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Administrative Staff Amelia Maaske Office Manager Back to Staff

Taking Notes... Terribly sorry, this page is still under construction. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the office at (831) 375-1992 or at office@youthmusicmonterey.org. In the meantime, feel free to explore the rest of the site! Back to Musicians

Artistic Staff Suzanne Mudge Brass Ensemble Director Suzanne Mudge has coached the YMMC Brass Ensemble since 2015, and served as Executive Director in 2019-2020 and has been a performer at the CBF for over 30 years. In addition to playing trombone and sackbut in the festival orchestra and directing Tower Music and community outreach concerts, Sue creates and scripts the The Epic Adventures of Leonard and Rasmus, a family series of interactive and educational concerts. Sue has been an in-demand professional musician and highly regarded educator and brings both of those professions to her new role in arts administration. Prior to her move to Carmel, she taught at Central Oregon Community College, directed the band program at The Seven Peaks School in Bend, Oregon, had a private teaching studio, and performed with the Central Oregon Symphony, the Eugene Symphony, and the Bend Brass Quintet. Her trombone and trumpet students placed consistently in the top 5 at the Oregon State Solo and Ensemble Festivals. Prior to her move to Bend, Sue was an active freelance musician and music educator in the San Francisco Bay Area. She performed with the Women’s Philharmonic in San Francisco, and the symphonies in Modesto, Fremont, Marin, Berkeley, and San Jose. She recorded numerous CD’s at Skywalker Ranch Sue was also the Band Director at Lowell HS in San Francisco. Sue was raised in Laguna Beach. She has a B.M from The University of The Pacific Conservatory of Music, a M.M. from the University of Arizona, and a teaching credential from Notre Dame de Namur University. She has a passion for film music, animals, California native trees and plants, the beach, bicycling, math history, cooking, and wine. And she’s still playing the trombone! Back to Staff

Farkhad Khudyev Conductor Back to Staff

John Larry Granger Conductor Back to Staff

Artistic Staff Alan Truong Music Director Alan Truong — conductor, educator, presenter — is a rising force in the sphere of American music, connecting music with the experiences of performers and listeners alike. He was recently Cover Conductor for the New York Philharmonic’s Art of the Score concert series and has made public appearances with the Juilliard Lab Orchestra and the Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra. With the Juilliard Orchestra, he has assisted some of the leading conductors of this generation, including Bertrand de Billy and Donald Runnicles. In 2023, he served as Assistant Conductor for the Aspen Festival Orchestra, in addition to being a fellow at the Conducting Academy. In the Winter of 2022, he stepped in on 48 hours’ notice to conduct AXIOM, Juilliard’s New Music Ensemble in a concert of world premieres. In 2025, Alan came full circle when he was named the first alumni Music Director of Youth Music Monterey County, having spent formative years in the orchestras as an adolescent playing the Bassoon. A Salinas native, he is a galvanized advocate for music education in under-resourced communities, a result of being raised in his hometown’s Youth Orchestra of Salinas, an El Sistema-inspired program. He continuously serves as a Teaching Artist, actively forming the future generation of the musical community in a city historically afflicted by an arts drought. In the past, he has worked extensively with the Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra, the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestras, and is a regular guest conductor with the Rochester Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. He has participated in masterclasses with some of today’s foremost conductors and pedagogues, including Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Bertrand de Billy, Robert Spano, Cristian Măcelaru, and James Ross. Alan was a recipient of the Benzaquen Career Advancement Grant and the Bruno Walter Memorial Scholarship. As of 2024, he holds a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the Juilliard School under the auspices of David Robertson. He also holds a Bachelor of Music in Bassoon Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Back to Staff

Second Virtual Concert Junior Youth Orchestra: Tchaikovsky: Themes from Capriccio Italienne Honors Orchestra: Beethoven: Overture to Fidelio Combined Performance: Tallarico: Advent Rising: The Bounty Hunter Support Youth Music Monterey's mission to inspire and build the next generation through music! Keep the music playing in the minds and hearts of our young people. You can make a difference in their lives and in their future.

