Alumni Spotlight - Josephine Stockwell

HOMETOWN:

Benicia, California

EDUCATION:

Oberlin Conservatory, Bachelor of Music

Northwestern University, Master of Music

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE GIVEN YOUR YOUNGER SELF?

“Keep trusting the process and don’t forget to breathe when things feel intense!”

FUN FACT:

Josephine was a competitive figure skater!

I remember how excited I was when I was invited to join the NRO and the responsibility I felt to rise to the occasion. One of my favorite parts of the experience was having a host family and getting to see Breckenridge through more than a tourist’s eyes. That summer was also a special one for me socially as I was lucky to have a collection of friends I felt a strong sense of belonging with. And, I hiked Fourteeners for the first time in my life which was so thrilling and satisfying!

My time there also felt like important growth for me in becoming an independent adult, navigating the thrilling and intense environment around me, trying to make the most of all the music-making, communitybuilding, appreciating nature, and being present as much as possible.

I grew to trust my ability to do focused work under pressure before rehearsals and concerts because we often had such limited time to prepare. I also gained lots of tools from the conductors we worked with that I think about to this day in rehearsals with other orchestras.

As a member of the Israel Philharmonic, I am using many skillsets I strengthened and learned at NRO. First and foremost, how to do effective work on new repertoire quickly (we have lots of performances and quite an intense schedule compared to other orchestras). I also learned how to view each standpartnership as a dance as that was always changing at NRO and I needed to adapt (same here in Israel where sometimes I have a different standpartner for every concert).

Beyond music, I had to be courageous with navigating a new country and culture. The experience is so much more thrilling when I embrace it, and I definitely was pushed out of my comfort zone at NRO in many ways (and all for the best!). Those experiences at the National Repertory Orchestra paved the way for the skills I have now.