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Written by Livia Kam
My journey with classical music began in elementary school when my mom would play WRTI on the drive to school. Even though I began violin and piano lessons at age five, I remember yawning in the backseat and insisting that classical music was boring. I was far more drawn to the jazz that played in the evenings.
Over time, our morning routine became a habit, and eventually that habit turned into curiosity. Everything changed when I heard Debussy’s Clair de Lune on the radio. The impressionist harmonies and ambiguous phrasing felt completely different from the rigid image of classical music I had imagined. From that moment on, I became obsessed. My piano teacher, Polly Rovins, encouraged that passion, allowing me to leap from Haydn to Chopin and learn his nocturnes long before I was expected to.
I had always known that I wanted to join the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra. As a young child, PYO represented the older students who performed “big” works at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. I would sit in the audience listening to my older sister perform massive symphonies with hundreds of instruments and imagine myself on the stage one day.
My PYOMI journey truly began in 2021 with Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra (PYAO). Playing in a large symphonic ensemble for the first time, I immediately immersed myself in the music. I still remember the feeling of over a hundred students playing the sweeping themes of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade together. For the first time, orchestral music felt larger than sound itself—it felt communal, powerful, and alive.
When I auditioned for PYO in the spring of eighth grade, I was not accepted. I understood how competitive the orchestra was, and I genuinely enjoyed playing with students my own age in PYAO, so I accepted the outcome. Then, unexpectedly, I was invited to audition again over the summer. I practiced my excerpts endlessly before auditioning for Maestra Erwin and Maestro Scaglione. This time, I was accepted—though initially seated in the last chair.
But I had never joined PYO for a ranking. I was simply grateful to sit among older musicians and perform “big” music. During my first PYO seating audition, I tried to project confidence despite being the youngest violist in the section: walking into the Primavera Room, making strong contact with the string, and keeping my shoulders back, I quickly learned how to stay focused under pressure, even though I was shaking from nerves. Somehow, I moved up to the fifth chair.
I still remember practicing the notoriously exposed viola excerpt from Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 with my section before our concert. Those intentional rehearsals taught me trust, accountability, and resilience. From my first days in PYAO to now serving as principal violist of PYO, I have gained countless memories, friendships, and skills that extend far beyond music.
PYO has challenged me to grow as both a musician and a person. I have learned how to practice with intention, perform under pressure, and truly love music. Those experiences helped me earn a spot in the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute (NSO SMI), where I continued developing as an orchestral musician.
What makes PYO especially meaningful to me is the opportunity to perform extraordinary repertoire alongside close friends every week at a high level. Few youth orchestras can say they have programmed Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben in the same season, yet PYO constantly surpasses expectations.
Beyond performing, I found ways to contribute to the broader PYOMI community. I interned with a newly created elementary orchestra program, helping younger students develop orchestral fundamentals and confidence. I also lead the PYOMI Student Social Media Council, where I collaborate on content that showcases the connection shared across all divisions of the organization. Through these opportunities, I’ve built leadership skills and meaningful relationships with students in the tri-state area.
This May, I chose to complete my Senior Project at PYOMI and WRTI to give back to the community that has left a lasting impact on me. Interning with the Director of Marketing and Communications, Katey O’Connor, I’ve been able to intersect my passions of media and music by creating blog posts, media advisories, merchandise, and social media videos. Working directly with PYOMI staff has allowed me to have hands-on experience in a multi-divisional organization and gain valuable professional skills in management and marketing.
As an incoming freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, I plan to pursue majors in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) and Communications. I also look forward to continuing my passion for music by performing with the Penn Symphony Orchestra. Staying closely connected to Philadelphia, I aim to apply the skills I developed through PYOMI in consulting case competitions, using qualitative analysis and storytelling to identify meaningful connections within community narratives.
Every rehearsal, every lecture from Maestro Scaglione, and every piece I have performed over the past five years have taught me lessons about discipline, collaboration, leadership, and passion. PYOMI has not only developed me as a musician but also shaped who I am as a person.
