Congratulations to Towson High School student and bassoonist Vincent Igusa on his selection for a specialized Carnegie Hall summer music program. On June 18, Igusa began a two-week, intensive program for outstanding instrumentalists ages 14 to 17. He was one of only 78 students selected from across the nation. Igusa, who has been playing the bassoon since the age of nine, is a rising sophomore at Towson High.
The program, called NYO2, is an extension of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), which is a program for musicians, ages 16 to 19, launched by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute in the summer of 2013. NYO2 was established with a special focus on attracting talented young musicians from communities underserved by, and underrepresented in, the classical orchestral field. This new program, in partnership with The Philadelphia Orchestra, aims to expand the pool of young musicians across the country who are equipped with the tools to succeed at the highest level, particularly those who will bring greater diversity to classical orchestral music, or those who have not had access to highly selective training opportunities.
NYO2 musicians were selected following a comprehensive online audition process. In addition, Carnegie Hall asked high school educators and local youth orchestra directors for nominations of potential candidates who would most benefit from focused training and participation in an inspiring community of their peers.
This summer, NYO2 will be led by Giancarlo Guerrero, music director of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. As a central part of this free program, NYO2 musicians will have the opportunity to work closely with select members of The Philadelphia Orchestra. In addition, NYO2 musicians will have opportunities to interact side-by-side with their peers, as well as access to instruction and workshops designed to cultivate arts leadership skills that they can employ in serving their communities through music. The finale of the NYO2 musicians' 2016 season will be a weekend in Philadelphia from July 1 to 4, highlighted by a free concert at Verizon Hall on July 2.
Further congratulations to the Towsontowne Tigers U-12 girls travel soccer team, which won the Central Maryland Soccer Association's spring league championship for the second consecutive year. Team members include Amelia Balkan, Ellie Dassoulas, Suzannah Figler, Elliott Francomano, Olivia Garfink, Elizabeth Johnson, Olivia Kahn, Gracie Klein, Lilly Knott, Julianna Leatherwood, Isabel McFarland, Chloe Potter, Caroline Rice, Sophie Rine, Laney Schmugge, and Chelsea Shumate. Coaches Evan Balkan and Michael Leatherwood are very proud.
"Because new U.S. Soccer youth rules mandate a change to birth year for travel teams, the 2003 girls will be moving on to a new team next fall," Balkan said. "I have been with some of these girls for three years, and will miss them very much. It has been a privilege being the coach of all of these kids, and it was great to go out as champions."