“More Than Music” is the theme of this year’s Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Music Institute Virtual Gala taking place on June 10 at 7 p.m.
Co-hosted by CBS-3’s Ukee Washington, and Maestro Louis Scaglione, who is celebrating his 24th year with the Institute, the Gala will focus on the Institute’s mission of building character, commitment, discipline and community for its diverse student population.
Maestro Scaglione, the Institute’s President and Music Director, explains that, “Music is the vehicle through which we inspire our students to grow as individuals, as a community and as the future leaders our world needs now more than ever.”
Committed to training tomorrow’s leaders, many of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO) students go on to excel in many diverse fields and many go on to become professional orchestral musicians, performing locally and all across the world.
One of those students who attended the Institute and insists he’s grown as a consequence of it, is Ehren Valme, who attended PYO from 2012 to 2017.
As a young student, Valme was a Section Leader of the PYO and arranged music for the PYO’s Bravo Brass ensemble. He also volunteered regularly for the PYO’s Tune Up Philly Program, an after-school program that served inner city students.
Additionally,Valme performed on bass trombone with the 2015 All-National Honor Orchestra at the Grand Ole Opry as one of the top four high school trombonists in America.
“I’m originally from Burlington, New Jersey, and was commuting down to Camden for a Symphony Institute summer camp when I met Paul Bryan,” Valme explains. Bryan, the Curtis Institute of Music Dean, directs Bravo Brass, an all-brass ensemble that Valme initially became a part of.
“Growing up, I was always interested in music. In fact,” he says, “both my grandparents were clergy, so we were always singing in church. I had a very good ear for music when I was very young. My mother noticed it and first began getting me lessons on the piano. I developed a deep appreciation for music, kept trying different instruments, and eventually settled on the trombone. And here we are today.”
That “today” for Valme includes getting ready to graduate from the Julliard School in New York, before going off to receive even more musical education. He is also the Bass trombonist for the Montclair Orchestra.
An ardent supporter of new music, Valme has spearheaded several initiatives to commission, premiere and perform contemporary solo chamber and orchestral works.
And in recognition of his musicianship, Valme has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including an Outstanding Musicianship Award from the Berklee College of Music, the Helen T. Carp Distinguished Service Award from PYO and a Good Citizenship Award from the Urban League of Philadelphia.
“PYO really gave me a good understanding of what it means to commit myself to excellence,” Valme asserts. “I guess when I was younger, I really didn’t understand what it was that I was a part of. But as I get older I’m getting to understand the amount of work it takes to achieve excellence.
“And the other thing I learned while I was at PYO was that it wasn’t just about music. It was about everything we do – including the work we do and how we participate in society — and music was the vehicle to teach us that lesson.”
The Gala will be presented live on PYO Music Institute’s YouTube channel.
