SOGO SOGO 25
RCHESTRATING the FUTURE volume 25 #3 April 2025
A STELLAR FINALE
SUNDAY | MAY 18 | 4pm
Inspired by a musical household—his sister played bassoon and flute, and his mother was a clarinetist—Diego Cortes-Monroy’s path to music felt like a natural progression. With his mom’s clarinet in hand and her gentle encouragement, Diego found himself drawn to the instrument’s warm, expressive sound.
Diego joined SOGO in sixth grade, eager for a greater musical challenge and encouraged by his parents, who knew it would help him grow. Since
Hereit is, April again. SOGO’s 25th anniversary season is rapidly drawing to a close, and our upcoming season finale concert on May 18 at the Washington Center will be the most ambitious of the year. In a season full of growth and change, adding the Philharmonic Orchestra, expanding to a second rehearsal site,and rolling out the Little Black Box concerts featuring the Debut Orchestra, MOJO ensembles, and Teaching Artists, our conductors have continued to push the envelope, programming more difficult yet rewarding pieces, and raising expectations of musical performance.
This final concert cycle contains a special collaboration between the Conservatory Orchestra and our friends at the Olympia Symphony, who performed The Planets by Gustav Holst on their April 19 concert. The Conservatory Orchestra is currently working on the two most famous movements: Mars, the Bringer of War, and Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity. Members of the Olympia Symphony will sit alongside Conservatory students at SOGO rehearsal on May the 4th (for Star Wars fans, this date could not be more perfect), and a select few will also join Conservatory on stage at SOGO’s May 18 concert to deliver a season finale that promises to be out of this world. (You knew that joke was coming…)
SOGO’s May concert also typically celebrates our graduating seniors (20 this year!) and highlights one or more of them performing as soloists with one of the orchestras. This year we have two such features: Senior clarinetist Diego Cortes-Monroy, who
Dedication & Passion
then, SOGO has played a key role in his development—not just as a musician, but as a person. “SOGO taught me to work through hard things and collaborate with others at a higher level,” he says. “Music will always stick with me—past, present, and future.”
When Mr. May invited Diego to perform as a soloist with the Conservatory Orchestra, his first thought was: “Finally!” While choosing a piece was initially difficult, he landed on one that strikes just the right balance—not
is completing his fifth year in the Conservatory Orchestra, will step forward to play Andante and Rondo Ongarese by Carl Maria von Weber, who wrote many magnificent pieces for clarinet. Additionally, the three senior members of the Conservatory oboe section – Nicholas Chappel, Will Cummings, and Fiona Tang – will perform Flight of the Bumblebee with the Philharmonic Orchestra. Adeline Rice, who is also an oboist but not a senior, will conduct.
The Conservatory Orchestra will open their portion of the program with Dvořák’s Polka for Prague Students, a short but humorous work written for a ball near the end of 1880. Many of the other pieces on the program have accidental ties to one another, creating a loose through-line between the various orchestras. Each orchestra has at least one piece that is either based on a pre-existing song or else an original instrumental composition to which lyrics were added later. There is also yet another student-teacher relationship between composers, with the Academy Orchestra performing a new composition by Tyler S. Grant, and the Philharmonic Orchestra presenting a piece by one of Grant’s mentors, Brian Balmages.
I always enjoy when there are these connections between pieces performed by different SOGO ensembles, even if such connections are accidental! Get your tickets now to hear all this amazing music performed by 186 talented young musicians on Sunday, May 18 at the Washington Center. See you soon!
too easy, not too hard, but deeply satisfying to play and hear.
The biggest challenge? “Putting in the hours and reps,” Diego admits. “It can be tough to sit down and put in the time, even when you enjoy the piece.”
Through his dedication and passion, Diego embodies SOGO’s mission of Orchestrating the Future—growing through music, and carrying its les sons with him wherever life leads.
SOGO Music Director
Future Music Maker
For young musicians, SOGO offers the opportunity to rehearse, perform, and grow alongside peers, which is life-changing. But for many families, the cost of participation is a challenge.
Since its founding in 2000, SOGO has worked to keep tuition as affordable as possible. While tuition once covered half the cost of the program, it now accounts for only 38%. Meanwhile, rehearsal space costs have increased fivefold in just four years, and staff has expanded to support a growing number of students.
In a recent survey, over half of SOGO musicians shared that their friends were unable to join due to financial
Senior Reflections
Asthey prepare to leave the stage, SOGO’s graduating seniors reflect not just on the music they’ve played, but the lessons that will stay with them.
They’ve learned that music is more than notes. For trumpeter Allison Walker, it’s about knowing when to lead and when to follow. For percussionist Dario Morbello, patience has been key—“a lesson that’s helped with everything I’ve worked to improve.” Clarinetist Diego Cortes-Monroy discovered that even the most daunting pieces often become the most rewarding.
Across instruments, this class shares a love for challenge, growth, and connection. Violinist Sophia Myers said, “The more I practiced, the more fun it became.” Isaiah Berg-
barriers. This year, nearly 1 in 5 students are attending with scholarship support—made possible through community contributions.
With a goal of raising $15,000 by the end of May, SOGO hopes to expand access even further. Contributions of all sizes can provide students with professional instruction, concert experiences, and a lasting connection to music.
By investing in scholarships, the community ensures that talent, hard work, and passion—not family income—determine who gets to take the stage.
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kamp, headed into neuroscience, found music to be both relaxing and motivating. Ezra Birchard found lifelong friends—and a way to stay awake on long drives home from rehearsal (thank you, Trombone Shorty AKA Troy Andrews).
Some are pursuing music degrees. Others, like Nicholas Chappel, are heading into aerospace engineering —with rapper Pitbull-heavy playlist in tow. Fiona Tang carries with her a conductor’s advice: “Play what’s on the page, not what’s in your brain.”
Whether performing Messiah or laughing in rehearsals, these seniors built something bigger than themselves. As they step into futures that span the arts, sciences, military, and beyond, one thing is clear: music will keep playing in their lives.
L-R Dario Morbello (Percussion), Owen Tudor (Cello), Andrew Seldomridge (Flute), Diego Cortes-Monroy (Clarinet), Luke Thornton (Bassoon), Caleb Gill (Violin), Sophia Myers (Violin), Fiona Tang (Oboe), William Cummings (Oboe), Nicholas Chappel (Oboe), Carol Gao (Violin), Moriah Fuchs (Violin), Alluzai Villanueva (Violin), Michelle Hegewald (Viola), Noah Cornwall (Viola), Annika Hillier (Clarinet), Isaiah Bergkamp (Trumpet), Bo Milam (Trumpet), Allison Walker (Trumpet), Ezra Birchard - NOT PICTURED (Tuba) 20 SOGO Seniors orchestrating the future!