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Learn more about the PYOMI Collegiate Fellowship at pyomusic.org/collegiatefellowship
The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Music Institute (PYOMI) created the Collegiate Fellowship Program to ensure that college students can continue their musical journey without financial barriers. This tuition-free initiative invites students to audition and perform with PYOMI’s premier ensembles, including the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO), Bravo Brass, Philadelphia Youth Symphonic Band (PYSB), and Philadelphia Youth Jazz Orchestra (PYJO), while balancing the demands of their academic careers.
For many, the fellowship provides a vital connection between college studies and artistic expression. One such student is Evan Bretz, a current PYOMI Collegiate Fellow, French Horn player with the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, and a Rowan University Class of 2025 student pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Physics and Mathematics.
Evan’s experience shows how meaningful and impactful the program can be. In his own words, he shares what the fellowship has meant to him:
Being a part of the PYO through the Collegiate Fellowship impacted me personally simply because I got to be in PYO. As I got into college, and I got a job, and my parents wanted to spend less and less of their money on me, the Collegiate Fellowship program gave me the ability to continue to participate in such an organization without any financial burden or stress. But the main point is that I was able to be in PYO, which is an organization that has developed my musicianship immensely in the past 6 or 7 years.
With the high standard of musicianship, the high standard and demand of repertoire, and the community created in at least the horn section, it has propelled me much further than I would have been able to do if I were just a musician at my university. By nature of selecting the best, PYO can do the hard repertoire and do the huge fun repertoire most universities simply don’t have the funds or numbers to do.
A highlight has been playing Principal Horn on Ein Heldenleben and Mahler Symphony No. 5. After last season (and being lazier than anticipated through the summer…), it definitely feels like a high point in my playing. It’s the same way I feel at the end of each year, and that feeling of constant improvement hasn’t stopped. And recently I’ve been able to bring in people that perform at a strong level that have become my closest friends. That has been super rewarding personally as well.
For me, music tends to be a release from the business of school. Other college students have a lot to consider with respect to this program. I’m sure there are plenty of music ed majors, music performance majors, and other people studying in music that will have some kind of performance opportunities through their program. I’m sure there are also plenty of non-majors, maybe nursing students, comp-sci students, mechanical engineers, people studying law, and so many other people that simply won’t have performance opportunities if they don’t seek it out. And on top of that, for example at certain universities in the area, the university segregates different orchestra sections and don’t permit non-music majors to perform at the top level of the university. PYO as an organization does not segregate based on what you do in your degree or your studies.
You enter the rehearsal room, and really nothing else matters but your musical ability. You show up to rehearse complex music at a high level, and everything else outside doesn’t matter. For me, music tends to be a release from the business of school. Its something I enjoy and consider myself to be good at, and PYO gives me that outlet to perform, enjoy myself, and be with friends that are also part of the program.
I’m sure the big question is “how do I manage my schedule.” Plenty of people may get overwhelmed by what seems to be a large time commitment from school. But to be honest, its really quite simple. It’s 3 hours of the week taken on a weekend, when people don’t have school. PYO is flexible when it comes to school conflicts, such as marching band, a random school event on a weekend, etcetera, but schools are also super flexible when it comes to extracurricular obligations. I haven’t, in 4 years of undergrad, had a single professor say I can’t reschedule a test to the next day, or turn in HW late on a particular weekend due to being caught up in 3 concerts a weekend. People surprisingly offer a lot of help and resources to people who demonstrate commitment to what they want to do, and PYO is a relatively small commitment to add for what gives such a high reward. Dedicate the time and commit to a schedule, ask for help when its needed, and pretty much whatever you want to do you can do. (For reference, I studied mechanical engineering with roughly 16-18 credits for 8 semesters, on top of PYO commitments, on top of the equivalent of x3-6 credit hours of university ensembles / lessons, practicing, playing in 2 orchestras at UPenn, all my homework, and working part-time at Lockheed Martin through some semesters. Commit the time and dedication, and it works.)
Another thing is that you can always get your university friends to do it with you. Saves money with carpooling, gives motivation, and (with the people that I’ve brought in at least) you can develop some very meaningful relationships. Now I get to spend 3 additional hours per week doing something I love with 2 of my best friends? If you embrace doing what you love and share it with people, it really enhances the experience and makes both PYO, music, and college all that more enjoyable. There is no disbenefit.
PYO has been talked about on every interview I’ve taken, for both jobs and for masters school, it is extremely valued by my current research professor and most of my university professors. People outside music care about this stuff, and its something that professionally makes you stick out. People don’t really care about your grades when you are doing job searches, they care about your dedication to what you do, your passion for what you do, and that you are qualified to do what you do. A GPA doesn’t speak to that, but everything you do on top of your degree does.
For example, I took an interview with both UPenn and the University of Tokyo, Japan, and ETH Zürich, Switzerland for my masters degree. All interviewers, on top of asking me about my research and my expertise, spent time discussing my commitment to music outside of school. And I was accepted to both. For those studying law or business or engineering or literally anything besides music, who may pass off doing music at all as pointless even if you like it, it really isn’t. And PYO offers a great outlet for that. Infinitely worth the time, personally, musically, professionally, socially, for mental health and destressing, and it is important to people outside of music. And for those studying music, especially performance and education degrees, trust that people know about PYO. The Philly Orchestra knows about PYO, educators know about PYO.
Professionally, its a great place to make connections. Academically, its gives performance opportunities at a high level, and for educators, you get to see music education in process. Even if one may agree or disagree with what is seen, you get to see what you like and don’t like, and what you think you want to do as an educator. Outside of just “being an ensemble,” PYO gives so much professional experience and gives an upper edge in interviews, connections, and the likes for literally every single person.
If you’re a college student, or know someone who is, we invite you to learn more and consider auditioning for the Collegiate Fellowship. This tuition-free opportunity is designed to make music a lifelong pursuit, no matter your major or career path.
👉 Learn more at pyomusic.org/collegiatefellowship
