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BYSO's E-Newsletter: March 2017
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All 494 BYSO students gather in Symphony Hall
for BYSO on Parade!
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On March 12, 2017, all 494 BYSO students played to a sold out Symphony Hall filled with an enthusiastic audience of families, peers and friends from the greater Boston community. It was a truly wonderful performance by all ensembles and a successful day from start to finish. BYSO is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of every one of our students and staff!
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The afternoon began throughout the hallways of the building, as various BYSO students engaged with concert attendees, sharing their stories of how they came to play their instruments, and demonstrating each of the various instruments of the orchestra. BYSO's percussion ensemble led an especially lively interactive percussion jam!
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"The students really loved getting a chance to play the instruments in the percussion hands-on demo before the show. We loved the entire day. It was the first time for all of my students to attend Symphony Hall." - Leslie Heffron, MGH Revere Youth Zone
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Boston actor Christopher Tarjan joined us to host the performance and narrate Britten's A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. You may remember Chris from when he narrated for our annual performance of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf last fall.
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We asked audiences to tell us their favorite part about BYSO on Parade. Here are some of our favorite responses!
"It is very difficult to pick one favorite part of Sunday’s performance. The musicians were, across the board, not only superb in their playing but an inspiration..."
"We were so impressed by the professionalism of the students... we could feel their passion for playing."
"My son loved the songs from "Rodeo" and "Carmen" and vigorously conducted from his chair!"
"When I see all those young people and their talents and dedication, I know there is hope for our troubled world."
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Thank you to all who participated in BYSO on Parade!
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BYSO Executive Director Catherine Weiskel's 20 Years with BYSO Celebrations Continue
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BYSO on Parade was also a special way to celebrate the 20 years of our dedicated Executive Director, Catherine Weiskel. During Cathy's tenure with BYSO, she established an important partnership with the BSO, helped to establish BYSO's Preparatory Winds ensemble and Petit Ensemble, and saw the number of total auditionees and BYSO students double. What better way to show our appreciation for her leadership than with BYSO Board Members Margaret Chen and Eran Egozy congratulating Cathy from the stage and presenting her with an official citation from City Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George on behalf of the Boston City Council.
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The resolution cites the Council's "appreciation to Catherine Weiskel in recognition of your dedication to the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras for 20 years and the impact [she has] had on the lives of so many young musicians" and expressed "gratitude, congratulations, and best wishes for [her] continued success."
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BYSO Intensive Community Program announces new class of ICP Winds students
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Above ICP Winds Winter Workshop photos by Michael J. Lutch
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BYSO is proud to announce the newest class within the Intensive Community Program –
ICP Winds
.
For 18 years, the BYSO Intensive Community Program (ICP) has focused solely on string instrument training, providing string instrument lessons on violin viola, cello, and bass. In January 2017, ICP officially expanded to include several orchestral woodwind and brass instruments. Under the continued direction of ICP Artistic Director
Nicole Cariglia
, the winds expansion of ICP is led by BYSO conductor and winds specialist,
Janet Underhill
and supported by ICP Brass Assistant Renee Hagelberg and ICP Coordinator Olivia McClendon.
BYSO opened the application process for ICP Winds recruitment in December of 2016 and interviewed 53 students grades 2-6 in January at the Boston University College of Fine Arts. 19 students were then selected to join the winter 2017 Music Workshop Series. This March, ten of those children advanced into the program as the first-ever class of ICP Winds students.
As members of ICP, ICP Winds students will attend weekly lessons, ensemble class, and summer workshops. Students will have the opportunity to perform at concerts throughout the year with BYSO and to make a difference in the community through outreach concerts at area hospitals and retirement homes. Every member of ICP is provided with use of an instrument and has access to need based financial aid. ICP Winds is funded in part by generous support from the Klarman Family Foundation, the Rowland Foundation and an anonymous BYSO alumnus.
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Pictured, brass students from ICP Winds
pose for a selfie with ICP Brass Assistant, Renee Hagelberg, at their first meeting on March 19.
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Janet Underhill, Intensive Community Program Assistant Director for Winds, is also the conductor of BYSO's Preparatory Winds ensemble. Pictured, Preparatory Winds perform at BYSO on Parade on March 12.
Photo by Michael J. Lutch.
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Congratulations,
Mona Rashad!
Mona wins MA-ASTA's annual Studio Teacher of the Year award
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American String Teachers Association Massachusetts Chapter (MA-ASTA) honors a member each year with this award. Nominees are chosen and voted on by MA-ASTA members.
Mona Rashad is a conductor of BYSO's Intensive Community Program (ICP) and teaches violin and viola. One of the founding violin teachers at the Conservatory Lab Charter School in Boston, Mona has 16 years of extensive teaching experience, including holding teaching posts in the Boston, Holyoke, and Marlborough Schools, and at the Community Music Center of Boston, and the Indian Hill Music School.
Mona studied Violin Performance and Music Education at Rice University and New England Conservatory. She grew up in Houston, TX and began her violin studies as a Suzuki student in the public schools. At the age of 12, she was invited to Japan to participate in an International Suzuki Festival and play for Dr. Suzuki. As a teenager, she performed in Carnegie Hall and throughout concert halls in Europe as a member of the orchestra of the High School for Performing and Visual Arts and the Houston Youth Symphony.
Mona uses Dr. Suzuki’s child development philosophies to inspire her daily teaching. She believes that all children can be nurtured to become accomplished, creative, and poised musicians, and also develop into positive role models in their communities through their love of making music together.
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Ms. Mona conducts an Intensive Community Program Workshop. Photo by Michael J. Lutch.
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Nicole Cariglia, BYSO's Intensive Community Program Artistic Director, and Ms. Mona at the
MA-ASTA
award ceremony.
