JAVS Summer 2026

A similar pattern emerged in Young’s work with Brazilian violinist dos Santos. After meeting her through the Youth Orchestra of the Americas, Young helped arrange further study opportunities in Canada and eventually brought her to Chicago to study at North Park University. Mark Olson, then Dean of Enrollment at North Park, recalled being impressed by Young’s vision, discipline, and high standards. Equally important was Young’s insistence that students use their opportunities in service to others. Dos Santos embraced that philosophy through the creation of the YOURS Project, the first Sistema-inspired program in America. Young supported the initiative by helping secure instruments, connecting community partners, and organizing fundraising efforts. Reflecting on the experience, dos Santos noted that Young’s emphasis on generosity aligned closely with her own convictions: success carries with it a responsibility to help others. His influence extended equally to advanced chamber musicians. At Northern Illinois University and various festivals, the Vermeer Quartet coached many of the world’s most successful young ensembles, including the Shanghai, Arianna, Miró, Avalon, and Atrium Quartets. Members of these groups frequently recalled that Young’s lessons extended beyond technical and interpretive concerns. As Atrium Quartet violinist Anton Ilyunin observed, “Richard helped us so much; he taught us how to be excellent. He talked not just about music but about life.” By the final years of the Vermeer Quartet, Young’s reputation rested not only on his accomplishments as a performer but also on his growing influence as a mentor. For him, the goals of teaching were never limited to producing better musicians. The larger aim was to cultivate disciplined, thoughtful, and generous individuals who would in turn invest in others. Brazil and the Evolution of a Philosophy Young first visited Brazil with the Vermeer Quartet in 2000. What began as a performing engagement soon developed into a deeper connection with the country’s musical culture and educational initiatives. Five years later, an opportunity to continue his work with young, talented students arose when he was invited to teach and perform at a festival in Curitiba, in southern Brazil.

Young immediately connected with the mission of the program, agreeing to help expand opportunities for talented young musicians who lacked financial resources. Teaching in Brazil exposed him to students whose enthusiasm and determination left a lasting impression: “The kids were hungry for any crumb we could give them,” he said. The following year Young was invited to teach violin, viola, and chamber music at another festival in Brazil, FEMUSC, which stands for Festival de Música de Santa Catarina, in Jaraguá do Sul. According to fellow FEMUSC faculty member Charles Stegeman, Young’s commitment to these students was extraordinary. “He spent far more time with the kids than expected. Sometimes he didn’t even stop for dinner—teaching, coaching, even writing letters on their behalf. Richard was a tireless ombudsman and advocate for dozens of kids who are talented but don’t have the resources.” It was there that Young faced a challenge that would significantly influence his pedagogical thinking. Throughout Latin America, young people are highly motivated to play string quartets. Nevertheless they have few chances to study quartet playing with world-class experts. Serious quartet study requires an immense amount of time to address the hundreds of details. Moreover, traditional quartet teaching is highly inefficient, since one teacher can coach only four players at a time. without sacrificing the essential details. He named it “Projeto Serioso” (Serioso Project) since the first work he chose was Beethoven’s “Serioso” quartet, op. 95. Later works included quartets by Tchaikovsky, Bartók, Debussy, Janáček, Haydn, Britten, Ginastera, Brahms, Ravel, Shostakovich, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Bruch, Schumann, Hindemith, Dvořák, and Webern. Young’s response was to develop an approach that involved teaching four quartets together, in a class setting,

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 42, Summer 2026 Online Issue

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