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Philadelphia, PA (October 22, 2015) — Louis Scaglione, President and Music Director of Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO), is pleased to announce the appointment of Kenneth Bean as Associate Conductor of PYO Music Institute. The position has not been filled for 10 years since Maestro Scaglione held it prior to his succeeding long-time music director, Joseph Primavera. An experienced conductor, instructor and musician, Bean is responsible for assisting in the artistic operation and development of the PYO Music Institute, working closely with Scaglione. He will also serve as an artistic liaison with schools and community music educators, strengthen the volunteer culture of the orchestra and much more.
Scaglione, who will be in his 20th year with PYO next season, sees great potential for the organization with Bean in this role. He said, “We have seen tremendous growth over the time I have served PYO. Since I began, our student enrollment has more than tripled and we have expanded our programs. There is, once again, a great need for the role Kenneth will fill for us that will enhance our continual growth with student participation and involvement in the community. He is the ideal person for this position with his full range of experience as a conductor, educator and musician. We look forward to much continued success with his help and leadership.”
Bean shared this enthusiasm about serving as Associate Conductor and said, “I am extremely excited to be joining the PYO family. This wonderful organization has touched the lives of countless young musicians in the region for over 75 years and I am thrilled to be a part of it.”
Kenneth Bean is an instructor and conductor in the Philadelphia area, as well as an active freelance trumpeter. He earned a Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a Master of Music Education from Jackson State University. He has taught at many festivals and schools, including The School District of Philadelphia, St. Francis de Sales School, The Premier Orchestral Institute of the Mississippi Symphony, Kinhaven Music School and Luzerne Music Center where he taught trumpet and served as Resident Conductor for Junior Session.
In Bean’s conducting experience, he is a Conductor of Symphony in C Youth Orchestra and served as substitute conductor for Mississippi Youth Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Conductor for the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra and the Young Peoples’ Philharmonic of the Lehigh Valley. Currently, he serves as Music Director/Conductor of the Junior String Philharmonic of the Lehigh Valley.
As a trumpeter, Kenny is currently a member of the Philadelphia Chamber Brass, the New York Metropolitan Brass Quintet and Philos Brass Ensemble. He has appeared with numerous ensembles, including Mannheim Steamroller and Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and he can be heard on recordings with Symphony in C, the Monocacy Chamber Orchestra and hip-hop artist Thee Phantom & the Illharmonic Orchestra.
About the PYO Music Institute:
Now in its 76th year, the renowned PYO Music Institute organization, led by President and Music Director Louis Scaglione, is one of the nation’s oldest and most respected community music education and youth orchestra performance programs, providing talented young musicians from across the tri-state area with exceptional musical training. Students go on to excel in many diverse fields and it is with pride that PYO notes that many members of the prestigious Philadelphia Orchestra are alumni. The organization is comprised of five independent ensembles designed to meet specific needs and experience levels of students selected through a competitive audition process. The anchor group is the PYO Music Institute (PYO) ensemble, conducted by President and Music Director Louis Scaglione, featuring 125 gifted instrumentalists who range in age from 14-21. Young musicians 10-18 years old are featured in the PYO’s companion ensemble, the Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra, which is led by Director and Conductor Maestra Rosalind Erwin. Bravo Brass, directed by Curtis Institute Dean of Faculty and Students, Paul Bryan, is an all brass ensemble for promising high-school instrumentalists. PRYSM (Philadelphia Region Youth String Music) and PRYSM Young Artists ensembles provide string ensemble and sectional master class instruction for beginning and intermediate musicians ages 6-14. The director and conductor of PRYSM is Gloria DePasquale, cellist with The Philadelphia Orchestra and conductor of PRSYM Young Artists is Jessica Villante. Tune Up Philly is the organization’s after-school program, directed by Paul Smith, that offers musical instruments and instruction to children in economically challenged areas of Philadelphia. www.pyos.org.
