A Visit from the Stage
Violinist Denise Dillenbeck Inspires YAMA Students
What does it look like when a professional soloist steps into a room full of young musicians? For students in YAMA's Chamber, Combo, and Philharmonia ensembles, they got to find out firsthand when violinist Denise Dillenbeck paid a visit to our program on February 18.
A Performance to Remember
Dillenbeck opened her visit with a performance of Vaughn Williams' The Lark Ascending, one of the most beloved pieces in the violin repertoire. The room was still. Three ensembles of students sat completely rapt as the music unfolded. The Lark Ascending is a piece that seems to defy gravity, its long soaring lines imitating the flight of a bird, and watching a skilled artist bring it to life in an intimate setting is something no recording can replicate. For our students, it was a rare and powerful reminder of where dedication to their instrument can lead.
Student-Led Q&A
After the performance, Dillenbeck participated in a Q&A moderated by two Philharmonia students, Harper and Citlali. Taking on the role of interviewers, the two asked questions that drew out candid, thoughtful responses about Dillenbeck's path as a musician — the challenges, the discipline, and the joy that has kept her performing at the highest level.
Working With Chamber Orchestra
Dillenbeck then rolled up her sleeves and got to work with the Chamber Orchestra on an arrangement of Aragonaise from the Carmen Suites, one of the pieces they are preparing for the spring showcase. Coaching from a professional soloist brings a different energy into the rehearsal room — she was able to offer insights rooted in real performance experience — especially as she would be performing the unabridged piece that weekend with the Yakima Symphony Orchestra. The Chamber students left rehearsal feeling reinvigorated and excited about working on the piece.
A Violin Workshop for Philharmonia and Combo
Dillenbeck also spent time with the Combo and Philharmonia violin sections for a more in-depth, instrument-specific session. Students had the chance to ask questions tailored to their experience as string players before Dillenbeck led a hands-on workshop focused on the early stages of developing vibrato. Vibrato is one of those skills that can feel mysterious to young players — it takes patience, body awareness, and consistent practice to develop.
From the Garfield Gym to the Concert Hall
The visit didn't end with the school day. That Saturday, Chamber students attended the symphony as a field trip — and got to watch Dillenbeck perform as a featured soloist, accompanied by the Yakima Symphony Orchestra on Nancy Ives’ violin concert Immortal Beloved. The evening had a relaxed, celebratory feel from the start. Students gathered for tacos and had the chance to meet some of the musicians they would soon be watching on stage, putting faces and conversations to names before the lights went down. Then they walked together to the Capitol Theatre and took their seats in the very first row!
Seeing someone perform in a concert hall whom you had worked with just days before changes the experience entirely. The students weren't just watching a performance — they were watching someone they knew, whose practice habits and musical philosophy they had heard described firsthand. That kind of connection turns a night at the symphony from a passive experience into something personal.
The second half of the performance was the full orchestra version of both Carmen Suites. Chamber students are not only playing the Aragonaise movement, but also the Habañera. When the orchestra performed these movements, their ears perked up, and they got to see how their rehearsals fit into the larger, orchestral canon.
The Bigger Picture
Visits like Denise Dillenbeck's are at the heart of what YAMA is about. Technical skill matters, and our dedicated students work hard to develop it, showing up several days a week, after a long day at school. But we believe that the experience of music is ultimately about human connection — the connection between musicians, between a performer and an audience, and between a young player and the vision of who they might one day become. Denise Dillenbeck gave our students a glimpse of that vision, and we are deeply grateful for her generosity with her time and artistry.
