MYSO/MFY Alumni Page

Having been in operation since 1956, MYSO has thousands of alumni around the world, leading successful, productive lives in every imaginable field and profession, including--of course--music.  Music For Youth (MYSO's name prior to 1988) and MYSO alumni, we'd love to hear from you! We would like the opportunity to keep in touch with you and share information on the exciting things MYSO is doing, along with hearing what you are doing and what impact the MYSO/MFY experience has had in your life.  Please come and visit us at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center--drop in on some rehearsals, visit some old friends, see the spectacular Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, a facility beyond anything that MFY/MYSO members might have dreamed of before 2005! 

Please visit this link to provide your most current contact information.  By visiting the link and filling in the form, your name will be entered into a drawing for MYSO tickets and merchandise!

We need your help!

Print
PDF
We invite you to take a few minutes to complete the MYSO (Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, formerly Music For Youth) Alumni Survey.

The purpose of the survey is simple: we’re looking to learn more about the paths our alumni take after completing their time with us. We’re also interested in hearing thoughts from our alumni about the ongoing value of having participated in MYSO.

The survey is anonymous; however you will have the opportunity to give us your most up to date contact information if you choose, which would, of course, be very helpful to us. It should take 5-10 minutes to complete the survey. Thank you, in advance, for your help with this important project.

Click here to begin the survey!

MYSO Alumni: What’s Happening?

Print
PDF
In April of 2009, MYSO hosted an Alumni Brainstorming Session at MYAC.  After sending out an email survey to all the alumni we could find, twenty of us came together—alumni, staff, board, long-time volunteers, etc.—to talk about the results of the survey, what an alumni group should be, what it should do, and how it can be most effective to alumni and MYSO.  Here are some of the ideas that came from that session.  Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the Alumni Guestbook (link to Guestbook)!  And make sure you have given us your up to date information through the alumni information form (link to info form).

What should the MYSO Alumni Committee do for you?

Through the survey responses and through conversations, these three main areas were the most important to you!

Maintain and Renew Friendships
  • Make better use of MYSO website
  • Using Facebook, Linked In, and other social networking resources
  • Get help from alumni—contact people they know, people from their “class”
  • Ads in paper—for parents to pass on to alumni
Invite me to Informal Gatherings and Reunions
  • Yearly events
    • Summer?
    • Informal?
    • Picnic?
    • Performance?
  • Pre-alumni event for students about to graduate—alumni driven
  • Fundraising event
Provide Opportunities to Perform with Other Alumni Who Are Interested
  • Free masterclasses provided by alumni
  • Alumni Concert/Recital
  • Season highlights—alumni share where (and with whom) they are playing

Alumni Spotlight

Print
PDF
Jazz Flutist Nic Cowles
A 1999 MYSO alum, Nic Cowles recently contacted us to let us know what he has been up to. He was introduced to the rich traditions of jazz and improvised music while attending the Milwaukee High School of the Arts. After accepting a full music scholarship to the University of Wisconsin , Nic immediately became an in-demand sideman in many of Madison's jazz and Latin ensembles. His four year association with the Tony Castaneda Latin Jazz Quintet gave him even greater exposure around the Midwest. The band has been consistently named one of Madison's best jazz bands by local critics and readers’ polls. Recognized as an up and coming voice on his instrument, Nic was a winner the '00 National Flute Association Jazz Flute Master Class Competition and was invited to perform at the '04 convention in Nashville, TN.

In 2003 Nic moved to New York to attend the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music where he recently earned his BFA. He was able learn directly from jazz masters such as Reggie Workman, Jane Ira Bloom, Bobby Sanabria, Buster Williams, and flutist Jamie Baum. He has performed in most of New York's well-known jazz clubs including Birdland, the Blue Note, Knitting Factory, Sweet Rhythm, and Dizzy's Club in Jazz at Lincoln Center. He resides in Brooklyn, NY.

Alumni Weekend, 2006

Print
PDF
In 2006, as a culminating event for the 50th season, MYSO held an alumni reunion.  It consisted of social events, performances by musical alumni, a come one-come all orchestra with MFY/MYSO conductors, and more!  Here is a list of those who particiapted.  We are aiming to make the next reunion even bigger and better!!  Be sure we have your contact information so you can be part of it (even if you haven't picked up your instrument in 30 years!)

