Four Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Musicians Are Finalists In PHL Live Center Stage Music Competition

On October 18, 2019, the PHL Live Center Stage Classical Finalist show took place at Settlement Music School in South Philadelphia. There were five finalists and four of them are members of the prestigious and nationally recognized Philadelphia Youth Orchestra organization (PYO). The PYO members who were finalists are Lea Wang of Holland, PA, Blue Sheldon of West Philadelphia, PA; Gabriel Gaw of Egg Harbor Township, NJ; Timothy Kim of Lafayette Hill, PA. Andrew Malanowicz was the fifth finalist. At the PHL Live Awards Show on December 3, 2019 at World Café Live, the winner of each musical genre will be named. PHL LIVE Center Stage is a music initiative highlighting Philly's top musical talent across multiple genres. It's structured across 10 different musical genre categories, bringing diverse musicians together.

PHL LIVE Center Stage provides emerging artists an opportunity to perform at popular local venues and win cash prizes, studio time and more! This initiative stems from Councilman-At-Large David Oh, the Chairman of City Council's Committee on Global Opportunities and Creative/Innovative Economy. The Committee is interested in providing artists in Philadelphia an opportunity to grow and gain exposure.

Maestro Louis Scaglione, President and Music Director of PYO, is proud of his students and said, "It is a great honor for these young classical musicians to be selected as finalists. Councilman Oh is a true champion of the performing arts by creating this unique recognition program that places such importance on music. He provides great encouragement for all musicians and for this we applaud him."

The renowned Philadelphia Youth Orchestra organization, now in its 80th season, is one of the nation's oldest and most respected community music education and youth orchestra performance programs. Training tomorrow's leaders, PYO provides talented young musicians from across the tri-state area with exceptional musical training. Students go on to excel in many diverse fields, and it is with pride that Philadelphia Youth Orchestra notes that many members of the prestigious Philadelphia Orchestra are alumni. For more information, please visit www.pyos.org.

The anchor group is the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO), conducted by President and Music Director Louis Scaglione, featuring 130 gifted instrumentalists who range in age from 14-21. Young musicians 12-18 years old are featured in PYO's companion ensemble, the Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra, which is led by Director and Conductor Maestra Rosalind Erwin, who is Music Director and Conductor of Drexel University Orchestra. Philadelphia Young Musicians Orchestra (PYMO), directed by Maestro Kenneth Bean, is a beginning to intermediate-level full symphonic orchestra that provides most students with their first introduction to large orchestral playing featuring students age 10-17 years old. Bravo Brass, directed by Curtis Institute Dean of Faculty and Students, Paul Bryan, is an all brass ensemble for promising middle and high-school instrumentalists. PRYSM (Philadelphia Region Youth String Music) and PRYSM Young Artists ensembles provide string large ensemble and sectional master class instruction for beginning and intermediate musicians ages 6-14. The director and conductor of PRYSM is Gloria DePasquale, cellist with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and conductor of PRYSM Young Artists is Andrea Weber. Tune Up Philly (TUP) is PYO's after-school music program, directed by Paul Smith, that focuses on creating and inspiring true community by providing children in under- resourced communities with invaluable opportunities to learn and perform a differentiated orchestral music curriculum.