Finances
Click here to view the Season 99 Annual Report.
PYP’s 2022-2023 reviewed financial statements are available here.
If you have questions, or to request PYP’s Form 990 or other financial statements, please email Kirsten Potter, Business Manager at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR AUDIT & TAX SERVICES
March 1, 2024
Portland Youth Philharmonic Association is accepting proposals from CPA firms to provide audit and tax services for our organization in the future. Our organization does not require a federal single audit. We invite your firm to submit a proposal to us by April 1, 2024 for consideration.
Services to be performed are:
- Annual audit or review (a full audit every three years, with reviews in between) to be completed in compliance with the above filing requirement and meetings with finance committee and/or board of directors, as necessary.
- Tax filings for the organization, including IRS Form 990 and Oregon CT-12.
- Management letter.
- Availability for occasional questions with regards to tax and endowment fund issues.
View a copy our FY23 Reviewed Financial Statements and FY23 Form 990.
Click here for full RFP and submission instructions.
Careers
Marketing & Communications Director (full time)
Posted April 26, 2024. Position is open until filled. Apply by May 17, 2024 for best consideration.
Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP), America’s longest continually running youth orchestra, seeks a creative and strategic marketing professional to join our team as Marketing & Communications Director (MCD). The MCD is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive communications and institutional marketing plan to promote PYP’s education programs and public performances. They build brand awareness through outreach, publications, communications, and marketing. They take ownership of PYP’s earned revenue goals of concert ticket, program ad, and merchandise sales. The MCD is the point of contact for all PYP’s media relations and oversees all digital outlets including but not limited to PYP’s website, social media platforms, and email distribution.
This position also assists the box office manager with Front of House and the box office, attending concerts and working in the lobby to sell merchandise and display informational materials. The MCD attends meetings of the Board of Directors and relevant committees, taking place approximately once a month.
Click here for full job description.
NOTE: PYP is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Applicants from underrepresented backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
To apply, email a cover letter and resume (both in PDF format) to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). No phone calls please.
Development Manager (part time)
Posted April 26, 2024. Position is open until filled. Apply by May 17, 2024 for best consideration.
The Development Manager (DM) will support all areas of the Portland Youth Philharmonic’s fundraising efforts. They will report to the development director and will be part of the development team, working with the development director, executive director, and board of directors to support PYP’s mission. The DM will focus on providing critical event planning, database management, and stewardship support.
The DM will also play a crucial role in the continued refinement of PYP’s Customer Relationship Management and ticketing software, PatronManager.
This position is currently part time at 30 hours/week, with the potential to expand to full time.
Click here for full job description.
NOTE: PYP is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Applicants from underrepresented backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
To apply, email a cover letter and resume (both in PDF format) to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). No phone calls please.
Part-Time Music Theory Teacher
The Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP) is seeking passionate and knowledgeable Part-Time Theory Teachers to join our prestigious organization. As a Theory Teacher, you will play a vital role in fostering the musical development of our talented young musicians by providing comprehensive instruction in music theory. This part-time position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of one of the oldest and most respected youth orchestras in the United States.
NOTE: PYP is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Applicants from underrepresented backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
Click here for full job description.
To apply, email a cover letter and resume to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). No phone calls please.
Volunteer Opportunities
- Children's Concert Usher
Become an Usher for Children’s Concerts to assist teachers and groups of children arriving on buses to find their seats.
- Archive Project
Join our Archive Project, working under the direction of a professional archivist to preserve and catalog many types of historical documents including newspaper clippings, photos, recordings, printed programs, posters, etc.
- Music Library Assistant
Be a Music Library Assistant to help copy and organize music for all ensembles.
- Board of Directors
Join the Board of Directors or be a Board Committee Member — Job descriptions available on request.
- On-Call Volunteer
Be an On-call Volunteer for special projects and/or short-term and last-minute needs.
- Database Maintenance
Work from home? Help update our database by searching online to find current addresses for alumni and donors whose mail has been returned.
- 100th Anniversary
Host an alumni gathering to share stories, identify photos, and record interviews for our 100th anniversary celebration.
