2006-2007

Lawrence Chu, clarinet

Lawrence Chu has been a member of the Oakland Youth Orchestra for the past two years and has been under the instruction of clarinet teacher Diane Maltester for the past four. He has also been receiving classical piano lessons from his mom since he was eight years old and jazz piano lessons from David Gittler since he was thirteen. Lawrence is the clarinet section leader of the Pinole Valley High School Symphonic Band and Marching Band, the saxophone section leader of his high school jazz band, and was accepted into the California Band Directors Association All-State Honor Band in 2007. He would like to thank his parents and his brothers for their continual support in both his musical and nonmusical aspirations. Lawrence will be attending UC Berkeley in the fall and plans to follow a Pre-Medical education and major in Molecular and Cell Biology. He also plans to join the UC Berkeley Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble to balance out his rigorous studies.

Doré Deffebaugh, bassoon

Doré has been a member of OYO for two years. Bassoon has been her passion since she honked that first unsupported note the first day of eighth grade. Since then, she has studied with Rufus Olivier, Lindsey Bartlett, and currently with David Granger. She is a participant in the Young Musicians Program and served as principal bassoon of her high school wind ensemble for two years before leaving to focus on classical bassoon. Doré was accepted into the University of Michigan’s School of Music where she plans on majoring in Bassoon Performance under Professor Jeffrey Lyman, and embarking on her first step in the journey towards a Doctorate.

Louis Diller, percussion and timpani

Louie has been a member of OYO this past year. Prior to joining OYO he played percussion and timpani for the Winds Across the Bay for four years. Louie has studied piano with Bruce Nalezny, drums with John Xepoleus, and percussion with Kevin O’Brien. He’s played drums and composed songs for his rock band, Panda, since sixth grade. In the last two years Panda has appeared in clubs throughout the Bay Area including Slim’s, Café du Nord and Blakes. Panda was one of five finalist bands for Live 105’s “Not So Silent Night” competition this past December and was invited to Austin’s indie music festival, SXSW, in March. Louie has been accepted to the Elliott School of International Affairs of George Washington University. He may defer his enrollment if Panda is signed by a record label this summer.

Megan Gaebler, viola

Megan Gaebler is finishing her third year in OYO, and sits principal viola in her school orchestra. Before OYO, she was a member of Berkeley Youth Orchestra, but then got too old to keep playing with them. Megan has studied with Vivian Warkentin since she was playing violin in the fifth grade. In seventh grade, Megan was asked to play viola for Cazadero Music Camp because not enough violas had signed up for the summer session she was attending. By the end of the summer, she had decided that viola was way better than violin. Other than music, Megan danced with El Cerrito Dance Arts Center for fourteen years. She stopped this year because she decided it made her life too busy, although she plans to take classes again in college. She also draws avidly but does not currently have any aspirations in the fine arts field. Megan also participates in school musicals, time permitting. However, instead of taking center stage she prefers the offstage scene and works with lights/props/sets. Next year, Megan is going to UC Santa Cruz, where she will most likely minor in music and has not decided on a major.

Sarah Garcia, trumpet

I have been part of OYO since fall of 2005. I currently teach piano lessons and have played since I was 5 years old. However, trumpet has been my main instrument since I was 9 years old. This year, I got into California State Honor Band for the first time. Cal Poly Music Festival was also a band that I got into, which is a very elite group. The festival was literally the best musical experience of my life. In the 9th grade, I started taking trumpet lessons from Lenny Ott, who currently teaches at University of the Pacific, and toots his trumpet in the Oakland Orchestra. This August, I will be going to Biola University which is a Christian college in the LA area. I was blessed to have received a pretty hefty scholarship from them for my musical abilities, as well as for community service. At Biola University, I will be enrolled as a music performance major and hope to become a college professor one day.

Marisa Ishimatsu, french horn

Marisa Ishimatsu has been in the orchestra for two years, and is really excited to go to Greece this summer. She loves playing the horn in OYO, and she will miss Michael and Brian. She says a big “thank you” to everyone who is affiliated with the orchestra for making her brief two years here unforgettable. Marisa will be attending Oberlin College next fall, and will continue playing in one of the school’s many musical ensembles, even though she will not be majoring in music. She hopes to major in Biology. When Marisa graduates from college, she plans to earn her teaching credential and she wants to become a high school biology teacher. After that...who knows?

