VYO Senior Spotlight!
Lucca Abele, violin
North Country Union High
VT Youth Orchestra – 2 years
VT Youth Philharmonia – 2 years
VT Youth Sinfonia – 1 year
Grace Bever, violin
South Burlington High
VT Youth Orchestra – 4 years
VT Youth Philharmonia – 2 years
VT Youth Sinfonia – 2 years
VT Youth Strings – 1 year
Presto – 5 sessions
What do you love about being in an orchestra chorus?
Abele: My favorite part about being in orchestra is playing with other people that love playing their instrument as much as I do.
Bever: I love that the VYOA has been in my family for years. My mom and her siblings all grew up in South Burlington and played in very different sections of the orchestra. It just makes the VYO feel that much more like family.
What role has the VYOA played in your musical career?
Bever: The VYOA has given me an opportunity to explore music as a group. I love to explore and learn about the music I play by myself, but when we talk to each other during rehearsal about the history of these large symphonies and the composers who wrote them, I always learn something special about each and every instrument in the orchestra.
What other activities do you participate in?
Abele: Outside of the VYOA, I run cross country, nordic ski, and run track. I also play in my school’s pit band and teach violin lessons.
Apart from orchestral music, what other kind of music do you love?
Bever: I listen to so many different types of music! My favorite music to listen to is from the 80’s such as New Order, The Cure, Ministry, and The Smiths. Some of my favorite artists and music groups from this decade, though, are Beach Fossils, Little Dragon, Mac DeMarco, and the Pixies. I also listen to so much classical music I couldn’t list favorites. I love everything.
What college or university do you plan to attend next year?
Abele: I plan to attend Oberlin College next year, studying Environmental Studies and Music.
Bever: I am very excited to attend Case Western Reserve University as a Music and Biology double major next year. I will be taking classes at the Cleveland Institute of Music while studying as a Pre-Med student at CWRU. It’s the best of both worlds!
