January is National Mentoring Month, and ESYO is excited to welcome twenty-five mentors to the ESYO Young Leader Program, now in its 2nd season.

ESYO Mentors are caring, service-minded volunteers who donate their time to nurture personal development and cultivate youth leadership in our young musicians. Young people matter, and adult mentors open doors, give advice, share experience, help young people navigate life's challenges, and guide them to discover their path.

Thank you to all the mentors, near and far, who are working to mentor the next generation. Our mentors represent a diverse array of occupations, associations, and experiences with ESYO. The roster includes professors, artists, musicians, teachers, engineers, and many former ESYO musicians.

• Brian Sacawa*- Senior Musician & Media Relations Director for The U.S. Army Field Band | Pikesville, MD
• Zaheer Ali*- Financial Analyst at Northeastern University | Boston, MA
• Colleen Bernstein*- Freelance Musician, Founder and Artistic Director of Strength & Sensitivity Concerts | New York, NY
• Joseph Giordano*- Freelance Muscian and Educator | New York, NY
• Joana Genova- Co-Artistic Director at Taconic Music, Asst. Professor of Violin at the University of Indianapolis | Manchester, VT
• Alessandra Shellard*- Freelance Clarinet Teacher, Band Director at Ichabod Crane Central School | Niskayuna, NY
• Natalya Scimeca*- Attorney-Advisor, Office of the Legal Advisor at the U.S. Department of State | Washington, DC
• Heather Chan* Freelance Violinist and Violist, Engineer at GE Global Research | Niskayuna, NY
• Everett McNair*- Sales Engineer at Lutron Electronics | Bethlehem, PA
• Jean Leonard- Professional Soprano, Chief of Staff at Proctors Theatre | Delmar, NY
• Rob Aronstein- Freelance Performer Audio Engineer, Band Director at Oneida Middle School | Schenectady, NY
• Dr. Edward Marschilok- Freelance Musician, Interim Dean of School of Music at SUNY Schenectady | Troy, NY
• Ellen Madison- Violin Instructor and Performer | Ridgefield, CT
• Gaelen McCormick*- Private Instructor, Arranger and Composer, Program Manager at Eastman School of Music | Rochester, NY
• Sean Jones*- Violin/Viola Instructor, Freelance Film-Scorer, Marketing Coordinator at Caramoor Center for the Arts | New York, NY
• Phillip Ducreay*- Musicologist, Teacher, Doctoral Candidate in Violin Performance at the University of Maryland | College Park, MD
• Michael Dee- Freelance Clarinet Instructor and Performer, Founding Member of Quintocracy | Round Lake, NY
• Sophie Moss*- Development Director at the Albany Symphony Orchestra | Albany, NY
• June Criscione*- Community Musician, 4th Year medical student at Yale University | New Haven, CT
• Ann-Marie Schwartz- Founder and Director of the Musicians of Ma'alwyck | Scotia, NY
• Aden Brooks*- Music Theory Professor, Freelance Artist, Doctoral Student at the Frost School of Music | Miami, FL
• Nicole Cherubini- Artist, Professor at the Rhode Island School of Design | Hudson, NY
• Kathryn Sloat*- Freelance Harpist, Harp Teacher | New York, NY
• Chris Shiley- Senior Director of Artistic Planning for the Saratoga Performing Arts Center | Saratoga Springs, NY
• Carlos Agreda- Musician, Conductor, Music Director at the Empire State Youth Orchestra | Albany, NY
  
  We are grateful for the time each mentor will spend with our musicians and cannot wait to see how both the mentor and their mentee will grow through this experience.

*Alumni member of the Empire State Youth Orchestra