June at TAPS

June at TAPS is always such an exciting time! The 2025 TAPS LA Music Festival is our busiest time of the year, filled with incredible experiences for our fellows. This year, we were able to provide our fellows with experiences of service and artistry with our collaborations with the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA) and VEFA Gallery in Torrance, California. 

TAPS fellows spent the first week of the festival with an orchestral focus as they gained knowledge in masterclasses from Artistic Director Ted Atkatz, Joe Pereira and Matt Howard of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and George Nickson of the Dallas Symphony. Our fellows participated in a mock audition, and through the support of our incredible sponsors, they won various prizes from cymbals to tambourines!

The second week of our festival focused heavily on chamber playing with masterclasses from Jose Uzcategui and Tereza Stanislav, and GRAMMY-nominated Composer-in-Residence Andy Akiho joining us and rehearsing his pieces with our fellows. Andy and the fellows took a program to YOLA, where they played for students at the YOLA camp in Idyllwild, California. This beautiful setting was followed by another incredible performance experience at VEFA Gallery on June 29th. The festival finale, AKIHO [un]framed, was a breathtaking experience for our fellows and the audience. 

We are so grateful for the supporters of TAPS! Without their support, we would not be able to provide life changing experiences for young musicians. TAPS Online is streaming all of the festival masterclasses, so take a look at those if you are interested! Stay tuned for more from TAPS!