Since 1988, the National Orchestral Institute + Festival  at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center has brought the country’s top young performers together for a month of intensive study and world-class performances. In 2018 they received a Grammy nomination for Best Orchestral Performance, and in 2020 they announced trailblazing conductor Marin Alsop as their first-ever Music Director. For the past seven years, the program has been overseen by it’s director Richard Scerbo — a resident of Mount Rainier. He joins us to talk about the festival and institute, discuss upcoming performances, and answer questions.