Interning at All Classical Portland is an exciting new adventure on my classical music journey in Oregon. From age four, I began piano lessons with Helen Libonati in Southeast Portland. At six, I studied violin with Cynthia Raxter and played in the Metropolitan Youth Symphony, listening to All Classical Portland on every car trip to and from rehearsal. Inspired by my older sisters, an oboist (Sabrina) and a saxophonist (Nicole), I Iater began wind instruments at age 12 as a clarinet student of Phil Baldino and a jazz saxophone student of Scott Hall. At the same time, I continued studying violin with Robin Baldino and joined the Young String Ensemble of the Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP). In eighth grade I joined PYP’s Conservatory Orchestra and earned my Level X certificate in piano from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. I then narrowed my focus to clarinet, violin, and saxophone.
At David Douglas High School, I was coached by Jennifer Brooks-Muller and Tom Muller in wind ensemble and jazz band while receiving clarinet lessons from Dunja Jennings-Marcum. During ninth grade, I played violin in the PYP orchestra under David Hattner. The same spring, I received 4th place on clarinet in the statewide OSAA Solo Music Championships, and the following fall I won a blind audition to become principal clarinetist of PYP. There I played principal clarinet for three years. At 16, I became a two-time state champion on clarinet and performed with the Vancouver Symphony as a winner of its Young Artists Competition. I had the incredible opportunity at 17 to perform at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall as an invited guest soloist with the Oregon Symphony. After setting down my instruments to explore my other passion of visual arts at Stanford University, I am excited to again be involved with classical music in Oregon. The project I complete during this internship at All Classical will fulfill the degree requirement for my Master’s in Arts Management and Administration from the SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan, Italy. Long term, I hope to use what I have learned through my studies and my experiences at All Classical Portland to benefit the area of donor relations in arts and culture or higher education.
