ARTISTIC FACULTY

Our Teaching Philosophy

The SCVYO family of ensembles strives to provide the highest quality music education in the greater Los Angeles area.  We do this by providing the finest staff, with a combined teaching experience of more than 100 years and six graduate level degrees. 

This set of ensembles takes the beginning players through advanced musicians, laying a solid foundation of correct instrumental technique, rehearsal etiquette, and practice skills.  Students graduate from the program knowing how to prepare music to the highest level. 

We do this by firmly but reasonably demanding a commitment to a very high level of performance.  This means that the ensembles become a part of your life.  You will meet like-minded, musical and intellectual friends that you will have for life.

The SCVYO attracts the best and brightest students from the area, and virtually all of them graduate to prestigious 4-year universities.  These include Juilliard, New England Conservatory, Harvard, Northwestern, Yale, Stanford, UC Berkeley, USC, and UCLA, among others.  Being an orchestral musician teaches commitment, higher brain function, critical thinking, interpersonal skills and provides a love of the arts for life.  This is not an easy path, but it will be one of the most rewarding commitments a young musician will ever make. 

CURRENT ARTISTIC FACULTY

A “versatile violinist” (LA Times) - Los Angeles-based violinist Rachel Iba has established a diverse career as a musician, composer, conductor and educator, working within a broad range of musical traditions spanning the classical, contemporary, jazz, folk and cross-cultural repertoire.

Rachel can be heard on numerous film scores and studio recordings, has been featured on NPR with world-folk band Primero Sueño, and performs with a wide range of ensembles in Southern California including Wild Up, Synchromy New Music Collective, Vitamin String Quartet, and is the concertmaster of the award-winning Bridge to Everywhere ensemble. She is also an accomplished baroque violinist, and has played with Jeannette Sorrell and members of Apollo’s Fire.

As an educator, Rachel is the Artistic Director of the Santa Clarita Valley Youth Orchestra. She has lectured extensively in music history and has appeared as an instructor and guest lecturer with organizations including California Institute of the Arts, Mount St. Mary's University, Ventura College, Longy School of Music, and is on the faculty of the Walden School, and Kinhaven Music School. She is also a regular pre-concert lecturer for the LA Philharmonic and her lectures can be heard on the Upbeat Live podcast.

She holds degrees from California Institute of the Arts and Oberlin Conservatory, where she was awarded the Marilyn McDonald Scholarship and the Louis and Annette Kaufman violin prize.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Mark Gutierrez has performed for over ten years as a bassist in Salsa, Cumbia, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Orchestral music ensembles. He currently performs with Bridge to Everywhere and Still Motion. Mark has also produced and released music as Sikan and Sadboy Froggy.

In addition to conducting with the Santa Clarita Valley Youth Orchestra, Mark teaches music at several middle schools as part of programs sponsored by the American Youth Symphony and the Young Musicians Foundation.