ALUMNI

After graduation, MYS students continue to excel musically, academically, and professionally. Many MYS alumni pursue studies in Music Performance or Music Education. It is equally likely to find MYS alumni in rigorous departments such as biology, engineering, neuroscience, and business.

Alumni of MYS hold positions with orchestras such as the Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Hear from recent alumni as they share their journeys and reflect on their time at MYS:

Where Are They Now?

  • Years with MYS: 8

  • Education: The Juilliard School, Viola Performance (BM & MM)

  • Current Position: Minnesota Orchestra, Section Violist

  • Other Activities: Soccer, pickleball, chess, and house/funk/disco music

  • What musical goal are you currently pursuing?: My goal is to work on my leadership skills because I’d love to push myself to win a title chair in an orchestra someday.

Lydia Grimes ‘17, Viola

“MYS made music fun for me. I learned how amazing it is to come together with friends and classmates to make something beautiful and meaningful. I’m glad that we played such a wide variety of repertoire. It’s nice when I’m supposed to learn a piece of music for Minnesota Orchestra that I already know by heart from MYS!”

  • Years with MYS: 7

  • Current Position: Minnesota Opera Orchestra, Principal Flute

  • Other Activities: I play piccolo and 3rd flute with the Des Moines Symphony and I also have a private teaching studio in St. Paul. In my free time, I inhale books and TV shows.

  • Most memorable MYS moment: I met my now husband when we were in Philharmonic together in eighth grade! While it took us fifteen years to actually start dating, I think it says a lot about the depth and quality of the bonds that form between musicians in MYS.

Hannah Peterson ‘09, Flute

“In MYS I learned the value of patience, practice, and collaboration. You won't win every audition, nail every solo, or even play principal on every concert; that's just the nature of the industry. However, long-term dedicated practice and the determination to show up well-prepared and as a good colleague will inevitably lead to greater chances of success, more future opportunities, and a better experience in the end.”

  • Years with MYS: 1

  • College: Concordia College Moorhead

  • Major: Instrumental Music Education

  • Activities: Music takes up a lot of my time but I also enjoy going to the gym, spending time with friends and family, and playing disc golf!

  • Most memorable MYS moment: Being able to play the opening solo in Rhapsody in Blue with MYS Symphony!

Joe Stoll ‘23, Clarinet

“MYS is filled with some of the most talented teachers and musicians I have ever met and everybody involved played a role in me continuing my musical journey! The music that we got each trimester never failed to make my jaw drop because of how beautiful and how incredibly challenging it is.”

  • Years with MYS: 4

  • College: Concordia College – Moorhead

  • Major: Instrumental Music Education

  • Activities:

    • Writer for student-run newspaper The Concordian

    • Station manager at the college’s KORD Radio

    • Bassist in two rock bands

    • Aspiring music critic in all genres

    • Member of The Concordia Orchestra

  • Future aspirations: After college, Ephriam would love to become a music historian, ethnomusicologist, or conductor. He dreams to one day conduct a recording of all of William Grant Still’s Symphonies: “The Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s 1993 recording of the Afro-American Symphony is one of my favorites!”

Ephriam Cooper ‘23, Bass

“Do not be intimidated by the people who may be better than you, know more than you, or are in a different orchestra than you. Instead, learn from those people! Talk to them! You will learn so much from them and their experiences and find improvement in yourself as a result.”

  • Years with MYS: 2

  • College: Whitman College

  • Major: Biology-Geology combined major

  • Other Activities: When I'm not doing schoolwork, you can find me playing trombone in Jazz I, practicing with the ultimate Frisbee team, or going on bike rides through the wheat fields!

  • What is the most valuable lesson you learned at MYS?: Being around really advanced musicians can feel really competitive and scary, but try as best you can to learn from it! Talk to people, make friends, and be confident.

Ingrid Noren ‘23, Trombone

“Every performance at MYS that I played in was absolutely magical. I never thought I'd get to play at a venue like Orchestra Hall, and to hear my own sound and the sound of the ensemble in a space like that was incredible.”

Alumni Contact

If you are an MYS alumni and would like to reconnect with us, please use this contact form. We would love to hear what you’re up to!