Hello TRYPOfam!   My name is Alyssa Hensley, and I am the manager for Youth Chamber Connection and special projects with TRYPO!  I took on the role of YC2 manager after founder Laurie Cunningham’s retirement in 2021. I was a fresh graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, where I’d studied harp performance with principal harpist of the Pittsburgh Symphony, Gretchen Van Hoesen.   As you can imagine, coming out of the COVID shutdown, the music world for a new grad was terrifying. Auditions were on hold, everyone was out of work, and restrictions on crowd sizes made gigging (weddings, cocktail hours, dinners, and…

Development Associate and Executive Assistant, Ethan Schwartz shares his experience in college and how he stayed involved with music while majoring in a non-musical field. He also shares how he navigated finding a job that matches his passions and goals.  . . .  Greetings, TRYPOfam! I’m Ethan Schwartz, your resident Development Associate and Executive Assistant, and it took me until I was 23 years old to realize that people actually work for orchestras without playing an instrument for them.   Until then, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do. I knew that I wanted to stay in music in…

Today we are featuring two brass musicians from our trumpet and French horn sections. Learn more about Ricky and Caleb below! Ricky Ricky has been a part of the #TRYPOfam for 4 years. During his time in TRYPO, Ricky has played French horn in our Young Peoples Orchestra and Wind Symphony ensembles and participated in TRYPOsphere and Youth Chamber Connection as well. When asked why he wanted to join TRYPO, Ricky shared “A friend of mine brought me to a rehearsal, and I liked it so much that I joined mid-season.” His favorite memory from his time in TRYPO was…

It’s that time of year already where we feature our 2023-24 season Senior musicians! Today we are featuring three wind musicians from our saxophone and clarinet sections. Learn more about Samantha, Anna, and Evelyn below! Samantha Samantha has been a part of the #TRYPOfam for one year. During her time in TRYPO, Samantha has played  in our Wind Symphony. When asked why she wanted to join TRYPO, Samantha shared “I have been in many PMEA honors bands and met friends who were in TRYPO and told me I should join and would really enjoy it. Plus Dr. Morrison, my private…

It’s that time of year already where we feature our 2023-24 season Senior musicians! Today we are featuring three string musicians from our violin and viola sections. Learn more about Gloria, Gwen and Abril below! Gloria Gloria has been a part of the #TRYPOfam for three years. During her time in TRYPO, Gloria has played violin in our Young Peoples Orchestra ensemble. When asked why she wanted to join TRYPO, Gloria shared “I was really excited to create and enjoy music of all genres with other amazing musicians and to play with a full orchestra for the first time. ”…

Greetings Fellow Musicians, My name is Shannon Sheldrick and I am the new Program Coordinator and Librarian here at TRYPO. I am excited to be here! I grew up in a musical family, born to two woodwind musicians who were also music teachers. We always had music playing in our house growing up. I would often wake up to my mother giving piano lessons to the neighborhood children. We would often listen to CDs and the radio and whatever music needed attention to get ready for various lesson plans and gigs. My favorite times were listening to Detroit’s 90.9 WRCJ…

It’s that time of year already where we feature our 2023-24 season Senior musicians! For our first post of the season,  we are featuring three woodwind musicians from our clarinet and bassoon sections. Learn more about Ben, Maddie, and Anderson below! Ben Ben has been a part of the #TRYPOfam for three years. During his time in TRYPO, Ben has played clarinet in our Wind Symphony ensemble. When asked why he wanted to join TRYPO, Ben shared “I wanted to play with a concert band but my school’s program was small. TRYPO was the perfect mix of fun, difficulty, and…

Hey there, fellow music enthusiasts! I’m Lindsey Nova, executive director at Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras (TRYPO), and let me tell you, it’s been quite the exhilarating journey to get to where I am.   So why arts administration, you ask? Well, first I’ll describe a young Lindsey. My least favorite thing in the world was being bored (still my least favorite thing). I was a big nerd (still am a big nerd) and loved school and learning. I liked to have my fingers in every AP class, after school programs, musical groups, like a lot of our TRYPO musicians. You…

Congratulations to Tadao Tomokiyo, the 2023-24 Young Peoples Orchestra Concerto Competition winner! Tadao will perform Piano Concerto in A Minor: I. Allegro Moderato by Edvard Grieg at TRYPO’s 50th Anniversary concert on Sunday, May 5, 2024, at Carnegie Music Hall of Oakland. We also wish to congratulate all of our musicians who competed! Keep reading to learn more about Tadao and the competition experience: Q: How long have you studied the piano? I have been studying piano for thirteen years. Q: Why did you choose the piano? We had a piano in my house. I started messing around on it before…

Symphonette and Tutti Strings Conductor, Pierce Cook talks about the importance of picking diverse repertoire and shares his favorite Black composers:  If you are in any industry for any period of time, and you are making any effort to be any good, you come up with your own little trade secrets. Now, my mother always taught me not to keep secrets, so I plan to start sharing all of mine. Here is my first hard-won secret!  Has anyone ever told you that you need some R n’ R? We all do. That’s rest and relaxation. Unless of course you are…

We love hearing from our alums about what they’ve been up to since their time in TRYPO! Today we feature trumpet player, Kevin Skinkis! We’re so proud of his accomplishments!! Read all about Kevin’s time in TRYPO and what he is doing now: Kevin joined TRYPO in 2015 and played in our ensembles until the 2016-17 season. Kevin is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music with a Masters of Music studying under Michael Sachs, principal trumpet, Cleveland Orchestra. Currently, he is  pursuing a Graduate Diploma Degree at CIM and frequently appears with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Louisville…

As our Operations Assistant and Librarian, Akari Ogawa moves on to her new job opportunity as Director of Operations at Chamber Music Pittsburgh, she leaves TRYPO students with this letter:   Dear TRYPO students,  I used to be where you are 15 years ago. I was a high school student attending marching band practices, youth orchestra rehearsals on weekends, auditioning for All State. I always loved performing, but I honestly could not see myself solely as a musician. I wanted to make an impact in the world, and I didn’t feel like I was doing too much with what I…

Giving Tuesday is just around the corner! To show TRYPO’s importance in his life, current YPO musician, CJ Inkenhaus shared why he is encouraging others to support our “Give Back to the Future” campaign on Giving Tuesday.  Q: How has TRYPO influenced your musical journey and personal growth? TRYPO has made an outstanding impact on my musical journey and my entire life. From starting in 4th grade in Symphonette to being in YPO from 7th grade to now, I have seen so many musicians and myself grow tremendously, and I’ve been able to meet so many musicians throughout my time.…

As we mark a significant milestone in the history of the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras (TRYPO), we invite you to join us in celebrating our 50th anniversary! For half a century, TRYPO has been dedicated to nurturing the talents of young musicians, providing them with the resources, guidance, and opportunities to excel in their musical journeys. To commemorate this special occasion, we’ve created a special anniversary video that showcases the incredible journey we’ve embarked on together. From humble beginnings to becoming a vital part of Pittsburgh’s cultural fabric, our story is one of passion, dedication, and the transformative power…