Volunteer opportunities cover a range of skills and commitments. You can spend as much or as little time as you like. If you are interested in one of the opportunities listed above, please send an e-mail to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 503.223.5939.
PYP Board
Officers
Leslie Wu
President
Michael J. Lee
Immediate Past President
Jody Kujovich
Vice President
Jay Wallace “Wally” Walker
Treasurer
Zel Brook
Recording Secretary
Anne Bergeron
Corporate Secretary
Directors
Jacquelyn Ferchland
Robert Langslet
Brenda Ray Scott
Ex Officio
Apply to join the Board
Looking for a way to get involved with PYP while building your professional network and giving back to the community? We are seeking volunteer leaders to join the PYP Board of Directors for our 100th season!
Board members are actively involved in organizational governance and ensuring the health and prosperity of PYP. You’ll attend concerts, monthly board meetings (now with a Zoom option), fundraising events, and participate in one board committee.
If this sounds like music to your ears, fill out this brief Google Form below and we’ll send you more information!
Click here for the Application form
Know of someone who would make a great Board member for PYP?
The Board needs a variety of skills, including accounting, finance, human resources, legal, business, marketing, and media expertise, as well as individuals connected to musical organizations, cultural organizations, and communities of color. Information about financial contribution and other volunteer requirements will be sent once your application is received.
If you have any questions about board service, please email Noreen Murdock.
Purpose
It is the mission of the Portland Youth Philharmonic Association to prepare young people for success through musical excellence.
Vision
High-quality music education is accessible to all young people in our culturally diverse community.
Values
- Equity
Meet young people wherever they are on their musical journey and work to remove obstacles from their pathway to success.
- Excellence
Aspire to the highest possible artistic and organizational standards.
- Discipline
Understand the process of achieving excellence and commit to the work required to succeed.
- Professionalism
Set an example of musicianship, administration, and governance that inspires peer and professional organizations.
- Artistry
Present both historical and contemporary repertoire, representing cultural and gender diversity, with consideration of the work’s original style and context, as well as its relevance today.
- Access
Provide all young people within reach of our programs with affordable, low-cost, and free music education, including admission to PYP performances.
- Integrity
Honor PYP’s legacy of service to young musicians while developing new methods for their success.
- Community
Collaborate with musicians, students, parents, audiences, schools, artists, organizations, and Friends of PYP to build an inclusive, harmonious community that encourages creativity and shares outstanding musical performances.
Statement of Inclusivity
PYP is committed to being a welcoming and safe community for young musicians and their families of all cultures, races, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and circumstances.
If you would like to support PYP, please click our “support” tab for more information.
PYP Staff
Artistic Staff
Lawrence Johnson
Portland Youth Conservatory Orchestra Conductor
Email Lawrence
Inés Voglar Belgique
Portland Youth String Ensemble Conductor
Email Inés
Giancarlo Castro D’Addona
Portland Youth Wind Ensemble Conductor
Email Giancarlo
Lavender-Cygnét de Julia
Community Programs Manager
Administrative Staff
Interested in becoming a member of the PYP team? Visit our careers page to see all available positions!
Privacy Statement
Portland Youth Philharmonic created this privacy statement to demonstrate our commitment to maintaining the privacy and security of our musicians, website users, and the communities we serve.
We have established policies to protect the security and privacy of all information we collect. We maintain strict internal policies against unauthorized disclosure or use of any client or web site user information.
Any suspected attempt to breach our policies and procedures, or to engage in any type of unauthorized action involving our web systems will be regarded as potentially criminal activity, and may be reported to the appropriate authorities.
The following discloses our information-gathering and dissemination practices for our websites identified by the domain name of: portlandyouthphil.org.
Personal Information
It is the policy of Portland Youth Philharmonic to respect the privacy of our musicians, members and the people doing business through our services. Personal information presented here WILL NOT be sold, traded, loaned, published or distributed by any other means to any party other than PYP.
Security
This site has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. Security of financial information in transit to and from our websites is typically encrypted using SSL RC4 256-bit encryption protocols. We store client information in secure databases protected with a variety of access controls. This data is accessed only for the purposes specified in this privacy statement.
