Helen Cha-Pyo
Conductor / Music Director, Empire State Youth Orchestra

Helen Cha-Pyo began her tenure at the Empire State Youth Orchestra in September 2002.
Ms. Cha-Pyo's leadership has helped ESYO strengthen its commitment to performing contemprorary music, including commissions by American composers Hilary Tann and Samuel Adler. Her vision was reflected in ESYO's March 2008 New Music for a New Generation Festival. A day of music and intergenerational connections between ESYO's musicians and composers, the Festival was funded in part by a $100,000 grant from the New York State Music Fund. Nine newly commissioned works - one for each of ESYO's ensembles - were premiered at the culminating concert. Following the festival, Ms. Cha-Pyo led the Youth Orchestra on a European tour, accompanied by Samuel Adler, whose festival commission was performed in German, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Both the Festival and the tour program influenced the decision by the American Society of Compsers, Artists, and Publishers (ASCAP) to present ESYO with two prestigious awards.

From 1996 through June 2003, Ms. Cha-Pyo served as Conductor of the Riverside Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir and Associate Director of Music at The Riverside Church in New York City. A committed music educator, she pioneered the Riverside Music Educational Program, which served thousands of New York City public-school children. She returned to Riverside in April 2009 to conduct the Empire State Youth Orchestra, Youth Chorale, and New York's Central City Chorus in a performance of William Walton's Belshazzar's Feast.

Born in Seoul, Korea, Ms. Cha-Pyo studied piano and organ in the Pre-College Program at The Juilliard School. After graduating from Oberlin College, she earned Master of Music degreees in conducting and organ performance from the Eastman School of Music. She has performed organ recitals throughougt the northeastern U.S. and Asia and appeared as an organ soloist with several orchestras. She has conducted orchestras and choruses in the United States, Asia, and Europe.

Dec., 2009

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David C. Beck
Conductor, Empire State Repertory Orchestra

David Beck has been working as a string specialist for the Bethlehem Central School District since 1991. In addition to teaching string students in grades 6 through 12, Mr. Beck established a high school string chamber music program. He is currently the Conductor of the High School's Orchestra and Symphony, both consistent award winners. His chamber ensembles have performed at the Governor's Mansion and in master classes for the Manhattan String Quartet. An active performer and teacher, he has also worked as a festival clinician throughout New York, Connecticut, and Florida. Since 1995 he has been a conductor of orchestras at the Eastern U.S. Music Camp in Hamilton, NY. He received his Bachelor's in Music from Ithaca College, where he was a double major on cello and tuba, and a Master's degree in orchestral conducting from the Hartt School of Music. Mr. Beck has been Repertory Orchestra Conductor since March 2000.

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Joseph Gumpper joined ESYO as the String Ensemble Conductor for the 2007-2008 season. He has many years of experience teaching music and conducting orchestras in Schenendehowa elementary and middle schools. Since 2006 he has been the High School Orchestra teacher in that district. Mr. Gumpprr is also currently the conductor of the Delmar Community Orchestra.

Active as a freelance violinist, Mr. Gumpper also plays fiddle with the Red Haired Strangers, a blues and folk band. He also has a private studio.

Mr. Gumpper graduated from Crane School of Music. His Master's degree from the College of Saint Rose is in Music Education.

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Dr. Robert S. Hansbrough is Associate Professor of Music and Assistant Department Chair at The College of Saint Rose where heconducts the wind ensemble and chamber winds and teaches graduate courses in music education, instrumental conducting, and wind band literature.  He earned a BA in Music Education from The University of South Florida and a Masters and Ph.D. in Music Education with a concentration in wind band conducting from The Florida State University. Before coming to Saint Rose, Dr. Hansbrough served for four years on the faculty of Western Kentucky University as Associate Director of Bands and Director of the "Big Red" marching band.  He taught for fifteen years in Florida public school systems, including twelve years as Director of Bands at Lincoln High School in Tallahassee and seven years as Coordinator of Instrumental Music for Leon County’s 30 schools.  While at Lincoln, his bands consistently earned superior ratings at The FBA District and State Festival Evaluations and performed at various invitational conferences.  Dr. Hansbrough has received national recognition for excellence in teaching and conducting from the National MENC, TDBA of The Kentucky Music Educators Association, FMEA, ASBDA, NBA, and the New York State School Music Association.  He has conducted honor bands throughout the United States and Europe and has adjudicated bands from 26 states, Canada, and Mexico.  Currently, Dr. Hansbrough serves on the National Band Association Board of Directors as the Eastern Division Chair.  He holds professional memberships in MENC, NYSBDA, NYSSMA, NBA, CBDNA, Phi Mu Alpha, Pi Kappa Lambda, Kappa Kappa Psi, Phi Beta Mu and The Florida Bandmasters Association.  2008-09 is Dr. Hansbrough’s eighth season as conductor of ESYO’s wind orchestra

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Paul Evoskevich is Professor of Music and Chairman of the Music Department at the College of Saint Rose, as well as the Director of the school's Jazz Ensemble. He has led ESYO's Jazz Ensemble since 1986.

