With so many new members in the orchestra this year, PYP feels like it is a “new” PYP. Last season, many musicians left or graduated, but already at the beginning of this year, PYP seems more committed to its purpose. Most of the sections of the orchestra have created a team-like atmosphere and we seem to be improving as a team more quickly than usual. As a whole, PYP has done a lot of hard work in the past two weeks. And if we continue to challenge ourselves as a team, we’ll continue to improve and grow.

Brandon Garbot, Concertmaster

To start off the year with gusto, the flute section has been focusing on playing together, blending our individual tones, and learning from the others in our section. All four flute players have very different tones, styles, and skills–making a unified sound our top priority. Our goals are not only to play with togetherness but to mesh as members of PYP as well.

Natalie Neshyba, Flute, Co-Principal

Playing the music is one thing. Finding the words to describe it? Sometimes that’s the hard part.

Beginning the season with the Portland Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (first for me) has been absolutely phenomenal. Being around musicians with such a high caliber is an amazing feeling in and of itself, but to be part of our bass section is really an honor for me. The bass section has currently been working on the intonation and rhythmic aspects of our most recent repertoire, while also covering the intense emotion portrayed in these pieces. Today we had the awesome opportunity of being conducted by Carlos Calmar, whose vivid energy quickly sent us into a musical nirvana that cannot be described in more than two words, so I’ll use these: utterly cool.

Chris Granat, Upright Bass, Principal

This year we are really focusing on playing with confidence. As a first time leader, this is something that I have to work on as well. Confidence will help our musicality and our ability to contribute to the overall orchestra sound. As a section leader, I hope to help the second violins improve sound quality, accuracy in passages, and conviction in our entrances.

With only one sectional under our belt, we are off to a good start. Already I can see that everyone is committed to working hard as a team. We all share an excitement for the repertoire to be performed at the fall concert!

Kate Davis, Violin II, Principal

This being our first week of rehearsal, the cello section’s main focus has been the first movement of Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances. Along with basic intonation and ensemble matters, we’ve begun to address more specific aspects of the music such as phrasing and style. This will become even more important in the coming week as we attempt to make the difficult contrast between the Debussy and the Rachmaninoff.

Boris Popadiuk, Cello, Principal