Iris Lawson-Ryan, Violin: 2022 Senior Spotlight

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Iris Lawson-Ryan, violin
Vermont Commons

 

VT Youth Orchestra – 1 year

VT Youth Philharmonia –3 years

VT Youth Strings – 2 years

 

 

We have appreciated watching Iris grow up in the VYOA over the last 6 years!

What other activities or sports do you participate in? 

I play varsity volleyball at Vermont Commons School as well as with Vibe Volleyball Club. I am also a student leader in my school’s outdoor education program.

How has the pandemic affected your practice & performance of music or participation in your other activities?

The pandemic provided me with a welcome opportunity to take a step back and focus on my technique. I was able to zoom in on different aspects of my playing, develop them, and then apply them while working on individual solo pieces. I was also able to explore new composers and styles of music through my lessons.

If you know, what do you plan to study in college & how did you make your choice?

I plan on studying Environmental Science in college. For as long as I can remember, I have looked forward to learning more about the natural world around me, and as I’ve started to learn about the human impacts on the natural world, I also started to feel passionate about making a change. I am particularly interested in learning about the conjunction between scientific research and community outreach that is vital to helping mitigate climate change.

Katherine Clougherty, violin: 2022 Senior Spotlight

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Katherine Clougherty, violin
South Burlington High

VT Youth Orchestra – 2 years
VT Youth Philharmonia – 3 years
VT Youth Strings – 2 years
Presto – 2 sessions

Katherine is another student from our quiet group of violins that all started together in VYS and will graduate this year. It has always been nice to see them arrive together & it brought us comfort to see that again this year when we were able to return to regular full orchestra rehearsals. We have enjoyed having Katherine with us all of these years, traveling to Spain & Portugal, and watching her advance through our orchestras.

 

 

 

What role does music play in your life?       

Music has always played a major role in my life by being the constant thing in everything I love. I’ve studied ballet since I was 5 and part of my love for dance stemmed from the music. I joined the VYOA starting with Presto and the excitement and musical opportunities provided only increased my love for music. My family members are all avid music listeners and every Sunday morning consisted of waking up to VPR classical.

What was your favorite concert as a performer with the VYOA?

My favorite concert was my last concert in VYP when I was concertmaster. We played Phantom of the Opera as our main piece and the enthusiasm and energy created from such a strong piece loved by everyone in the orchestra made that concert my favorite concert we ever performed.

What is your favorite VYOA memory?

My favorite memory is still going to Spain and Portugal with the VYOA the summer before by sophomore year. This was an amazing opportunity to be able to play with VYO even though I was still in VYP at the time. Not only was the playing inspirational but traveling with friends and making tons of memories with new people was one of my favorite moments in my many years part of the VYOA.

If you know, what do you plan to study in college & how did you make your choice?

I plan to go to UVM next year and major in Biochemistry. I made this choice because of my growing interest in the medical field over the past few years. I hope to continue my love of music in the orchestra at UVM as well.