Portland Youth Philharmonic and Joy’s Uptown Style Host Benefit Fashion Show

Portland, October 17th, 2013. The Portland Youth Philharmonic and Joy’s Uptown Style presented a Fall Fashion Show, “Beauty of Music,” at the Multnomah Athletic Club. The event raised over $15,000 for the Victor Frederick Walton Memorial Scholarship Fund, which honors Victor Walton, a former elementary school music teacher at Kinnaman Elementary in Aloha, OR and former bassoonist with PYP. Pictured are: his mother, Arleen Walton, Debora Walton (Victor’s widow), Joshua Michael John (former student of Victor’s), Jan Ahrens John (Past President of the PYP Board of Directors and Chairperson for the PYP Fall Fashion and Donald Walton. (photo credit, Brenda Hummelt)

Mr. Walton passed away in May 2011 from A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Guests were treated to music by Samuel Zacharia, a young violist with PYP who has already earned high praise from world renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman; as well as Joshua Michael John, a PYP bassoon alumnus who studied with Victor Walton.

Mr John is now completing his master’s degree in music and “playing it forward” as he continues to teach and mentor using many of the same techniques Victor impressed upon him. The highlight of the evening was a fashion show produced by Joy Walker of Joy’s Uptown Style featuring nine models: Gail Armstrong, Shannon Day, Grace Holland, Jennifer Lamb, Linda Leblond, Najela Scott, Ren`e Steelman and Christine Wooley. Contributions to the Victor Frederick Walton Memorial Scholarship Fund can still be made by contacting the Portland Youth Philharmonic office at 503.223.5939.  

PYP Board Past President Jan John said, “There is no question that Victor would be thrilled to know that a scholarship program has been created in his name that will allow other students the opportunity to play in PYP by providing financial aid or funding private lessons from qualified music teachers.”