The first musicians to participate in the new two-year postgraduate Los Angeles Orchestra Fellowship program, designed to increase diversity in American orchestras, have been announced. The program, launched in August, is a partnership of Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA); Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO); and USC Thornton School of Music. The four Fellows are violinist Sydney Adedamola, violinist Ayrton Pisco, violist Bradley Parrimore, and cellist Juan-Salvador Carrasco. During their two years in the program, the Fellows will be mentored by LACO musicians and USC Thornton faculty. In turn, Fellows will mentor, teach, and guide young ICYOLA musicians. The Fellows will receive performance and rehearsal experience; compensation, benefits, and housing; and support to prepare them for auditions at professional orchestras through intensive mock auditions run by Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. They will perform and rehearse as part of ICYOLA, USC Thornton Symphony, and in LACO’s string sections. Fellows will also perform as a string quartet throughout Los Angeles, particularly in underserved communities. They will work with mentors including LACO Concertmaster Margaret Batjer and other LACO principal and section musicians, and receive weekly lessons with USC Thornton faculty, including Batjer, violinist Bing Wang, violist Karen Dreyfus, and cellist Ralph Kirshbaum.
Posted September 12, 2018
In photo: Los Angeles Orchestra Fellows (left to right) Ayrton Pisco, Sydney Adedamola, Bradley Parrimore, and Juan-Salvador Carrasco. Photo by Ben Gibbs
