Annual Report
Educating Young Musicians. Inspiring Communities • Orchestras, Bands, Chamber Groups • Master Classes, Field Trips, International Tours • Community Concerts • Students-In-Concert Outreach Program
2015–16 Season
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Message from the Executive Director What YOBC Offers Young Musicians
YOBC offers opportunities for advanced musical study to supplement school music programs for students throughout Bucks County. We offer many tuition-supported programs as well as programs that are free to the community. Tuition-supported programs include opportunities to perform in one of our advanced classical music ensembles which rehearse weekly at Bucks County Community College and culminate in 5–7 concerts per year. The ensembles are ability-based for students from grades 3–12 and include two symphonic orchestras, three full wind ensembles, three string orchestras, and nine chamber ensembles. In addition to musical programs, YOBC provides opportunities designed to develop leadership through mentoring, and community service opportunities for students. Each year, YOBC high school student interns volunteer to provide music tutoring for younger students, lead small group sectionals, and serve as conducting assistants at weekly rehearsals as well as perform at community events. All of these experiences afford students opportunities to use their musical talents to serve others and to develop life skills in the process.
Photo: Dan Troy
Season
2015-16
2014-15
2013-14
2012-13
2011-12
2010-11
2007-08
Total enrollment
To date, YOBC has provided opportunities for over 1800 students and our enrollment continues to grow. We work hard to make our programs accessible to all students of the Bucks County community. YOBC is strongly committed to maintaining a rigorous financial aid program so that no student is turned away from participation in our musical programs due to lack of resources. YOBC has several types of scholarships to assist music students with financial need. Our President’s and Jump Start Scholarships provide a year of private lessons and YOBC tuition for students who demonstrate financial need. We also support generous tuition assistance for families unable to pay full tuition. This season 17% of all YOBC students are receiving some type of financial aid. YOBC’s season calendar is packed with our regular and special events. As we apYOBC Enrollment Growth proach our 25th anniversary season next year, we look foward to continuing our 300 mission to provide enriching experiences 250 that allow YOBC students to achieve artistic and personal excellence. 200 150 100 50 0 Total Colleen Sweetsir Executive Director Youth Orchestra of Bucks County
YOUTH ORC HESTRA OF BUC KS COUNTY
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YOBC Serves a Broad Community
Distribution by Ensem ble 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50%
FW WE SO PHIL WS
40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
RIP CON PS 200910
201011
201112
201213
201314 Seaso n
201415
201516
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YOBC Season Highlights Concerts Fall Concert Series, November 2015 Spring Concert Series, April 2016 Crossing Classical Boundaries Concert with Mary Fahl, May 2016 Chamber Recital, February 2016 Community Pop-Up Concerts, throughout the season Concerto Competition Winners: Kelsey Busch, violin Dashiell Papula & Torin Li, cello Tasha Schapiro. French horn Neel Shah, oboe Master Classes & Workshops: Emily Threinen, Temple University Band Director Kimberly Fisher, Philadelphia Orchestra Principal 2nd violin Jason Karlyn, San Diego Symphony Orchestra, viola Special Performance Opportunities: DePue Brothers Magical Grassical Christmas, December 2015 Side-by-Side with Bucks County Symphony, February 2016 Field Trip: Philadelphia Orchestra, Augustin Hadelich, violin soloist International Tour: French Alps & Riviera, July 2016 Philo Project: YOBC was selected for production of a free promotional video Composer-in-Residence American composer Eric Sessler was commissioned to create two new works for YOBC Symphony Orchestra and Fanfare Winds
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YOUTH ORC HESTRA OF BUC KS COUNTY
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Students in Concert Expansion After over two years of planning, YOBC launched a second Students-In-Concert program in Morrisville School District on January 6, 2016. It is an important opportunity for the 14 students who joined the program. Although the school district lacks the financial resources to offer music programs, these students now have access to instrumental music education and the benefits it provides. This was an important step for YOBC too, because it demonstrates YOBC’s commitment to fulfilling its mission of providing opportunities for artistic excellence to young musicians, including students from communities with fewer economic resources. Five years ago, it became apparent that several school districts were underrepresented in YOBC programs because budget cuts had limited access to rigorous instrumental school music programs and students lacked the skills and/or financial resources to study instrumental music. Existing YOBC scholarship programs alone could not address this problem. Seeking to ensure that all students had access to strong instrumental music programs, YOBC created Students-In-Concert and launched the program in Bristol Township. Over the last four years, SIC Bristol has provided opportunities for approximately 200 students. Eight of those students have gone on to audition successfully for YOBC and this year two of them will be participating in YOBC’s French Alps tour. In February 2016 Morrisville SIC students joined YOBC’s field trip to hear the Philadelphia Orchestra. YOBC’s Students-In-Concert programs give YOBC visibility in the community as an organization committed and able to take the lead in providing life-changing opportunities for young people.
