HughE Dillon: Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Gala

Maestro Louis Scaglione celebrates his 15th season.

The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra‘s annual gala was held last Friday at the Union League. Below: Maestro Louis Scaglione, who is president and music director of PYO and was celebrating his 15th season with PYO, Amanda Strine and Grant Strine. The night began with a cocktail party and silent auction of art work created by the students at Studio Incamminati, which partnered with the orchestra for the event. Proceeds from the evening support the PYO’s financial aid program as well as general funds.

Below: Shelley Showers, Robert Day and Trude Haecker Day (chair of the PYO board of trustees), and Joyce Sandow. Later in the evening, Trude was surprised as the PYO honored her for her work with the organization.

Below: Kim Bloom and Peter H. Gistelinck, executive director at the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.

Below: Alisyn Kuntz from Studio Incamminati was creating a musical piece of art during the cocktail party that would be available for sale later in the evening.

Below: Colleen Hood, PYO general manager, MaryTeresa Soltis, PYO board of trustees and 2012 gala chair, Brad Kelly, and Kathleen English.

Below: Sandy and Mort Friedman, and Lori Goldfinger. Mrs. Goldfinger has three sons in the PYO: Asher, Daden and Chason. Chason performed in the night’s concert, which meant a lot to him—so much that he gave up the chance of performing a piece he composed, “Mediterrarabian Pastiche, op. 10, for Solo Clarinet in B-flat” at the 2012 Generation Next Winners Concert at the Music Institue of Chicago. His father went and accepted the award for him.

Below: Frank Giordano, second vice chair of PYO and president of Atlantic Trailer Leasing Corp., Dottie Giordano, Debra Cenci and Rob Cenci, branch manager at Caliber Funding.

Below: Katya Held is a student at Studio Incamminati. Ira Taffer and Michele Taffer bought one of her pieces, called “Insufficient Address.” Mr. Taffer enjoyed the piece as it was a painting in which the returned envelopes sit on a tablecloth. He likes when fabric is depicted in a painting. The night was a perfect merging of art and music.

After dinner, the 100 or so guests enjoyed an intimate performance by the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra in the Lincoln Room. The musicians were selected through competitive audition and came from a 70-plus-mile radius of Philadelphia encompassing nearly 20 counties within Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

Below: Leona and Nelson Shanks, of Studio Incamminati, enjoy the concert.

After the concert, Studio Incamminati surprised Maestro Louis Scaglione with a portrait of himself conducting the youth orchestra that was commissioned by the PYO organization for Scaglione’s 15th season. Below: Jessica Espey and Joyce Sandow look on with admiration, as Mr. and Mrs. Walter Garrison enthusiastically greet Scaglione behind them.