Taichi Fukumura ’10: Taking the Podium

“That moment was pivotal for me, proving that the hours spent uncovering the meaning behind sound pays off, creating a universal language.” – Taichi Fukumura ‘10 When the orchestra takes the stage, we see a group of talented musicians with an exact understanding of their score, who are led by the keen musical awareness of […]

Raïna Jacques ’09: From Concert Stage to Courthouse

“Just like in classical music, you need grit in law, too. As a musician, you can’t give up on your orchestra—and you can’t give up on your client as an attorney, either.” – Raïna Jacques ‘09 When Raïna Jacques presents arguments in court, she is sometimes taken back to her BYSO days, where endless hours […]

Joan Ellersick ’76 and Sébastien Ridore ’15 on Returning to BYSO

“The kids, no matter their age, always have someone to look up to.” – Sébastien Ridore ‘15 During his final years of BYSO’s Intensive Community Program (ICP), Sébastien Ridore ‘15 knew he wanted to be a professional musician. Playing viola was challenging, exciting, and invigorating all at the same time. To think that he could […]

Rose Bellini ’97 On BYSO’s Momentum, Both Past and Present

Headshot of Rose Bellini '97 with her cello

Rose Bellini ’97 On BYSO’s Momentum, Both Past and Present “Young people need places where they can explore their identity to be creative, take risks, push themselves, and be inspired. BYSO did all of that for me and I will never forget it.” – Rose Bellini ‘97 Before joining BYSO (then GBYSO), Rose Bellini’s love […]

Eran Egozy ’89, BYSO’s Capital Campaign Chair

Eran Egozy ’89 on Making the BYSO Youth Center for Music a Reality “I want to give everyone the opportunity to contribute to this project—to be able to say, ‘I helped make that happen.’” – Eran Egozy ‘89 Over a decade ago, the idea of the BYSO Youth Center for Music sparked—with the understanding that […]

Caroline Reiner-Williams ’06

“Keep creating music because it will always be there for you.” – Caroline Reiner-Williams ‘06 As a BYSO parent and alumni, as well as the Program Director of the Joy of Music Program in Worcester, Caroline Reiner-Williams ’06 knows the life-changing impact of music education. From her experience playing in BYSO, watching her own kids excel […]

Kevin Chen ’11

“I recognized that I got so much out of BYSO, and that’s why I wanted to give back this year. Hopefully, a lot of people feel that way, and I think they do.” – Kevin Chen ‘11   Looking back on his time playing viola in BYSO, Kevin Chen ’11 recognizes everything the experience brought […]

Diane Nicholeris ’78

“The conductors, coaches, management, and administrative staff are 100% geared towards the students and making this experience meaningful to them. The standards are never compromised.” – Diane Nicholeris ’78 Taking the stage at Sanders Theatre for BYS and REP’s Opening Concert last month, Diane Nicholeris felt excited, sentimental, and nervous all at once. The momentum […]

George Goodwin ’13

“What sticks out to me about BYSO is the growth the average musician goes through – there isn’t another organization that gets those kinds of consistent results in the same amount of time.” – George Goodwin ‘13   Almost ten years after playing Trumpet in BYSO, George Goodwin still remembers the rigor and reward of […]

Ashley Gong ’21

“This program transformed my life. It gave me such a great community of friends and it was really motivating to find this outlet for music, for creativity, and also this activity that I can put a lot of effort into and see the results payoff.” -Ashley Gong ’21 As we celebrate the start of BYSO’s […]