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Board of Directors Paul Clough, President Partner, Fresnel Partners Elliot Kolodny Founder and President, Nursing Home Guardians Kevin Algeo Retail Market Manager Citadel Federal Credit Union Stephanie LaRue, Esq. Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer of Penn Community Bank Dr. Steve Bresnen, DMA Professor and Music Area Head Bucks County Community College Robert Loughran, Artistic Director Music Director, Princeton High School Jessica Clough Assistant Director of Development Virginia Tech David Osenberg, VP Communications & Artistic Development Music Director, WWFM Alexander T. Godun Human Resources Manager Dietz and Watson, Inc. Victoria Roza, Secretary Division of Public Health Infrastructure Laboratories, and Emergency Preparedness NJ Department of Health and Senior Services Joe Hochreiter, VP Development Principal Scientist, Senior Environmental Consulting Steve Sweetsir, Assistant Music Director Dawn Karlyn, Treasurer Treasury Services Officer Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Eileen Wachtman Yardley, PA Steve Kyle Vice President, NJ Capital Philharmonic Orchestra Retired Music Educator, Neshaminy School District Charles Walker Chief Operating Officer, Cadient Group Inc., A Cognizant Company
Transitions on YOBC’s Board
In July 2015 Paul Clough became the new president of the YOBC Board of Directors. Five new directors joined Paul and the other long-time board members to create a new leadership team for YOBC. Kicking off the season with our firstever Board retreat in September, we are excited about the energy, vision, and efforts of the new Board. We have already begun initial planning for our next five-year strategic plan to move us into the next quarter-century.
YOBC Income Sources
YOUTH ORC HESTRA OF BUC KS COUNTY
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Donors Encore Circle -- $1000 + Bucks County Commissioners Office Paul & Dori Clough Comcast Joseph Hochreiter & Eileen Wachtman Patrick Kirk Stephanie LaRue Don Liuzzi PECO Energy Company Penn Community Bank Foundation Bravo Circle -- $500 - $999 Deb Cherry Dawn Karlyn Elliot & Andrea Kolodny Steve & Maureen Kyle Jane Lu Merck & Company* Senior Environmental Consulting Charles & Trista Massello Walker Max Yaffe & Joan Amatniek Fanfare Circle -- $250 - $499 Citadel Federal Credit Union Caroline Doyle dtown tech GW&K Investment Management Don Mennig New Jersey Capitol Philharmonic ShopRite Colleen & Steven B. Sweetsir Vault Brewing Company Conductor’s Circle -- $100 - $249 Jeannie Alexander Anonymous MaryAnne Applegate Elliott Berkman Kathy Welsh Beveridge Bohler Engineering Diana Carlson State Representative Tina Davis Denise DiFigila Sonja & Richard Irwin Caroline & Stan Jaroszewski Karl & Kim Krelove Shinlin Liu
Heather Livingston Laurie MacLennan Denise Mann Sandy Marcucci Laura Mendelson & Mark Vandersall Carol Baldwin Moody Kathy & Jim Nowicki Andy & Ann Pac Anastasia Przbylski State Senator Robert Tomlinson Barbara Wallace Feng Wang Allegro Circle -- $1 - $99 Amgelene Akbari Amazon Smile Foundation Anonymous (3) Jim Atkins Sue Busch Terry Czukor Lynn Fergusson Francis Gallagher Dawn & Robert Gehrsitz Glencairn Museum Danielle Glick Seema Gopinathan David Gottlieb Luray Gross & Paul Koehler Marianne Lauffer Lisa Lesher Barbara Martin Tenaz Purdy Richard Ridings Richard Robertson James Romanchek Dodi Rosser Debra Rossi William Rote Atul Ruparelia Elizabeth Shaak Styers Farm Store State Representative Katherine Watson Dawn & Todd Williams * Corporate matching grant program
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ARTISTIC STAFF Robert Loughran, Music Director Conductor, Symphony Orchestra Steven B. Sweetsir, Assistant Music Director Conductor, Fanfare Winds Joseph Caminiti, Conductor, Philharmonia Erica Cherry, Coach, Fanfare Woodwind Quintet Margaret Claudin, Conductor, Flute Choir & Chamber Flute Ensemble Thomas Cunningham, Conductor, Ripieno Karl Krelove, Conductor, Wind Ensemble; Coach, Clarinet Ensemble & Woodwind Trio Colin Oettle, Conductor, Prima Strings & Concertino; Coach, Honors String Quartet David Osenberg, Coach, Brass Ensemble Erin Sweetsir-Mills, Conductor, Wind Symphony William Trigg, Conductor, Percussion Ensemble INTERNS Isabelle D’Amico
Nick Parent
YOBC MANAGEMENT Colleen Sweetsir, Executive Director Diana Nolan, Auditions Coordinator & Office Manager Erica Cherry, Operations Manager Sue Busch, Volunteer Coordinator Dayle Magida, Social Media Coordinator
Youth Orchestra of Bucks County 70 Canoebirch Road Levittown, PA 19057 Phone: 215-208-8203 Email: info.yobc@gmail.com
www.yobc.org