Mr. Evoskevich holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Saxophone Performance and a Bachelor of Music Education from the Hartt School and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media from the Eastman School of Music. He has performed with the Rochester Philharmonic, the Dayton Philharmonic, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the Albany Symphony, and with many stars of stage and screen including Paul Anka, Liza Minelli, Joel Grey, Johnny Mathis, Sarah Vaughn, Theresa Brewer, and Ben Vereen. Mr. Evoskevich has extensive recording experience for television, radio jingles, and sountracks and is an active performer of both classical and jazz repertoire for saxophone. He has performed in and presented master classes throughout the United States and Europe. A former staff writer for The Saxophone Journal and Jazz Player Magazine, Mr. Evoskevich has written many articles on woodwind playing and jazz. He is a past President of the New York State Chapter of the International Association for Jazz Education. Mr. Evoskevich was recently named as an "Outstanding Jazz Educator" by the National Band Association

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Matthew Cremisio is currently the K-12 Academic Administrator for Music at the Shenendehowa Central School District and has served as an adjunct music faculty member at The College of Saint Rose.  Mr. Cremisio received his Bachelors in Music Education from The Crane School of Music and a Masters of Music in Jazz Studies from The College of Saint Rose, having completed additional course work at Eastman.  Mr. Cremisio was a guest artist during the Empire State Youth Jazz Ensemble's 1999 Switzerland tour.  He has performed with numerous well-known artists and toured nationally with several Broadway shows.  He has toured in Europe as a percussionist and educator.  Mr. Cremisio is an active adjudicator and clinician for NYSSMA and formerly served as Vice President of the New York State Association for Jazz Educators.  As a performing artist and educator, Mr. Cremisio is sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation of America, Pro-Mark Corporation, and Sabian Cymbals.

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Richard Albagli
Co-Conductor, Youth & Repertory Percussion Ensembles

Richard Albagli is principal percussionist with the Albany Symphony Orchestra and a member of the music faculties of the University at Albany and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. A graduate of RPI (physics) and the Eastman School of Music (percussion performance), he has written more than twenty works for solo percussion and percussion ensemble as well as a timpani concerto. As a co-founder of Associated Solo Artists, he has designed and performed interdisciplinary programs in music, the sciences, and the humanities in more than a dozen states.

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Mark Foster is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music. A member of the Albany Symphony Orchestra, Mark is also on the music faculty at Skidmore College. He is a member of the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) Education and World Percussion Network Committees. One of the premier drum set players in the region, he also has a private percussion studio.

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Until his retirement in June 2004, John Antonio was Band Director and Instrumental Music Teacher at Hackett Middle School in Albany and the Program Coordinator for the city's Summer Music Program. He is a frequent conductor at area All-District Music Festivals and has a private percussion studio. He has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music Education from the College of St. Rose.

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Mr. Brewster joins ESYO this fall as the conductor of the Junior Percussion Ensemble. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music from SUNY Geneseo and a Master of Music degree in Percussion Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music.  Mr. Brewster's extensive experience as a public-school music teacher includes working in Baltimore and most recently in the South Glens Falls School District.  He has also adjudicated at ESYO percussion auditions.

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Monica Wilson-Roach has taught in the Music Advancement Program at the Juilliard School, an outreach division of the Pre-College Program. She was member of the ESYO cello section when in high school, serves as one of our cello coaches, and has a private cello studio. A member of the jazz trio Ten27, she is active as a performer and recording artist of contemporary music and jazz. Ms. Roach founded the summer cello choir, Tutti Celli.

Gretchen Shyne
Teacher, City Brass (City Instrument Training Program)

Ms. Shyne joined ESYO as the City Brass Teacher in the fall of 2008. She received her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music Education from the Eastman School of Music. A band director for twenty-two years, she has taught at high schools and middle schools in several upstate school districts. Ms. Shyne is a brass adjudicator for NYSSMA and a music adjudicator for the New York State Field Band Conference, New York Federation of Contest Judges, and Musical Arts Conference of Connecticut. She has played euphonium and/or trombone with the Capital Region Wind Ensemble and the Glens Falls and Spa City (Saratoga Springs) Bands. 

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ESYO at Proctors Theatre, 432 State St, Schenectady, NY 12305
Phone: 518-382-7581 | Email: esyoed@esyo.org

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Copyright © 2001 Empire State Youth Orchestra, Inc.