Kelly Jenkins, flute

Kelly Jenkins has been with the Oakland Youth Orchestra for two seasons and holds the honor of being the first OYO member to be an official Laney College student. A graduate of home education, Kelly discovered at an early age that she loved both art and music. She enjoyed her many volunteer hours at the Richmond Art Center, helping out in the classroom and lending her artistic talents to several wall murals for the City of Richmond. At 14, after winning a four-year scholarship for music education from the San Francisco Independent Scholars arm of the Pacific Research Institute, Kelly decided to pursue a serious study of both flute and piano. For five years, Kelly participated in the CMTA Certificate of Merit Program, Piano Division. She was also principal flute and soloist for both the Senior Chamber Symphony of Young People's Chamber Orchestra and Winds Across the Bay. She credits her love of the flute to her current teacher, Maria Tamburrino, who has been her musical guide and inspiration. In addition to OYO, for the past two years Kelly has been principal flute with the Young People's Symphony Orchestra where she also served as the Librarian, participated in the 2006 Junior Bach Festival and the Summer 2006 China Tour, and was co-winner of the 2007 YPSO Concerto Competition. This fall, Kelly will follow in her parents’ footsteps by transferring to the UC Berkeley where she plans to pursue a career in music. From her kitchen table studies to her membership in the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, Kelly is grateful to have had so many positive influences. She wishes to especially thank Michael & Bryan (and Barbara!) for giving her the experience of OYO and is looking forward to the Greece tour with great anticipation –she's counting the days!

Lori Jue, oboe & english horn

Lori Jue has been in the Oakland Youth Orchestra for the 2 years and currently studies under Terri Knight. For reasons unknown, Lori spontaneously told her parents she wanted to switch from flute to oboe in the 7th grade. During her time at Castro Valley High, she enjoyed playing oboe and English horn in the pit orchestras of “Crazy for You,” “Seussical the Musical,” and “The Music Man.” Alongside music, Lori has also been a member of the varsity girls’ tennis team for the past two years and currently enjoys taking photography. She would like to thank her parents for continually supporting her in music despite their requests for her to “close her door” while practicing (the door was already closed). Lori plans to major in engineering at UC San Diego, where she also hopes to continue playing oboe.

Deborah Lee, violin

Deborah Lee has been a part of OYO since her freshman year. After the amazing, memorable tour to Australia and New Zealand in 2004, she is eagerly counting down the days to the Greece tour. Currently a senior at The College Preparatory School, Deborah will be matriculating into the Program in Liberal Medical Education at Brown University this coming fall. She wants to give a big “Thank You!” to everyone at OYO for making music so fun and vibrant!

Sarah Lee, violin

Sarah Lee, 18, is a five-season member of OYO. She started her musical career at age four and has previously studied at the San Francisco Conservatory and in Orange County, her hometown. Right now, she is a current student of Debbra Schwartz in Berkeley and has been with her for the past five years. Sarah is a senior at San Domenico School in San Anselmo, where she is an active participant of the Virtuoso Program. Sarah is honored to sit as concertmaster for both San Domenico’s Orchestra da Camera and for the Oakland Youth Orchestra. Sarah has soloed with both orchestras as winner of the concerto competitions. Besides playing music, Sarah is a three-year member of San Domenico’s varsity tennis team, playing both singles and doubles. She has also served as class vice president and president on San Domenico’s Student Council. Some of Sarah’s favorite pastimes are road tripping, shoe shopping and going to the ballet. This fall, Sarah will be attending Duke University, where she will continue to play her violin (will she ever stop?). Sarah would like to thank her parents for being her support system in everything she aspires to achieve, her mentor Debbra Schwartz for her inspiration and kind dedication, Bryan and Michael for their commitment to the orchestra, her “baby sister” Candace for teaching her to be patient, and to everybody else who has been an inspiration for their love and support. Sarah is so excited to go on tour for the second time with OYO and cannot wait to get some of that Greek sun and sand!

