Mission and Organization Profile
Mission Statement
Project Prelude’s mission is to expand accessibility to instrumental music education while enriching the community through the transformative power of the arts.
Organization Profile
Over the past eight years, Project Prelude has emerged as one of the premier youth-led organizations of its kind in the nation. Founded in 2016 to bring cost-free instrumental music education to underserved elementary schools, the organization has since expanded to offer a dynamic range of community initiatives. With programs diversifying the outreach of classical music while connecting individuals of all backgrounds, Project Prelude is shaping an equitable future for the arts.
At the core of the Project Prelude’s artistic regions is an innovative, cost-free training program that engages high school musicians to provide weekly group instruction to youth from underserved populations. A robust loaning program provides high-quality instruments and materials to students, who enjoy an integrated curriculum that balances performance studies with music theory and citizen artistry.
The organization's commitment to artistic enrichment is amplified by its dynamic community programs. In partnership with the Back to BACH Project, the Coda Fellowship nurtures the growth of young students through weekly private coaching sessions with professionally-trained mentors. The Crescendo Masterclasses—jointly operated with the Monday Musical Club of Portland—engage distinguished artists to coach the next generation of musicians, while sharing their knowledge with the community.
Each season, the organization’s Community Concerts regularly present acclaimed artists and young musicians in vibrant programs of classical music. Centered around integrating the community into classical concerts, the series has attracted a roster of artists that includes Kenji Bunch, Maggie Carter, Raúl Gómez-Rojas, and Valdine Mishkin, among others.
Members of Project Prelude enjoy a broad range of activities outside the organization, and have gone on to successful careers in a rich variety of pursuits. As performers, they have enjoyed a global presence across three continents, and have been invited to appear alongside distinguished ensembles such as The Cleveland Orchestra and Oregon Symphony. They have consistently been accepted for study at some of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the world, including Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Columbia University, Cornell University, and Vanderbilt University.
With a rich legacy that has impacted hundreds of students over the years, the organization has been honored with the National Youth Leadership Council’s Service-Learning Excellence Award, a WE Award from the Beaverton School District, and grants from Disney and Youth Service America. Past leadership includes Catherine Hartrim-Lowe, Nate Strothkamp, Kira Wang, Amy Wang, Kaylee Jeong, Isabelle Zheng (co-founder), and Cammie Lee (co-founder). The Metropolitan Youth Symphony is the fiscal sponsor of Project Prelude.
Member Profile
The activities of Project Prelude’s members—both during and beyond their time with the organization—are far-reaching and diverse.
A Global Presence
As performers, members have collectively toured three continents, and have concertized extensively at major music capitals of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
On Stage
Members have been invited to share the stage with distinguished ensembles such as The Cleveland Orchestra and Oregon Symphony, and have performed at venues including Carnegie Hall in New York, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
A Standard of Excellence
Members have received world-class training from musicians of the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Boston Symphony Orchestra, and have been engaged as fellows of the National Symphony Orchestra.
A Legacy of Achievement
Members have gone on to successful careers in a rich variety of fields, and have consistently earned acceptances to some of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the world, including Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Columbia University, Cornell University, and Vanderbilt University.