Beyond enriching my musical education, the YAO has proven an invaluable resource in developing my interpersonal and professional skills. YAO guided me in becoming a person of my own; through four seasons of concerts, showcases, and competitions, there is no other organization I can think of that is as empowering and beneficial to music students. In sum, the fact that the YAO provides such fine and honest music-making to Las Vegas — all while remaining tuition free — is a blessing I was glad to be a part of.
-Benel Higuchi, violin (2015-2019)
I was asked to join the YAO for a concert when I was a junior in high school. That opportunity marked the first time I ever played an entire symphony: Mozart’s 40th. Since then and with the most gratitude for Yunior and the YAO, I’ve grown into the musician I am today, studying clarinet at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Yunior inspired me as a musician, conductor and teacher; the standards he demands leads to a quality associated only with the best
ensembles. I’m excited to see what YAO does next! -Ivan Ferguson, clarinet (2017-2018)
I was a part of YAO for about 2 years during my undergraduate degree at UNLV. I really enjoy my time during YAO because it really helped me with my professional development as a musician. YAO is a very unique environment where expectations are very high and trains young musicians on how to become professionals. Being able to work with musicians from across Las Vegas was real treat and hope a lot of young musicians get to experience this group! I graduated with a BM in Music Education at UNLV and will be pursuing a Masters in Trumpet Performance the Fall 2019 at the University of Utah with Teaching Assistant position. -Bronson Pascual, trumpet (2017-2018)
The Young Artists Orchestra has given me a consistent and high level orchestral experience week to week for the past three years, and I owe much of my orchestral and musical training to the orchestra. The YAO is an asset to the Las Vegas community. -Jordan Farber, bassoon (2016-2019)
Playing in the YAO for two years has not only enhanced my personal playing ability, but has exposed me to many wonderful and talented musicians throughout the city. The difficulty of music in the orchestra also pushed me to adjust to the pace and demand of college auditions and performances. The welcoming community created by my fellow Young Artists helped foster my own passion for music, leading me to continue my music career through college and encourage others to discover the joys of the music world. Overall, my time with the YAO has helped me grow as a musician and guided me on my daunting search for an inevitable college major. -Devin Lopez, cello (2016-2018)
Kelsea Au – Indiana University
Benel Higuchi – University of California Berkeley
Erika Dalton – University of Michigan
Rachael Wei – University of Pittsburgh
Josephina Romero – College of Southern Nevada
Alexandria Pritchard – Hunter College/UNLV
Andrew Thompson – UNR
Kyle Barbosa – US NAVY
Tracy Nguyen – UNLV
Deanna Chea – UNLV
Jacques Carticiano – UNLV
Cameron Battaglia – UNLV
Yestyn Griffith – UNLV
Amy Won Na – UNLV
Arturo Hernandez – UNLV
Waverly Tingle – UNLV
Angelica Clemente – UNLV
Katrina Pinili – UNLV
Justin Lopez – UNLV
Grace Kang – Yale Univ.
Angelica Padilla – CSN
Thomas Kyong – UPenn
Daniel Kyong – School?
Cecilia Winchell – UNLV
Jiani Zhi – UNLV
Kenny Fuji – Cleveland Institute of Music
Tristan Macaggi – The Royal Conservatory of Music
Miguel Misa – Florida International
Steven Glover – Univ. Nevada Reno
Ian Parvin – Utah State Univ.
Chris Baltazar – Univ. of Seattle
Orei Odents – UNLV
Daja Robinson – Pepperdine Univ.
Samantha Capurso – UNLV
Joel Shimada – California Lutheran Univ.
Lesly Monroy – University of Denver
Kayla Quijano – UNLV
Ava Incera – UNLV
Angela Zhang – UNLV
Devon Zubka – Indiana University
Devin Lopez – Chapman University
Dana Hurt Jr – UNLV
Ryan Tingle – UNLV
Matthew Lazeroff – UNLV
Olivia Knock – UNR
Joshua Lawson – UNLV
Addison Bennet – School?
Jack Kotchka-Smith – Cincinnati Conservatory of Music
Alyssa D’Anduono – UNLV
Sam Morgan – UNLV
Aidan Neuman – School?
Sergio Monroy – UNLV
Damien Gomez – UNLV
LeNaaya Williams – Green River College
Diego Suarez – Southern Utah Univ.
Josh Riel – UNLV
Michael Torres – Peabody Conservatory / Colburn
Jimmy Cisneros – UNLV
Trey Lawrence – UNLV
Daniel Skurski – UNLV
New Townsend – UNLV
Alan Navarrete – UNLV
Anastasia Spinos – UNLV
Julian Aguilar – UNLV
Anthony Alcain – California State Fullerton
Alana Bronson – Univ. Nevada Reno
Jacob Cannon – UNLV
Jonathan Chan – University of Michigan
Emma Cornelius – DePauw University
Marisa Davidson – UNLV
Alysia Bosnos – UNLV
Gweneth Tacan – University of the Pacific
Andrew Schmidt – School?
Kie Watanabe – School?
Ivan Ferguson – San Francisco Conservatory
Jay Savoy – UNLV
Ethan Blankfeld – UNLV
Katelyn Keeley – CalState Northridge
Jordan Farber – The Colburn School
Gabriel Lopez – School?
Hannah Murawsky – Univ. Oregon
Kayla Weigert – UNLV
Logan McElroy – UNLV
MarcAnthony Decoy – University of Denver
Jeremy Kaminsky – CSN
Miguel Dominguez – School?
Joshua Camper – Vanderbilt University
Matthew Wright – UNLV
Bronson Pasual – UNLV
Aaron Anderton-Coss – University of North Texas
Scott Odou – UNLV
Giovanni Lacala – UNLV
Nathan Russell – UNLV
Andrew Deibel – DePaul University
Matthew Miles – School?
Chandler Cison – UNLV
Allan Quan – UNLV
Cyrus Townsend – UNLV
Ethan McGraw – University of Denver
Zoe Farrell – University of California, San Diego
Jacob Desautel – UNLV
Gabryel Leser – School?
Zachary Torres – School?
*ALUMNI – IF YOUR NAME IS MISSING OR INFORMATION IS INCORRECT, THEN PLEASE REACH OUT TO US.