The 60's...
1963 -- Marshall Dolgin -- Clarinet
1963 -- Kathryn Harris Hibler -- Bassoon
1963 -- Darell Stachelski -- Trumpet
1964 -- Daniel Stepner -- Violin
1964 -- Cathie Gallatin Stroschin -- Trombone
1964 -- Stuart Hoffman -- Trombone (Bass)
1964 -- Rosemary Poetzel -- Bass
1965 -- Ginerva Morse Naill --
1965 -- Del Schmidt -- Tuba
1966 -- Roger Gross -- Violin

The 70's...
1970 -- Norbert Greis -- Violin
1972 -- Bonnie Cohen -- Oboe
1972 -- Matthew Michelic -- Viola
1972 -- Steven Rindt -- Bass
1972 -- Brian Sas -- Violin
1972 -- Linda Schottler Lak -- Harp, Violin
1972 -- Juanita Tucker Edington -- Cello
1973 -- Tracey Ryan Rush -- Viola
1974 -- Dr. Patricia Backhaus -- Trumpet
1974 -- Jo Dee Crandall Shoffner -- Violin
1975 -- Donald Bilger -- Trombone
1975 -- Mary Ann Cox -- Violin
1975 -- Cynthia Heiden Raatz -- Harp
1976 -- Nancy Cline -- Horn
1977 -- Mark Eagon -- Violin
1978 -- David Rasmussen -- violin
1978 -- Eileen Sullivan -- violin

The 80's...
1980 -- Ahmed Quereshi -- Bass
1980 -- Dawn Williams -- Clarinet
1981 -- Anne DerHovsepian Macquarrie -- Cello
1981 -- Darla Kashian -- Viola
1982 -- Karen Mundschau Repavich -- Flute, Piccolo
1984 -- Patty Pritchard -- oboe
1984 -- Shelby Schurter -- oboe
1985 -- Kathleen Brauer -- Violin
1985 -- Dean Sulok -- Bass
1986 -- Michael Milewski -- Cello
1986 -- Pamela Tucker Simmons -- Violin
1987 -- Lynn Aspenleiter Schneider -- Violin
1987 -- Charlene Jung Henneberry --
1988 -- Melissa Landgrebe Jastrow -- Violin
1989 -- Jodi Gillitzer Hatfield -- Viola
1989 -- Stephanie Mortimore -- Flute, Piccolo
1989 -- Patrick Rath -- Bass

The 90's...
1990 -- Julie Bamberger -- Viola
1990 -- Michelle Jakab Kaebisch -- Violin
1991 -- Rita Baemmert Mitchell -- Oboe, English Horn
1991 -- Jerry Loughney -- Violin
1991 -- Matthea Harvey -- Flute
1991 -- Michael Wegner Williams -- Bass
1992 -- Susan Johnston Honzelka -- Flute
1992 -- Jeffrey Rieder -- Horn
1993 -- Paul Beck -- Bassoon
1993 -- Sandy Sargent -- Percussion
1994 -- Owen Strizic -- Bass
1994 -- Jennifer Virchow Bauer -- Bassoon
1995 -- Elizabeth Annen -- Horn
1995 -- Cliffton Harrison -- Viola
1995 -- Suzannah Sandrik -- Horn
1996 -- Sara Klemm -- Horn
1996 -- T.J. Perlick-Molinari -- Horn
1997 -- Erin Casper -- Trumpet
1997 -- Kyra Krenitsky Zhang -- Clarinet
1997 -- Melissa Poll -- Cello
1997 -- Wendy Richman -- Viola
1997 -- Tim Treffinger -- Oboe
1998 -- Ciaran Bradley -- Violin
1998 -- Loni Schiel -- Cello
1999 -- Alexandra Liska -- Violin
1999 -- Yin Yan -- Violin I

The 00's...
2000 -- Stephanie Butler -- Viola
2000 -- Andrew Sajdak -- Cello
2001 -- Timothy Dodge -- Clarinet
2001 -- Liz Jorgensen -- Viola, Violin
2001 -- Marianne Kordas -- Violin
2002 -- Kelsey Eisenmann -- Trombone
2002 -- Jonathan Thompson -- Trumpet
2003 -- Daniel Dunn -- Viola
2003 -- Katie MacGregor -- Trumpet
2003 -- Jeff Metzger -- Viola
2003 -- Anna Petersen -- Oboe
2003 -- Kevin Peterson -- Trumpet
2003 -- Erica Sanders -- Violin
2003 -- Jonathan Stefaniak -- Bass
2004 -- Amanda Lewin -- Trumpet
2004 -- Amy Norovich -- Violin
2005 -- Rachel Carter -- Trombone
2005 -- Trevor Casterline -- Horn
2005 -- Andrew Kreil -- Flute, Piccolo
2005 -- Artaska Perry -- Violin
2005 -- Nathan Seibel -- Bass
2005 -- Daniel West -- Percussion