From CoPA to Pacific Symphony: How a Music Alum Turned Her Chapman Education Into a Career Cellist and music librarian Kelly Picton brings her passion for her craft together with the skills she developed at CoPA in her work with Orange County’s leading orchestra.

Kelly Picton ’25

We had the chance to speak with 2025 CoPA alum Kelly Picton (B.M. Cello Performance, Film Music minor), who currently spends her time working for Pacific Symphony in addition to her work as a freelance musician. She shared with us how her experience at Chapman shaped and contributed to the development of her career in the arts.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Background & Inspiration

CoPA: Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Kelly Picton: I graduated from Chapman in 2025 with a B.M. Cello Performance and a minor in Film Music.

I currently work as an Assistant Librarian for Pacific Symphony. I also prepare recording studio music for OnStaff Music Services, plus freelance as a teacher, cellist, and ensemble administrative assistant.

What inspired you to pursue performance as a career?

I’ve always loved music. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything unrelated to music in my career.

Kelly playing in a chamber group at Chapman

What stood out about Chapman that made you feel this was the right place for you to grow academically and artistically?

I initially picked Chapman because of its prestigious film school, as I’ve loved film music since I was a kid, and wanted to be close to film and Hollywood. While at Chapman, however, my eyes were opened to the rest of the music industry and I realized how much I valued the collaborative and encouraging environment Chapman had to offer. The Chapman community is a family. I felt very supported as a growing musician and am eternally grateful for the opportunities and lifelong friends I found through Chapman.

Chapman Experience

In what ways did Chapman prepare you not just as a musician, but as a professional navigating a career in the arts?

One of Kelly’s first gigs as a session librarian for a student session at Hollywood Scoring

I’ve learned a lot from the Chapman faculty, especially the film music professors Dave Volpe and Nolan Markey. Their current industry knowledge and support helped me build skills and connections that were essential in navigating my career and obtaining the Pacific Symphony position. Chapman also has a very supportive community, one that emphasizes collaboration over competition. It was valuable to grow alongside other students, knowing that my classmates would become my professional peers and friends.

What do you think Chapman uniquely offered you that helped you bridge the gap between student and professional opportunities like this one with Pacific Symphony?

Working as the Head Librarian for The Chapman Orchestra for three years directly prepared me for my new position at Pacific Symphony. Librarianship as a career wouldn’t have even been on my radar without that experience, as I learned how much I enjoyed music preparation in addition to performance. The connections and skills I gained through the film music program also uniquely helped me bridge the gap between student and professional opportunities. During my film music studies, I began working in music preparation for recording studios. This helped me become skillful at working well under pressure and time management. The combination of my experience in film music preparation with my work as the librarian for The Chapman Orchestra explicitly influenced my acceptance as Assistant Librarian at Pacific Symphony.

A session at Warner Bros Studio where Kelly was an assistant session librarian

What performance, class, or experience at Chapman has been the most valuable to your professional pursuits thus far? In what way(s)?

The film music program as a whole has definitely been the most influential in my professional development. The faculty’s expertise in the industry and support exponentially helped me navigate a career in the arts. One thing that’s unique about Chapman is the professors’ current experience in the industry. Some of my best professors have been those who teach part-time. The industry changes rapidly, so having teachers with current professional experience is even more vital.

What skills developed at Chapman have proven most essential in your professional life?

Due to Chapman’s supportive environment, I learned more about how to collaborate with my classmates who have different expertises than my own. Collaboration is an essential aspect of the music community. Looking back on my time at Chapman, making close friendships opened the door to more opportunities outside of the curriculum, whether it be gigs for cello or finding film music preparation. I’ve also received and given work opportunities by connecting with alumni.

Pacific Symphony

How did you land your role as assistant librarian at Pacific Symphony? What was the application process like?

Part of the handwritten manuscript Kelly had to submit for the application

I learned the position was open because the director of The Chapman Orchestra, Dr. Danko Druško, reached out to me and encouraged me to apply. I visited Pacific Symphony’s library a few years ago while I was trying to improve my own library at Chapman, so I was already familiar with their library and the principal librarian. Chapman also has a close relationship with Pacific Symphony, with so many orchestra members as our music faculty and frequent visits from Maestro Carl St. Clair for masterclasses. All of these factors, combined with my experience in symphonic and film music preparation, made me feel comfortable applying. The application process took about three months, starting with submitting a cover letter and resume, then proving my skills in handwritten and digital engraving, multiple rounds of interviews, and taking a librarianship exam. Following the final round, I received a call from the principal librarian a few days later with a job offer. After accepting, I started the job almost immediately. There was a lot of work to be done due to the busy holiday season. Anything you don’t already know, you learn quickly on the job. That’s really the point of the librarianship exam and other skill-based portions of the audition—to prove you have the skills to be qualified for the position.

The library where Kelly does most of her work, located in Segerstrom Concert Hall

We’d love to learn more about what you actually do day-to-day! Walk us through a typical week as a music librarian.

As my work is dependent on upcoming performances, there really is no typical week, and with the frequency of performances, we’re often preparing multiple concert cycles at once. Generally, we start by ordering and receiving music from a publisher or pulling a piece we already own from the shelves. Then we clean the scores and make any necessary marks, like bowings, cuts, or fixing errata. Next, we organize the folders and distribute them to the orchestra. Other duties include attending all the concerts and rehearsals, making emergency changes or fixes, managing the conductors’ scores, organizing, archiving, and cataloguing music. At the end of the day, our job is to prepare the sheet music in the cleanest, most playable format for the orchestra to achieve musical excellence.

What has been the most rewarding/meaningful part of working in arts management/admin so far?

Librarians are the quiet backbone of the orchestra. Oftentimes, it is thankless work, as the mark of a job done well is to be unnoticed, yet symphonies need librarians in order to function. Being a performer myself, I take pride in helping orchestras achieve musical excellence from behind the curtain. It is always rewarding to hear the orchestra perform beautifully and to know that I helped in a small way. 

The symphony inside Segerstrom Concert Hall

Advice

What advice would you give to prospective students who want to pursue music at Chapman?

One of Kelly’s gigs in a recording studio

As rewarding as pursuing music can be, music school can also be a lot, so please make sure to take care of yourself. Take the time to sleep, eat, rest, and see the sun outside the practice room. Time management is essential. Take breaks. Don’t feel afraid to reach out and connect with your peers and faculty. Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate! Attend as many concerts as you can! When times get hard, remember why you love music, and nurture your creativity. You got this!

To learn more about Chapman’s B.M. Cello Performance program which Kelly graduated from, visit our website.