with participatory music education—an experience that they, and their families, needed more than ever, after three years of pandemic isolation. You’ve put us on track to

by Michelle Hoffman Follow our amazing MYSO musicians! Violinist Solos with Madison Symphony Congratulations to Senior Symphony violinist Arisa Okamoto who took second place in this year’s Madison Symphony Orchestra Bolz Young Artist Competition. Arisa appeared as a featured soloist with the Madison Symphony and on PBS Wisconsin’s Final Forte broadcast, at the Overture Center

by Ron Oshima Sam Krajewski and Mariah Olson both joined the steel pan program as seventh graders after a recruiting visit to their respective schools by music director Tim Rush and instructor Jon Walls. Currently seniors in high school, they have grown leaps and bounds musically and personally. If you’re not familiar with the steel

by Michelle Hoffman Spreading the word about the role of mental health in healing the body is a passion of Metropolitan Symphony cellist Ashley Bongard. And for her, music fosters that healing process. Embracing this cause led to this 16-year-old from Brookfield to be selected as a Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) National Champion, one of

“At MYSO, all our smaller individual worlds are brought together to create a larger world, and it’s a beautiful thing—for everybody.” Autumn, recent MYSO graduate MYSO provides human connection through music and builds community where many can achieve what one alone cannot! By leading our Play Your Part Fundraising campaign this fall, our musicians helped