Staff
Christopher Ramaekers, Music Director — director@hpys.org
2012-2013 is Chris Ramaekers’ fifth season as Music Director with HPYS. In recognition of his work as conductor of the Ravenswood Community Orchestra, he was named winner of the 2011 American Prize in the Orchestral Conducting, community orchestra division. He is currently in his seventh season as conductor of the Orchestra of St. Vincent’s in Chicago and is Music Director at the Community Christian Church in Lincolnshire, IL. Chris is also in his ninth season as Music Director of the New Music Project, a new music ensemble in Kalamazoo dedicated to the performance of works written by emerging composers. Chris holds a Masters Degree in orchestral conducting from Northwestern University, where he studied with Victor Yampolsky.
Phyllis Calderon, Intermediate Orchestra/String Coach
In her first year with HPYS, Phyllis Calderon coaches the string sections of the Senior Orchestra and directs the Intermediate Orchestra. She is a Suzuki-trained violin instructor of 13 years, and teaches piano and beginning ensemble classes in her private studio. She also teaches violin to beginning students at Apostolic Church of God Youth Music Orchestra. As a performer, Phyllis plays various styles of music with her string quartet, and has performed with the Whiting Park Festival Orchestra, Civic and Classical Symphony Orchestras. Phyllis is a graduate of the American Conservatory of Music.
John Tredon, Junior Strings
John Tredon is in his sixth season as director of the Junior Strings. He is a professional violinist with over 30 years teaching and performing experience. John has played with the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, Tucson Symphony, Northwest Indiana Orchestra and the Illinois Philharmonic. A member of Music Teachers of Hyde Park since its inception, Mr. Tredon has been an active private teacher in the neighborhood since 1985.
Elizabeth Diaz, Wind Coach
Flautist, Elizabeth Diaz is a graduate of Loyola University, Chicago and has participated in various festivals including the Barcelona Festival of Song, Spain and the Festival Internacional De Inverno De Domingo Martins, Brazil. She is a member of the Chicago Sinfonietta as a Project Inclusion Fellow. This is her fourth season with HPYS.
Contact Information
Chris Ramaekers, Music Director - 248.935.6694 or director@hpys.org
Joyce Norman, General Manager - 773.562.2369 or gm@hpys.org
Robin Charleston, Acting President - 773.324.2311 or rcharleston@att.net
Judy SooHoo, Executive Vice President - 603.443.7135 or mjsoohoo@aol.com
History
The Hyde Park Youth Symphony has its antecedents in the 1950s when the living room of Claire Depres Oppenheim (pictured here) became too small to contain the chamber ensemble of her string students. Claire, a Hyde Park resident for most of her life, began teaching string and piano lessons in the neighborhood during the 1940s. In October of 1955, Claire and a group of interested Hyde Park parents started the Children’s Symphony Orchestra of Chicago, directed by Charles R. Buckley.
Always eager to give her students the best possible ensemble experiences, Claire Oppenheim founded two additional groups. First, the Hyde Park Youth Chamber Orchestra (founded in 1971) was formally incorporated in 1978. She launched a third group, the Youth String Sinfonia, in 1982. These two groups merged in 1984 to form the Hyde Park Youth Sinfonia. ‘Sinfonia’ was changed to ‘Symphony’ in 1995, a year after Claire’s death at the age of 84.