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  • LAPA
  • LA PHIL GIVES INAUGURAL DALE E. KERN YOLA CITIZENSHIP AWARD
  • Jun. 16, 2014
  • YOLA to Perform at Opening Night at the Hollywood Bowl

    Saturday, June 21 at 8 PM

    Los Angeles - (June 16, 2014) – The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association is proud to announce the inaugural Dale E. Kern YOLA Citizenship Award. Made possible by a legacy gift from Dale E. Kern to support the LA Phil’s YOLA program, the award recognizes one exceptional graduating senior each year for achievement as a leader, artist, and citizen in the community. The $10,000 award provides financial assistance with college tuition, travel to and from college campus, and supplies for college classes. The 2014 award will be presented during Opening Night at the Hollywood Bowl, June 21, at 8 PM by Academy Award-winning actress Helen Hunt.

    Philanthropist Dale E. Kern was the former West Coast editor of Women’s Wear Daily and W Magazine and a frequent contributor to Santa Barbara and Town & Country magazine.  She was a founding member of the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara, which supports local non-profits. From accomplished horsewoman in her youth, to respected journalist in her prime, to Montecito hostess and engaged philanthropist in retirement, Dale's was a life well-lived, sadly abbreviated by the scourge of breast cancer. She believed passionately in the power of music to transform the lives of youngsters, particularly those at risk, paying enormous dividends to them and their families, while also benefiting the community at large.  

    This award has been established at a critical juncture in the growth of the YOLA initiative. 2014 marks the first graduating class of seniors to come through the program – most of whom began in YOLA’s inaugural class in 2007.

    YOLA graduates applying for the Dale E. Kern YOLA Citizenship Award must have spent at least 4 years with YOLA, and have plans to attend a 4-year college. Mirroring YOLA’s philosophy of building and contributing to community and furthering the idea of citizenship, the award recipient must commit to taking on a project of his or her own design, intended to spread the mission of YOLA in a college setting or a surrounding neighborhood. Annually, each recipient of the award will have an LA Phil YOLA advisor who will support the student on the community-based project and will monitor the use of the award funds.

    Opening Night at the Hollywood Bowl will feature a performance by the most advanced YOLA orchestra led by Thomas Wilkins. YOLA students from two YOLA locations - YOLA at EXPO and YOLA at HOLA - will perform an abridged version of Marquez’ Danzón No. 2.

    Tickets: Proceeds from Opening Night at the Hollywood Bowl, and the Hall of Fame concert, benefit the Los Angeles Philharmonic and its education programs. Patron packages for include a VIP pre-concert reception at 5 p.m., followed by a gourmet dinner prepared by Patina and served in guest boxes prior to the concert.  Opening Night Concert packages ($2,300 to $15,750) may be purchased through the LA Phil’s Special Events office. Please call 213.972.3051 for details and reservations. Tickets for the concert only ($13 - $135) are available online at HollywoodBowl.com, at the Hollywood Bowl box office, through Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000, and by credit card phone order at 323.850.2000.

    The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under the vibrant leadership of Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, presents an inspiring array of music from all genres – orchestral, chamber and Baroque music, organ and celebrity recitals, new music, jazz, world music and pop – at two of L.A.’s iconic venues, Walt Disney Concert Hall (www.laphil.com) and the Hollywood Bowl (www.hollywoodbowl.com). The LA Phil’s season at Walt Disney Concert Hall extends from September through May, and throughout the summer at the Hollywood Bowl. With the preeminent Los Angeles Philharmonic at the foundation of its offerings, the LA Phil aims to enrich and transform lives through music, with a robust mix of artistic, education and community programs.

    Youth Orchestra LA (YOLA)

    Since Fall of 2007, YOLA has grown to serve 650 students, ages 6-18, in South L.A., the Rampart District and East L.A. YOLA partners share costs and program management responsibilities. The YOLA initiative currently consists of three programs: YOLA at EXPO, YOLA at HOLA, and YOLA at LACHSA.

    Part of Exposition Park in South L.A., YOLA at EXPO has grown to include three orchestras, mentorship, group lessons, chamber music, and parent ensembles. The program serves hundreds of students who attend four days each week. In addition, students perform annually at Walt Disney Concert Hall and have appeared multiple times on the iconic stage of the Hollywood Bowl. YOLA at EXPO is a partnership of the LA Phil, Harmony Project, and EXPO Center, a City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks facility.

    YOLA at Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), located in the Rampart District, serves hundreds of students with intensive after-school orchestral instruction five days a week. Classes include music creativity, singing and solfège, ensemble rehearsals, and academic tutoring daily. This holistic approach fosters a sense of community and provides the students with the opportunity to take advantage of HOLA’s exceptional programs and resources. YOLA at HOLA is a partnership between the LA Phil and Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA).

    YOLA at LACHSA engages 90 students, ages 8-11. High school students at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts act as mentors to their younger YOLA counterparts. YOLA at LACHSA is a partnership between the LA Phil and the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.

    As of January 2013, YOLA is engaged in two new initiatives both through the YOLA at HOLA program: USC Brain and Creativity Institute’s 5-year longitudinal brain study to track brain, emotional and social development in students participating in intensive music study, providing insight into the “musical mind”; and a Masters of Arts in Teaching Music through Bard College and Longy School of Music with its LA-based campus at YOLA at HOLA, allowing musicians with a desire to respond to today’s educational needs, and who aspire to participate in the growing El Sistema movement in the U.S., to earn a teaching degree and credential.

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  • Contact:

    Sophie Jefferies, 213.972.3422, sjefferies@laphil.org
    Lisa Bellamore, 213.972.3689, lbellamore@laphil.org