Cookies
Our websites use “cookies.” A “cookie” is a small text file that permits us to recognize your browser in order to customize your experience, or permit you to access restricted areas. Cookies do not contain personal information.
IP Address
Your Internet Protocol (“IP”) address is usually associated with the place from which you enter the Internet, like your Internet Service Provider, your company or your University. We may use your IP address to help diagnose problems with our servers, gather broad demographic information, and administer our web sites.
Opt-Out
This site gives clients and members the following options for removing their information from our databases to disallow future communications or to discontinue our services.
You may remove your own email address from our email-lists by clicking on the opt-out links provided in our automated bulk e-mail.
You may also send email-list removal requests to: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Updating Your Information
This site also gives clients and members the following options for changing and modifying information previously provided.
You may update your own information by following the instructions in your Member Profile.
You may also send email-list update requests to: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
You may update your membership/client information at Portland Youth Philharmonic at any time by opening your Member Profile, making the necessary changes, then clicking UPDATE.
Your Responsibility
Should you become aware of a breach of our Privacy and Security policies, or should you suspect a breach at any time, please contact us immediately so that we can respond to your concerns directly.
Contacting Portland Youth Philharmonic
If you have any questions about our privacy statement, the practices of our sites, or your interactions with this website, please contact us at: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 503-223-5939.
Portland Youth Philharmonic
9320 SW Barbur Boulevard, Suite 140
Portland, OR 97219
Last Modified: August 6, 2018
Portland Youth Philharmonic Over the Past 100 Years!
A Brief History of the Oldest Continuously Operating Youth Orchestra in the U.S.A!
- 1924-1953: Mary V. Dodge & Jacques Gershkovitch
In 1924, a group of visionary citizens established the Portland Junior Symphony Association (later renamed the Portland Youth Philharmonic Association or PYP for short). Building on the pioneering work of Mary V. Dodge, whose Irvington School Orchestra was the nucleus of the first Junior Symphony, the Association engaged Russian émigré Jacques Gershkovitch as conductor. PYP is the oldest youth orchestra in the United States. The structure and standards that it established for training young musicians in the 1920s became the prototype for youth orchestras across the country.
Pictured above: Mary V. Dodge teaching her first orchestra, the Harney County Sagebrush Symphony Orchestra, from 1912-1917. Later she moved to Portland to conduct the Irvington School Orchestra and establish the Portland Junior Symphony.
Pictured above: The Portland Junior Symphony in 1925 taking a trip to Salem, Oregon during its first concert season. (Musical Director Jacques Gershkovitch is the tall man on the front row to the right of center).
In his thirty years as Musical Director, Mr. Gershkovitch set standards of excellence that have been maintained to this day. Under his leadership, the Junior Symphony became well known locally, regionally, and nationally through live performances at what is now Keller Auditorium, and through radio broadcasts.
- 1954-1995: Jacob Avshalomov
When Mr. Gershkovitch passed away in 1953, an alumnus of the orchestra, Jacob Avshalomov, was selected as Musical Director. Mr. “A,” as he was affectionately called, led the Junior Symphony for a legendary forty-year tenure that included guest conductors, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, and many contemporary composers.
Pictured above: Jacob Avshalomov conducting the Portland Junior Symphony in 1958 at Peninsula Park in Portland, Oregon.
Under Maestro Avshalomov, the orchestra received the distinguished ASCAP Award for “Adventuresome Programming of Contemporary Music,” and it made six international tours to Europe and Asia. In 1978, the organization’s name was changed to Portland Youth Philharmonic. When Mr. “A” retired after a very long and impressive career, he was succeeded in 1995 by Huw Edwards.
- 1995-2002: Huw Edwards
During the seven years Maestro Edwards was Musical Director, he established the nationally acclaimed Peer Mentor program, broadcasted the world’s first interactive Children’s Concert via satellite across Oregon, and again, received the ASCAP Award for “Adventurous Programming and Commitment to Contemporary Music.” In 1998, PYP represented U.S. at the Banff International Festival of Youth Orchestras in Canada, and in the summer of 2000 embarked on its seventh international tour, this time to Australia and New Zealand.
