Community Youth Orchestra

GENE WIE, Music Director
Gene appears internationally as a conductor, educator, and chamber musician, and has concertized extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and the South Pacific on violin, viola, clarinet, and saxophone. He was a founding member and first violinist of the Elegie String Quartet, principal clarinet with the South Orange County Chamber Orchestra and Blackbird Music Project, and a viola substitute with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his work with CYOSC, he is Orchestra Director at St. Margaret's Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano where he also teaches AP Computer Science, and served for eight years on the Instrumental Music Conservatory faculty at the Orange County High School of the Arts, where he conducted the Concert and String Orchestras and taught Music Technology, String Masterclass, Music Appreciation, and Chamber Music. His string studies have been with William Fitzpatrick, Haroutune Bedelian, William Kennedy, Hong Cheng, and Lori Franke, including chamber music with Yoko Matsuda, Peter Marsh, Robert Becker, and Nina Scolnik. He earned B.S. Information and Computer Science and M.F.A. Music degrees from the University of California, Irvine. His personal website can be found at www.genewie.com.

JENNIFER VISICK, Assistant Director
Jenny is a graduate of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at the University of California, Irvine where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Viola Performance. She performs frequently in worship services for Bethany Church and was a founding member of the Elegie String Quartet. She has an extensive private studio in Monrovia, Sierra Madre, and Irvine and is on the faculty of the Pasadena Suzuki Music Program and Sky Mountain Charter School. Her instructors have included John Scanlon, Jerzy Kosmala, Yvonne Creanga, Laura Kuennen-Poper, and Margaret Shimizu, and she has taken Suzuki Teacher Training through Book Six under the guidance of Elizabeth Stuen-Walker, Edward Kreitman, Ed Sprunger, Susan Kempter, and Lorraine Fink. A proponent of life-long learning, Jennifer pursues ongoing studies in music education specializing in injury-prevention for musicians. She is a member of the Suzuki Associate of the Americas, Suzuki Music Association of California-Los Angeles Branch, and the International, American, and Southern California Viola Societies. Her personal website can be found at: www.freewebs.com/visick.

ANGELA BOWN, Associate Conductor
Angela holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and over a twenty year period taught orchestral ensembles in grades 4-12 throughout Menlo, Indianola, and Des Moines. An accomplished conductor and educator, she led her school orchestras to division one ratings at state and regional festivals, created chamber ensemble opportunities for students throughout the region, and was the founder of the Indianola Fiddlers which performed for various civic events state-wide. Angela also served as K-8 Guidance Counselor at St. Agustin School and taught private lessons in cello at Simpson College (Indianola). Angela is currently on a leave of absence from the orchestra.

KUMIKO BANKSON, Student Conductor
Kumi is a violinist in her senior year at the Orange County High School of the Arts, having recently returned to California after several years of study at the International School of Brussels (Belgium). While in Europe she served as concertmaster for the 2010 AMIS International Senior Honor Orchestra in Frankfurt, Germany. Recently she won the 2011-2012 OCHSA Concerto Competition, playing the Bruch Concerto in G Minor. She performs with the OCHSA Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Ensembles, and currently studies violin with William Fitzpatrick.

SORAH MYUNG, String Section Coordinator
Sorah is an experienced professional performer and teacher of violin and viola with an extensive private studio, and currently works with orchestra programs at Irvine High School and St. Margaret's Episcopal School, while also serving as a Private Instructor (Viola) at Vanguard University. She earned her Master of Music degree in Violin Performance at Yale University where she was the recipient of the Charles Ives Scholarship, her Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from Oberlin Conservatory, AND completed post-graduate work at DePaul University.  Among her many performance credits are appearances with the AIMS Summer Festival (Austria), Chicago Arts Orchestra, Mozart Classical Orchestra, Santa Monica Symphony, Northwest Indiana Symphony, Illinois Philharmonic, and New World Symphony (Florida). Her primary teachers have included Ilya Kaler, Rami Solomonow, Erick Friedman, Marilyn McDonald, and members of the Tokyo String Quartet. Her personal website can be found at: www.sorahmyung.com

TASHA MINER, Violin Coach
Tasha earned Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Violin Performance from Eastern Michigan University. She has taught private lessons and orchestral ensembles in K-12, college, and private settings and has appeared with the EMU Symphony and EMU Collegium Musicum Chamber Ensemble. In her secondary school years she was concertmaster of the Waterford Kettering High School orchestras, and attended Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Michigan Youth Arts Festival and the Interlochen Music Festival. She is a member of the North American Music Teacher's Association (NAMTA). Her personal website can be found at: www.minermusics.com.

DR. XIAO-QIANG (DAVID) PAN, Cello Coach
Dr. Pan earned Doctoral and Master's degrees in Cello Performance at the University of Northern Colorado, along with a secondary emphasis in orchestral conducting. He has performed in the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, and the USIU International Orchestra (San Diego). From 1998-2001 he was a string ensemble class instructor at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, CA. He currently teaches cello privately in Irvine, and is a member of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) and the Music Teachers' Association of California (MTAC).

ANN MARIE KAWAI, Double Bass Coach
Ann Marie is earning her Bachelor of Music degree in Double Bass Performance and Music Education from Chapman University Conservatory of Music in Orange. She is a student of David Black and Christine Allen. She has performed with the Chapman Chamber Orchestra, Orange County Youth Symphony, La Primavera, and California State Orchestras. She can be found volunteering at local middle schools and high schools during her free time, as well as being an active member in jazz combos.

APRIL CHOCHOLATY, Wind Section Coordinator
April earned her Master of Music Degree in Flute Performance from Claremont Graduate University, and as a professional performer has appeared with ensembles such as the Cypress Pops Orchestra, Southern California Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orange County Flute Quartet, Orange County Flute Choir, Sweet Silver, Alla Breve, and the Sirocco Ensemble. She teaches at numerous K-12 programs throughout Southern California including the Orange County High School of the Arts., and runs an extensive private studio in Orange. Her primary teachers have included Cynthia Ellis and David Shostac on Flute, and Laura Stone and Dr. Larry Timmon on Oboe.