Dawn Liu, viola

Dawn Liu has been a member of Oakland Youth Orchestra for two years. She started viola at the age of 12 and studies with Partick Kroboth. As a senior at School of the Arts, she has served her community for the past four years student representative of the PTSA, the School Site Council, President of Prom Committee, President of California Scholarship Federation, member of Junior Statesman of America, Vice President of The San Francisco Unified School District’s Board of Education’s Student Advisory Council, and serves as the senior chairwoman of San Francicsco’s Department on the Status of Women’s Girl’s Committee. She has participated in several musical groups such as the Golden Gate Philharmonic, CMEA All City Orchestra, Peninsula Youth Orchestra and Formerly Known as Classical. She adores her tortoise, Samantha, and eating pickles. This fall, she will attend Mills College on their Provost Scholarship and will double major in Biochemistry and Public Policy. At Mills, she will study with Kronos Quartet’s Hank Dutt. She has enjoyed her years as a minor and is ready to move on.

Amanda Mok, violin

A violinist and a pianist, Amanda Mok has been a member of the Oakland Youth Orchestra for three years and a co-winner of this year's Concerto Competition. She started playing piano at the tender age of four and quickly took on violin as well at age eight, passing the Certificate of Merit Advanced Level on both instruments. She currently studies piano with James Gardner, conductor of the Pro Art Symphony, and violin with Debbra Schwartz. She finds it hard to pick her favorite composers, but the list narrows down to Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Claude Debussy, and Ernest Chausson. In addition to playing with OYO, Amanda is also concertmistress of the Northgate High School String Orchestra and participates in various student string quartets. Outside the music world, she holds several leadership positions, including President of the California Scholarship Federation and shift-leader of the Kaiser Permanente Student Volunteer Program. Amanda has passed more than the necessary number of AP tests, although she will not use any of those credits next year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she plans to study Biological Engineering (also known as Course 20) and Music (Course 21M). In her free time, Amanda enjoys reading, scrapbooking, learning to play guitar, playing Dance Dance Revolution®, going to concerts at Davies Hall, and amusing herself with her lovely friends. She would like to thank her parents for getting her started with music, her teachers for their inspiration, her friends for their endless support, her brother for being a silly rascal, and her buddies at OYO for all the memories she will cherish years from now.

Reuben Moss, violin

Reuben has been in OYO since fall 2005 and studies violin privately with Erika Miranda. At age 4 he picked up guitar and began writing songs and, in the coming years, performed original music with his brother, a drummer. With his rock band, the Moss Brothers, Reuben recorded two commercial CDs of original songs before turning 12. Reuben began playing violin at age 9 and took up composition at the Crowden School, writing various classical works from seventh grade to the present. Currently Reuben is concertmaster of the Piedmont High School orchestra, for which he has written a new orchestral piece that will be premiered later this month. He also continues to play guitar and write songs in a new rock band, and writes beats and raps with Angry Duck Records, a hip-hop side project with his friends. In the fall, Reuben will be attending Stanford University where he is undecided on his major, but pretty sure it will be related to music, English, or writing.

Rachel Taylor, violin

Rachel Taylor is a six-season survivor of OYO. A senior at San Domenico, she has studied the violin for eight years under Debbra Schwartz. She has participated in master classes with the Alexander String Quartet, Jacques Thibaud trio, The Cypress Quartet, The Cavanni String Quartet, Yuri Bashmet, and Bonnie Hampton. Rachel is also a recipient of From the Top's Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. She has participated in numerous fund raising events for the Oakland East Bay Symphony's MUSE Program and has helped raise awareness about the Armenian Genocide. She has been the assistant concertmaster, principal second violin, member of the viola section in OYO and is the third place Concerto Competition winner. At San Domenico, Rachel participates in the rigorous Virtuoso Program. A three year member of the Varsity Basketball Team, Rachel was awarded MVP her sophomore and senior year as well as the BCL West’s Second Team choice her junior and senior year. Rachel is also a second year Prefect and this year serves as the Head Prefect in the Resident Program. In the High School, she is a member of the Honor Council, Student Council, and the National Honor Society. Next year Rachel will attend Northwestern University’s School of Music to pursue a major in Violin Performance under Professor Blair Milton. Along with her studies on violin, Rachel will also continue to pursue a career on viola under Professor Roland Vamos. Rachel would like to thank her sister Danielle for being an inspiration and role model; Anne Crowden for introducing her to the violin; Michael Morgan for encouraging Danielle to play which changed her life; Mrs. Schwartz for being her fairy godmother; Bryan Nies for all of his encouragement and laughter; her beautiful friends at OYO; and her parents who were always there to support her and drive her to her many destinations. The tour to Greece will be her second international tour with the orchestra.

Eugène Thériault, bass