W
hen Roger Tabler founded the
Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic
Orchestra (PYPO) in 1993, he
envisioned a program that would create
leaders as well as musicians. With over
two decades of experience in all facets of
music education and as a master pianist and
composer, Tabler has created a program
that challenges young musicians but focuses
on their development as individuals. His
experience as a music educator in the Mt.
Lebanon School District has given him a
unique perspective on how to reach young
people through music.
“Nothing else is so central to our humanity,”
explains Tabler. “It combines discipline, selfdiscipline, art and collaboration.”
Indeed it is a connection that transcends
language. The PYPO has performed on four
European tours to date, many times playing
for audiences who did not speak a word
of English — in Austria, Czechoslovakia,
Hungary, France, Italy and Germany. But despite the language
difference, the music students and audience connected immediately.
“Many times the students were given standing ovations,” says
Tabler. “They understood and appreciated the music.”
Carol Slopek, Executive Director of the PYPO, agrees and feels that
playing with the PYPO offers great opportunities for intercultural
experiences.
Before becoming executive director, Slopek was first the parent of a
musician in the PYPO. A musician herself, having played the trumpet
and piano, her son, Travis Slopek, studied the violin while in school.
“When he wanted to play in school, there wasn’t any orchestra
available, only the band,” says Slopek. She soon found the PYPO
and her son performed with the orchestra
throughout his school years, playing first the
violin and later the bass.
Slopek and her husband believed in the
program so much that she later became a
board member and was eventually asked to
serve as executive director when the position
became available.
The education at PYPO is based more upon
skill level than age and progresses at a rate
that is comfortable for the musician. Tabler
says that the education students receive at
PYPO complements the music education
they receive in school, and is in many ways
reciprocal.
The school has woodwind, brass, string
and percussion groups, which play at the
various skill levels of students. It has added
a beginning string group, called “Overture
Strings,” for the youngest players in 4th to
8th grades. The school once had only about
50 members, but has grown over the years to
include 200 students.
Tuition is required to participate. Even in a nonprofit organization,
there are the ongoing expenses of instructors, building maintenance
and concert venues where the group can perform. Slopek notes that
there are scholarships available, however, for those families that may
have challenges in meeting tuition expenses — and the goal is for all
kids who