“Being a part of BYSO, for me, meant having the privilege of making music with other likeminded people, with a staff that held us to really high standards and cared so deeply about the educational experience and providing the opportunity for young people to be artists.” – Gabe Lefkowitz, ‘05

Last month, Gabe Lefkowitz ’05 was appointed as Music Director of the Louisville Youth Orchestra—an impressive addition to his already extensive resume, as well as an exhilarating moment for a (G)BYSO Alum to be able to draw on the experiences he had as a child to continue providing an exceptional music education to students. The Louisville Youth Orchestra (LYO) was founded in 1958—the same year as BYSO—and serves over 480 students from ages 6 to 21 across its eight orchestras.

“I’m basically leading a smaller BYSO at this point! Needless to say, I will be basing the vast majority of what I hope to give to the young people of my community on the experience I had as a young person…a youth orchestra is a very powerful and complex opportunity for young people.”

As the son of a ’70 alumnus and former board member, and the brother of an ‘02 alumna and former council member, it was only a matter of time before a young Gabe Lefkowitz joined BYSO—or (G)BYSO, at the time. “I come from a musical family…me and my sisters were all exposed to music very young. And when I was about 7 or 8 and had been taking violin lessons since the age of 4, it was only natural to find a place where I could do that with other people my age…so I was always destined to be in (G)BYSO!”

From the ages of 8 to 17, he made his way through what were, at the time, (G)BYSO’s 4 existing orchestras: Preparatory String Orchestra (PSO), Junior Repertory Orchestra (JRO), Repertory Orchestra (REP), and Senior Orchestra. He took on his first, but not last, role as Concertmaster during his time in JRO, back when he was so young his feet dangled from his chair. With the early 2000’s being such a dynamic time for the organization, Gabe witnessed many big shifts, including Catherine Weiskel’s appointment as CEO and the site change for our summer camp. And amazingly, his  first year with BYSO was also Music Director Federico Cortese’s first year—a coincidence Gabe is very grateful for. “My sense of style and sensibility for different composers, and what it takes to play or conduct that music—a lot of that still comes from Fed, being one of my greatest musical influences.” After graduating from (G)BYSO, he earned a Bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a Master’s degree from The Juilliard School. And at the age of 23, in an echo of his time in JRO, he became Concertmaster of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra—one of the country’s youngest Concertmasters of a professional orchestra.

When asked what advice he’d give to a prospective BYSO musician, he replies, “Don’t miss an opportunity to have this much joy in your life.” Though he went on to become a professional classical performer, composer, and conductor, he fiercely believes in the broad advantages that a music education provides any student. “Youth orchestras are absolutely for everyone, whether or not you intend to do it professionally, because of the lessons that you learn from it—working with other people, communication, self-confidence, knowing when to lead and when to follow, exposure to arts and culture and other points of view…it’s about finding the commonality of the human spirit.”

“We all know there’s tremendous power in visiting the Sistine Chapel, or Notre Dame, or the pyramids, and seeing these masterpieces around the world…the unique thing about orchestral and classical music is that a Beethoven symphony is a living, breathing thing, and every time a youth orchestra performs it it’s the equivalent of gathering 80 young people and painting the Sistine Chapel together. I don’t know of any other art form that allows young people to do that.” – Gabe Lefkowitz, ‘05

In addition to his new role as Music Director of the LYO, Gabe is also the Artistic Director of The Chamber Orchestra of Louisville and the Concertmaster and Resident Conductor of the Louisville Orchestra, and was previously the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Louisville Civic Orchestra. He’s also a prolific composer, an accomplished music educator, and a highly in-demand soloist and chamber musician. BYSO is so proud to call him an alumnus!

Are you, or someone you know, a (G)BYSO alum with an interesting story or life update to share? Contact Delilah Rau, Development Operations Assistant, at dgrau@bu.edu or (617) 358-6119!