Our Team
Rem Djemilev
Music Director and Conductor
We are particularly lucky to have as our music director and conductor Rem Djemilev, who is well known in the Bay Area for his superior musicianship and wonderful, positive work with young musicians.
Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in the former USSR, Rem Djemilev began his musical studies at age five and by the age of seven had won first prize in the All-Republican violin competition. Rem went on to study violin at the Moscow Conservatory under the great virtuoso Leonid Kogan and viola under Feodor Druzhinin.
In 1988 he toured the United States as a member of the American-Soviet Youth Orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta and Dmitri Kataenko. After graduating from the Moscow Conservatory, Rem moved to the United States. He has toured extensively throughout Europe and the US with the Arlekin String Quartet.
Along with teaching private violin and viola lessons, Rem teaches at the Crowden School in Berkeley and the Marin Academy in San Rafael. He conducts the Young Performers’ String Orchestra and the Diablo Regional Youth Orchestra in Walnut Creek, and plays in many chamber groups and orchestras in the Bay Area.
Ben Spilman
Assistant Conductor
Ben Spilman has been with YPCO since 1983, when he brought his seven-year-old daughter, Leah, to her first rehearsal. He offered to help conductor Ellen Mindel tune the students’ instruments and stayed on to become an enduring and dearly loved mainstay of the organization.
Ben began playing violin when he was seven, studying first under his father and then with other teachers in the Chicago area. His most influential teacher was here in Berkeley: Vincent DiBianca, a former member of the San Francisco Symphony. Ben has played with a number of local orchestras over the years, including the Berkeley Opera and Berkeley and Vallejo symphonies.
Ben started teaching in 1986 at Ecole Bilingue, the French/English school in Berkeley. Since then, in addition to private students, he has coached string ensembles and sectionals at Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and Le Conte Schools, Berkeley Hight School, East Bay Suzuki Association group classes, Berkeley Youth Orchestra, Oakland Youth Orchestra, and, of course, YPCO. A man of many talents, Ben also makes fine violins and violas!
Emma Eyestone
Orchestra Manager
Emma Eyestone began playing violin at the age of five. She recently graduated from UC Davis where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelors in Music in Violin Performance.
At Davis, she studied violin under Jolán Friedhoff and was the principal violist of the UC Davis Symphony. Emma has performed a wide range of repertoire spanning classical, contemporary, and experimental genres. She has performed in many ensembles across California, including YPCO!
Beyond YPCO, Emma serves as the alumni coordinator for The Crowden School, where she also works as a summer camp counselor.
Rob Shafer
Cello Coach
Rob has many years of experience teaching cello lessons and string ensembles classes. He also composes, arranges and publishes music for teaching groups with diverse skill levels. Rob offers an instrument rental service as well.
The Board
Bill Card
Board President
Bio Coming Soon!
Adrienne Philpart
Treasurer
Bio Coming Soon!
Shiras Corella
Secretary and Minute Taker
Bio Coming Soon!
Dave Dold
Board Member
Bio Coming Soon!
Flannery Bateman
Board Member
Bio Coming Soon!
Pyaru Tsundue
Board Member
My name is Pyaru, and I am a parent of a nine-year-old violinist who has been involved with YPCO since 2024. Our family greatly values YPCO for its welcoming, supportive, and peaceful environment, which makes participation in the orchestra both accessible and deeply enjoyable for young musicians.
The artistic leadership at YPCO is exceptional. Rem is an outstanding organizer whose engaging and effective approach helps students learn and perform with confidence. Ben brings remarkable talent and care in supporting and balancing the orchestra, and Rob is a gentle, expressive cellist whose musicianship enriches the ensemble. Together, they form a highly experienced and dedicated team.
As a parent, I greatly enjoy listening to YPCO’s performances, and my son is happy to be part of the orchestra. His violin skills have improved significantly through his time with YPCO. But most importantly, YPCO is a truly lovely orchestra that fosters both musical growth and joy.
Rehearsal Location: 2727 College Ave Berkeley, CA 94705