Pictured above: Huw Edwards and the Philharmonic Orchestra in 1995 at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, Oregon.
- 2002-2007: Mei-Ann Chen
When Mr. Edwards chose to make his departure at the end of the 2001-2002 season, Mei-Ann Chen was selected from a field of over 100 applicants to become the fourth Musical Director of PYP. At that time, Ms. Chen was a doctoral candidate at the University of Michigan having already completed a double Masters in Violin Performance and Orchestral Conducting from the New England Conservatory. In 2004 during PYP’s 80th Anniversary Season, she led the Philharmonic Orchestra on a tour of the East Coast where they received a standing ovation in Carnegie Hall. Also under her leadership, the orchestra received its third ASCAP Award for “Adventuresome Programming of Contemporary Music” and made an international trip to Ms. Chen’s home country, Taiwan. In 2005, when she won the prestigious International Malko Competition for Young Conductors in Copenhagen, Denmark, she became the first woman to win since the competition began in 1965.
Pictured above: Mei-Ann Chen in her debut performance with the Philharmonic Orchestra in August 2002 for the Oregon Symphony’s Waterfront Concert.
- 2007-Present Day: David Hattner
David Hattner was selected as PYP’s 5th Musical Director from a pool of 112 candidates by a search committee comprised of board members, alumni, community representatives, musicians, and teachers. He received positive reviews from both audiences and critics alike after his debut with PYP in November 2008. “The Portland Youth Philharmonic roared like a Maserati on Saturday in its first concert under music director David Hattner. The route was challenging, the execution distinguished and the ride delightful,” wrote David Stabler for The Oregonian newspaper.
Pictured above: David Hattner conducts the rehearsal of Portland Youth Philharmonic on July 7, 2014 at Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois.
Mr. Hattner received a Bachelor of Music degree with honors from Northwestern University where he was a clarinet student of Robert Marcellus. He has participated in the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen three times, studying with David Zinman and Murry Sidlin. In July 2014, Mr. Hattner led the Philharmonic Orchestra to Chicago’s Grant Park Music Festival at the invitation of Oregon Symphony Conductor Carlos Kalmar who directs the festival. PYP received a very positive review by Alan Artner, in the Chicago Tribune, citing its programming and execution as “brilliant in all departments.” Mr. Hattner is responsible for new PYP School Music Enrichment Programs providing no-cost Bass classes and Middle School Coaching for youth from the community. Hattner and his conducting staff are passionate about supporting school music programs with free Conductor Visits to bring highly effective teaching and practice techniques to school ensembles around the region.
Over the years, thousands of young musicians have played in one or more of PYP’s ensembles. Some have gone on to professional careers in orchestras across the country, including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the National Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, the Oregon Symphony, as well as Juilliard and American String Quartets. Others have achieved great success in teaching music or exploring non-musical fields, while continuing to be accomplished amateur musicians and active supporters of the arts in their communities. Alumni often attribute much of their success in life to the discipline and teamwork they experienced as members of the Portland Youth Philharmonic.
Celebrating 100 years in the 2023-2024 season, PYP invites all alumni, families, and audience members to help shape the future of America’s first and longest-running youth orchestra and your alma mater by joining our Friends of PYP network. PYP is still training musicians for excellence and for success in life. YOU can be part of PYP’s bright future by becoming a Friend of PYP today.
- Digital Timeline by History IT
PYP is excited to announce that we have an all-new digital museum that will help keep the history of PYP alive forever, created in partnership with HistoryIT.
“HistoryIT is thrilled to support the Portland Youth Philharmonic’s efforts to digitally preserve and share their past. The PYP is establishing a framework that ensures the story of their global impact and the legacy of their alumni will be available to inspire current and future generations. We can’t think of a better way to honor such a monumental milestone.” — Kristen Gwinn-Becker, PhD, HistoryIT Founder & CEO
Experience this permanent digital timeline for yourself!
Contact PYP
Please email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)