Schaumburg Youth Orchestra names new symphonic director
The Schaumburg Youth Orchestra announced that area music teacher Kevan Kosobayashi has been named director of the program's Symphony Orchestra.
Kosobayashi returns to the program after serving as its Chamber Strings director from 2001 to 2008. As director of SYSO, he fills the position previously held by SYO founding director Joseph Malmquist, who retired last year.
Kosobayashi received his Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University, where he was the recipient of both the Elsie Ekstein Prize and George Patterson Owen Award, and was selected for membership in Pi Kappa Lambda, the national honorary music fraternity.
His Master of Arts degree is in music education from Teachers College-Columbia University in New York City.
Kosobayashi is currently one of three orchestra directors at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, where he leads the Symphonic Orchestra and Chamber Strings (the Capstone-level ensemble), teaches technique classes for two of the three freshman-level orchestras, and serves as the Tri-M faculty adviser.
Prior to Neuqua Valley, he taught elementary, middle, and high school strings at The American School in Tokyo, Japan, from 2008 to 2015, and for the 10 years prior, he led the orchestra programs at Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg high schools in District 211, and Buffalo Grove High School, District 214, where he was the 2006 Principal's Award recipient.
He led the District 214 Honors Orchestra and served as the orchestra resource teacher for District 214.
Kosobayashi has served as guest conductor of the ILMEA District 1 Junior Orchestra, and two of his ensembles have performed at the Illinois Music Education Conference (Buffalo Grove Symphony Orchestra in 2006 and Neuqua Valley Chamber Strings in 2017).
He has been a faculty member of the OPUS Chamber Music Camp and currently serves as the string techniques instructor for undergraduate music education majors at North Central College in Naperville. He lives with his wife and daughter in Naperville.
Kosobayashi says he is deeply honored and humbled to be appointed as successor to Joseph Malmquist, who led the senior-level orchestra ensemble since its inception in 1989.
"I've known Joe for nearly 25 years, and have looked to him as a trusted mentor, colleague and friend. The dedication and passion that he has for orchestral music, the students, and the SYO organization is my motivation for continuing its tradition of excellence while looking toward the future," Kosobayashi said.
Kosobayashi's tenure will start with the re-emergence of the SYO after a dormant season due to COVID-related closures at the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts, where the program rehearses and performs.
Cultural Services Director Jack Netter says having the SYO resume operations is a sure sign of normalcy returning to the Prairie Center.
"Losing contact with these incredibly talented young musicians last year left such a gaping hole in the arts community. I personally can't wait to hear the sound of their rehearsals and performances once again filling the halls of center," Netter said.
Not only does Kosobayashi expect a strong post-pandemic rebuild of the program, but he also sees potential for expansion.
"Some of the most dedicated and talented student-musicians in the country live within Schaumburg's borders, or within a 30- to 45-minute drive of the Prairie Center," Kosobayashi said.
"I hope to re-establish the core SYSO membership while drawing in new students who are excited to study and perform diverse music, from the standard orchestral repertoire to music of our time."
Information on joining the program, open to students in grade school through college, can be found at www.schaumburgyouthorchestra.org.
The Schaumburg Youth Orchestra is a program of the Village of Schaumburg.
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