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Join us for our Seventh Annual Gala & Auction!
Tuesday, May 9, 2017, 6:30 PM
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
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Hundreds of children from throughout Greater Boston are achieving excellence through classical music at BYSO. Every one of these children starts from a different place – age, socioeconomic background and culture. Their commonality is achieving artistic excellence, and in turn, they recognize and strive for it in all areas of their lives. Every pathway they take is unique and their transformation is distinctly their own.
Enjoy an evening of dinner, drinks, live and silent auctions, and of course, inspiring performances from our extraordinary young musicians as we celebrate them and support each of their unique pathways to excellence!
Reserve your table or purchase your tickets at
www.BYSOweb.org/gala. If you have questions, contact Mary Speta at 617-358-6119 or
mspeta@bu.edu. We look forward to seeing you there!
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
A Conversation with Louis Fantasia, Class of '67
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We have many fascinating BYSO alumni. Many in academic posts, engaging with great musical organizations, in powerful finance positions, and changing the world through social activism. However, very few have soared across academia, the international theater stage, the book-signing tables, the lecture halls, as well as the musical performance hall. Louis Fantasia is one such alum.
A current resident of Southern California, Louis was born and raised in Watertown, MA and was a member of the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (GBYSO, now BYSO) as a double bass player from 1965-1967. However, his first experience with BYSO was not exactly ideal; his first audition into the top orchestra was unsuccessful. But Louis says this experience was a godsend, that his ability to come to terms with failure early on has set him up for a life of perseverance, dedication, compassion, and curiosity.
Click here for the rest of our interview with Louis Fantasia
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67 BYSO Students play
in the 2017 MMEA All State Orchestra!
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Congratulations to all our students who played in the MMEA All State Orchestra this year! Double congratulations for playing in Symphony Hall two days in a row, with BYSO on Parade the very next day!
CONGRATULATIONS!
Kent Bara, Liam Barthelmy, Roger Cawdette, Lucy Chae, Rachel Chau, Eric Chen, Ben Choi, Katie Chuang, Jonan Covell, Chloe-Rose Crouch, Richard Davis, Claire Deng, Zhaoyi Ding, Lee Duan, Doevy Estimphile, Cole Fayemi, Caleb Fried, Nicholas Geromini, John Guo, Rose Hansen, Aria Harris, Brendan Ho, Marisa Ih, Lennon Isaac, Kaede Ishidate, Lily Judge, Brian Jwa, Julia Kan, Sara Kawai, David Kennan, EuJin Kim, Jonathan Kronheimer, Arielle Lee, Hannah Lee, Samuel lee, Emilia Lew, Matthew Li, Steve li, Ryan Maloney, Elizabeth McCormack, Matthew Murphy, Anders Narita, Mai Nguyen, Mitchell Parus, Lienna Peng, Calvin Perkins, Grace Pu, Natalie Ramesh, Nathan Ramesh, Caroline Saksena, Anna Schmidt, Lucia Shao, Ina Suresh, Michelle Tang, Logan Thornton, Alex Tung, Trey Ursillo, Leigh Wilson, Jessica Wong, Amy Wu, Katherine Yang, Mariel Yuan, Sun-Jung Yum, Alex Zhang, Katie Zhang, Mathew Zhou, Jeffrey Zhu
The Massachusetts Music Education Association (MMEA) is a federated state unit of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). MMEA supports comprehensive, quality music education for all students through advocacy, professional development for teachers, opportunities for student performance in District and All-State Festivals, and grants awarded to students.
Students audition for acceptance in junior or senior festivals organized by each of the five MMEA districts. Based on their audition scores, a percentage of students are invited to audition in January for the All-State Festival. Approximately 1,000 students audition annually, and about half are accepted to participate in the All-State Festival.
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ARTS MATTER DAY 2017
On Tuesday,
March 28, BYSO partnered with MASSCreative and hundreds of other individuals and organizations for Arts Matter Advocacy Day, to show our state political leaders that arts matter in Massachusetts.
Beginning at the Paramount Center in downtown Boston, Arts Matter Advocacy Day brought together the statewide creative community for a half-day event, featuring speakers, performers, connecting with colleagues, and an 'Arts Matter March' to the State House to meet with legislators.
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Arts Matter Day 2015
Photo by Michael J. Lutch
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UPCOMING
Petit Ensemble
Boston Children's Museum
Free with $1 Target Friday admission
Flute and Chamber Master Class
with Cynthia Meyers
Boston University College of Fine Arts
Saturday, April 29, 2017 at 12noon
pre-concert activities from 10:30-11:30am
Young People's String Orchestra
Marta Zurad, Conductor
Matt Roberts, Magician
part of the BSO Family Concert Series
BYSO/BSO: Partnering for the Future
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Cynthia Meyers, Boston Symphony Orchestra piccolo player, joining us on April 23rd as part of our free Master Class series.
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Petit Ensemble at Boston Children's Museum in 2015. Photo by Michael J Lutch
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Young People's String Orchestra playing for the BSO Youth and Family concert series with Matt the Magician in Symphony Hall.
Photo by Michael J. Lutch.
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ADVERTISE IN BYSO PROGRAM BOOKS
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With the purchase of an ad in our program books, you will advertise to an audience of exemplary young musicians, their families, and classical music lovers. This audience attends and participates in an array of cultural activities, while supporting fine classical music and a program which changes young people's lives.
Click here for more details!
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PURCHASE BYSO MERCHANDISE
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Looking for special gift to give to your favorite musician? How about a BYSO tee shirt, hoodie, or tote bag? You can shop online for BYSO merchandise at cafepress.com/byso. Merchandise is also sold at select BYSO rehearsals and concerts. If you have questions, please contact Sarah at
spinells@bu.edu
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Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras
855 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215 |
617-353-3348
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