Category: “Spotlight” Newsletter

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

by Ron Oshima Imagine being a sixth grade violinist in Milwaukee Public Schools in 1978, and your string music teacher has you play “Eleanor Rigby,” and arranged ear training courses, in-person, with Jean-Luc Ponty, as ways to introduce you to different musical genres. That’s how Ijoister Harris, our new String Orchestra Central music director, started

by Michelle Hoffman Read about the amazing things our musicians and alumni are doing. Sinfonia Violinist First Stage Lead Did you know that several musicians from MYSO also perform with our MYAC partner organization, First Stage? One of these multi-talented young artists is Sinfonia violinist Emily Honigman who is performing as Clarice in this season’s