YUGO IKACH: WASHINGTON’S MUSIC MAN

 

In the 1957 Broadway musical, The Music Man, a grifter masquerades as a boys’ band organizer to sell musical instruments and uniforms to naïve Midwestern townsfolk. Before “Harold” can skip town with the money, he falls in love with “Marian” and risks getting caught to stay and train the local boys. At the end of the production, they are able to play a barely recognizable “Minuet in G.” As the curtain comes down, the music-hungry locals cheer the performance and the romance prevails.

For the past several decades, Washington County has celebrated the work of its own over-the-moon music man, Yugo Ikach. Like the original, he has brought the joy of music to thousands of local residents. Unlike Broadway’s music men (originally, Robert Preston and recently, Hugh Jackman) Ikach has performed his magic across several different local venues.

At California University of Pennsylvania (now PennWest), Ikach began his career in 2003 as Adjunct Professor of Music. He is now Associate Dean of Education, Arts, and Humanities. At PennWest he has served as an Assistant Music Professor, Director of University Choirs, and on multiple department, and university-wide committees.

Ikach was the Music Director at Immaculate Conception Church in Washington from 1992 to 2021. He has served on the WQED Multimedia Advisory Board. Early in his career, he worked in numerous roles with the McKeesport Symphony Orchestra, at Wheeling Jesuit University, Community College of Allegheny County, and West Virginia University.

Many local residents first became aware of Ikach’s vast talents when he assumed the position of Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Washington Symphony Orchestra (WSO) in 2005.  A small but loyal group of patrons were then attending the four yearly performances. Now, the WSO plays to sold-out audiences at its latest home in Olin Fine Arts Center at Washington and Jefferson College.

We have been supporters since Ikach assumed his responsibilities. It has been fascinating to watch the WSO capture the heart of Washington County. Ikach knows his patrons well and seeks to deliver entertainment with fireworks. There is never simply two hours of classical music that may not be familiar to many in the audience.

Ikach has developed a formula that begins with a theme for the overall concert. He then introduces those in attendance to several classical pieces that follow the theme, interspersed with lighter fare. Every concert contains at least one composition that brings the audience to their feet because it is both unique, and unexpected. It might be forty-five ukulele players marching down the aisles, or a fiddler who played with Charlie Daniels giving us an electrified version of the Daniels’ theme song, or Ikach’s two daughters belting out the most recognizable hits from the female rock group, Heart.

With classical music, Ikach always explains the history of the piece and why he chose the composition. In the beginning, this felt a bit condescending. But times have changed when it comes to classical music. Now, when we attend the Pittsburgh Symphony, conductor Manfred Honeck often does exactly the same thing (with his heavy Austrian accent) to help his younger audience gain an appreciation for each work.

Ikach’s interests and knowledge encompass multiple musical genres, from Broadway, to jazz, to rock, and of course classical. More importantly, he knows accomplished musicians across all musical platforms who are always eager to show up at one of the concerts and lend a hand. Ikach has learned that the more local performers he enlists, the better the box-office. After all, a parent will purchase a ticket every night to see their child perform in a choir or as part of the orchestra.

The orchestra’s holiday performance, “HO-HO-HO with the WSO,” has become a tradition as important to Washington County as the Nutcracker in Pittsburgh. An extra presentation has been added and many additional tickets could be sold. Each year, Ikach comes up with new holiday music to accompany the traditional favorites.

My favorite Ikach/WSO story occurred on a night in November 2012 when they performed, on short notice, for a national television audience on Monday Night Football (MNF). The Pittsburgh Symphony was unavailable so the WSO rose to the occasion, to play the opening theme song for MNF before the Steelers took the field. For hours, the orchestra sat under hot lights, in gowns and tuxedos, until dozens of takes were completed. The footage is still available on www.youtube.com.

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to discuss music with our conductor. His knowledge and love for all things musical is astonishing. On one occasion, I asked for his opinion of the Leonard Bernstein movie Maestro, starring Bradley Cooper. Ikach proceeded to give me a mini dissertation on Bernstein and how important his work was to American music. I had to go back and watch the movie again.

When I asked Ikach how difficult it was to keep a volunteer orchestra together, he noted that, “the strings are often on a different political footing than the brass section.” He explained that it works for the orchestra and for the audience because, “music is a safe space. We are all united for a common cause. It crosses all boundaries and celebrates our shared humanity.”

We should all be grateful for Washington’s own music man and look forward to the unique performances that are sure to inspire us for years to come.