Wanted: Cellists

The Solano Junior Strings is looking for cellists.

This music ensemble director by Isaac Pastor-Chermak under the sponsorship of the Young Artists Conservatory of Music, provide Student Artists the opportunity to advance their repertoire and gain performance experience while working with professional musicians.

The Young artists Conservatory of Music (YACM) received a grant of $20,000 from the Margaret Beelard Community Foundation in support of its commitment to high quality music education in Vacaville and Solano County.

YACM is the region's largest performing arts education program in the region. Margaret Beelard established her Foundation in 1996 to support programs benefiting children, with a special interest in music.

Under the direction of Teaching Artist Isaac Pastor-Chermak, the goal of Solano Junior Strings is to promote excellence in music education. Young musicians learn and perform significant works by the great composers.

Mr. Pastor-Chermak and Wanda Cook, YACM’s Artistic Director, have contacted Vacaville schools in an effort to raise awareness of this opportunity. To date 18 students have enrolled in Solano Junior Strings, their tuition subsidized in part by the Beelard Foundation grant.

“We are pleased with enrollment for Solano Junior Stings,” Pastor-Chermak said. “But we need cellists.”

Mr. Pastor-Chermak invites young cellists to sit in on rehearsal with the Solano Junior Strings on Mondays, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Other string musicians are welcome as well. Mr. Pastor-Chermak was educated at the University of California, Berkeley, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He maintains a vigorous schedule of appearances as soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player, and conductor. He is currently a member of the Monterey Symphony, the Dayton Philharmonic (Ohio) and the West Virginia Symphony (Charleston). He also maintains affiliate membership in the New World Symphony (Miami) and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.

The typical age of a Solano Junior Strings members is 14 -17 years old. Younger musicians may be accepted on the basis of a successful audition.

Rehearsals are Mondays 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm at the YACM Campus, 500 Davis Street Vacaville CA. This includes full orchestra rehearsal and sectional rehearsals as needed at the discretion of the conductor.