Artistic Staff Miriam Oddie South County Strings Director Acclaimed as both a teacher and a performer, native New Zealander Miriam Oddie is devoted to inspiring a love of music in audiences and students. She has performed with numerous orchestras such as the Abilene Philharmonic, the Midland Odessa Symphony and Chorale, and the Dallas Bach Society. Simultaneously, she has taught numerous violin and viola students in the Lewisville, TX school district and also maintained a private studio. Miriam has participated in numerous music festivals, including the Eastern Music Festival, the Castleman Quartet Program, and the Aspen Music Festival. In summer 2019, she was honored to be a guest artist at the Saarburg International Music Festival in Saarburg, Germany. Miriam attended the prestigious Eastman School of Music for her undergraduate degree, studying with violists John Graham and Carol Rodland. She went to the University of North Texas to pursue her Masters degree, studying with renowned violist and pedagogue Susan Dubois. While at UNT, she served as the principal violist of the university symphony and also began exploring a passion for baroque music as a member of the UNT Baroque Orchestra. When not teaching or performing, Miriam is probably reading, running, or baking! Back to Staff

Junior Youth and Honors Orchestras Info Register South County Strings Info Orchestra In The Schools Info Register

Artistic Staff Igor Poklad Director, Woodwind Chamber Ensembles A native of Odessa (Ukraine), Igor Poklad began his musical studies at the Odessa State Conservatory of Music (Clarinet Performance). Having moved to the United States, he continued his education at the San Francisco State University (BM Magna Cum Laude in Clarinet Performance and MM in Music History). While studying at SFSU, he excelled as a chamber music performer and soloists, winning Fremont Symphony Orchestra’s Solo Competition with his performance of Claude Debussy’s Premiere Rhapsody . Following the completion of his studies, Mr. Poklad joined the US Air Force Band of the Golden West and performed extensively throughout the United States. Additionally, Mr. Poklad has performed with a number of the Bay Area orchestras and ensembles (Napa Valley Symphony, San Francisco Concerto Orchestra, Vallejo Symphony, North Bay Philharmonic). Later, he was stationed in Germany as a member of the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) Band, where he was in charge of the Clarinet Quartet. While performing with the USAFE Clarinet Quartet, Mr. Poklad toured throughout Europe and the Middle East. Some of the highlights of his performances overseas include appearances at musical festivals and subscription concerts in Belgium, Great Britain, Italy, Poland, Latvia, Israel, Serbia and Bulgaria. In addition to performing on clarinet and bass clarinet, Mr. Poklad enjoys playing Renaissance and Baroque music on a variety of recorders. Back to Staff

This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. < Back Archangel This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. You can create as many collections as you need. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own, or import content from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, videos and more. You can also collect and store information from your site visitors using input elements like custom forms and fields. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Preview your site to check that all your elements are displaying content from the right collection fields. Power in Numbers $1000 annual donation you'll receive Programs 50 Locations 200 Volunteers Project Gallery Previous Next

Join a community devoted to building the next generation through music! The Angel Network serves student musicians from over 30 schools spanning from Salinas and South County to the Monterey Peninsula. Each year, up to 300 students learn to collaborate and gain confidence while improving their instrumental playing skills. Angels make it possible for YMMC to accept all qualified students regardless of their ability to pay. Covering about a third of the cost of instruction for YMMC students, the Angel Network keeps tuition affordable by bridging the gap between student fees and the cost of the program. With your annual contribution, you help ensure students can experience the powerful instruction provided in the Junior Youth and Honors Orchestras, Chamber Ensembles, and South County Strings. For more detailed benefits, see the different tiers of the Angel Network. Getting involved allows you to see, up close, the opportunities your donation provides. On becoming a member, you receive a hand-crafted sterling silver pin. Wearing it shows your special connection to the musicians of Youth Music Monterey County. Project Name To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data. Read More Project Name To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data. Read More Browse More Ways to Give Angel $500 annual donation you'll receive Handcrafted Angel Network pins Listing in concert programs Two Dress Circle Tickets to Sunset Center orchestral performances annually Invitations to after Sunset Center concert receptions Invitations to the Annual Angel Appreciation Event Archangel $1,000 annual donation you will receive Angel benefits plus Video recordings of Sunset Center concert performances upon request Archangel Bronze $2,500 annual donation you will receive Archangel benefits plus Reserved Seating at all Sunset Center concerts upon request Archangel Silver $5,000 annual donation you will receive Archangel Bronze benefits plus 10 complimentary guest tickets annually upon request Solo/Duet Student Performance if requested* Archangel Gold $10,000 annual donation you will receive Archangel Bronze benefits plus 10 complimentary guest tickets annually upon request Chamber Student Performance if requested* Thank you for your interest in the Youth Music Monterey County Angel Network! We hope you will consider becoming a part of our special family of benefactors. Your support ensures the availability of an unparalleled music education program in our community! Become an Angel Today! Browse More Ways to Give Archangel Platinum $25,000 + annual donation you will receive Archangel Gold benefits plus: Opportunity to attend a private event with Music Director, Artistic Staff, & Board *Schedule to be determined by student availability