February 2007 - Norwalk Youth Symphony

The
Whole
Note
February, 2007
NYS Board of Directors
Valerie C. Szeto, Chairman
Michael W. Lyons, Vice President
Marcia R. Minehan, Vice President
Robert Arvanitis, Secretary
Linda Johnston, Assistant Secretary
Brian Y. Ike, Treasurer
Eric Chiang, Assistant Treasurer
Violette Barasch
Lisa Brailoff
Jeffrey B. Chasnow
Joan Curran
Elizabeth Fath
Robert E. Fry
Jane Miller
Deborah A. Noonan
Greg Payne
Sara E. Watkins
Peter Yu
From the Chairman
What a pleasure it was to welcome the
many alumni, conductors, musicians,
and their families and friends to the
opening concert of the 2006-2007 NYS
season on November 18, 2006! That
very special concert was the highlight
of an entire weekend spent together
with our many illustrious alumni. Since
1956, the NYS has grown from a single
orchestra to four, and now sponsors a
Lessons-in-the-Schools program and
an active Chamber Music program, all
dedicated to bringing the beauty and
power of music into the lives of our
children and our communities.
We have discovered that the passing
years have brought great success to
our former conductors and graduates,
who have become professionals in every
imaginable field from biology professors
to a radio producer and show host of
NPR’s Sunday Morning Baroque, to a
sound engineer specializing in string
technology. Then there are those
who literally followed their passion for
music into the performing arts. One
alumnus became a French horn player
at the Boston Symphony Orchestra,
another a violist with the Chicago
Symphony, another the conductor of
the U.S. Army Band, Pershing’s Own,
and even the director of Juilliard’s
Chamber Music Program and Assistant
Dean of Students! Our alumni include
luminaries such as the composer and
jazz performer Chris Brubeck, and the
many beloved music teachers of our
children, to whom that concert was
dedicated.
Somehow their achievements do not
come as a surprise to us. Every year
our graduating students attend the
most prestigious colleges, universities
and institutions of higher learning
and conservatories. This year alone,
we are proud to say that ten of our
non-returning students followed their
passion and commitment to music
to such institutions as Mannes, The
Manhattan School of Music, and
Juilliard. It would appear that in some
small way, we have nurtured their
talent and love of music through their
orchestral experience.
So I want to thank you all again for
keeping a special place in your hearts
for the Norwalk Youth Symphony.
Hopefully our brief get-together that
weekend brought back fond memories
of past friendships and Saturdays filled
with the joy of making music. For
those who were unable to join us in this
celebration, please know that you were
in our minds and hearts, and I encourage
you to continue to stay connected to our
organization in the years to come.
Valerie Szeto
Ronnie Boriskin, NYS Exec. Director
Newsletter Staff
Violette Barasch, Editor
Linda Colgan of Computing Concepts,
Graphics & Layout
Richard Bonenfant, Lyons family,
& Szeto family, Photography
71 East Avenue, Suite N
Norwalk, CT 06851
Phone: 203/866-4100
Fax: 203/866-0012
email: rb@norwalkyouthsymphony.org
www.norwalkyouthsymphony.org
Diane Parrish, Valerie Szeto, and Marie-Paule deValdivia greet
guests at Alumni Weekend - Full story on page 5
Whole Note — 1 — February, 2007
Conductors Column
Tara Simoncic*
My first year as Principal Orchestra conductor was going to be
huge. Not only was the orchestra set to play at Carnegie Hall,
but we were also planning what would be the first European
tour in the history of the Norwalk Youth Symphony. That was
2001, a year that changed the world in an instant, and among
many other things made traveling difficult and unsafe. The
tour was cancelled. For several years after that, I had voiced
enthusiasm to revive the plan for a tour but it never seemed
possible. I am happy to report that the wheels are finally back
in motion. The Board of Directors is working with Ronnie
Boriskin to try to make a European tour possible for 2008.
I feel that the opportunity to perform in Europe is important
to the growth of a youth orchestra. Many youth orchestras
plan tours at least once every two years. Not only is it a chance
for the kids to bond and make memories that they will never
forget, it is also an opportunity for them to play in some of the
most musically influential and cultural cities in the world. They
will be able to visit coffee houses in Vienna where Schubert
would sit for hours discussing music, literature and politics.
They will see where the first production of the Marriage of
Figaro was performed in Prague, visit Franz Liszt’s apartment
in Budapest and listen to Beethoven’s 5th Symphony in the
Richard Brooks
I was watching David Letterman’s
show on the television late one night
when he had Snoop Dogg on as a
guest. Snoop Dogg was talking about
a football league he was sponsoring for
young people to encourage them to
channel their energies in a constructive
direction. He mentioned “Snoop’s
‘Three D’s’.” He defined them as
Dedication, Discipline, and Desire.
That got me to thinking. Was there a
combination like that for students of music? Snoop’s three D’s
would certainly all be positive assets in the field of music, but
it seemed to me that something was missing in the translation
from football to music. I pondered it for a while and finally came
up with another consonant of the alphabet that I believe best
expresses the essential elements of succeeding in music. These
are my three T’s for music: Talent, Training, and Time.
apartment where it was actually written.
They will stroll down the same streets,
eat the same food and experience the
same atmosphere as Mozart, Brahms,
Bartók, Dvorák, Mahler, Strauss, Haydn
and many others. They will be able to
perform in some of the best concert
venues throughout Europe and to
European audiences.
I hope that 2008 will be the year in which we finally fulfill the
dream of performing in Carnegie Hall and planning a tour
through Europe in the same year. I would like to sincerely
thank everyone who has been working to try to make this
dream come to fruition.
I would also like to take this opportunity to tell Richard
Brooks, Todd Doan, Paul Tooker and Andy Blanco how much
I appreciate working with them. It is not often that one is
lucky enough to find oneself working with so many great
musicians who are also amazing teachers and wonderful people.
Tara Simoncic
*Tara has just been named Music Director/Conductor of the
Adelphi Chamber Orchestra in Paramus, New Jersey.
hundreds (perhaps thousands!) of mediocre talents. And
yet, in the long run, a mediocre talent who works hard and
vigorously pursues his or her craft can eventually eclipse the
lazy, self indulgent natural talent. A neglected talent, or a
talent which is not cultivated and nurtured, is a talent wasted.
Which brings us to the second “T.”
2. Training
No amount of inherent talent is self-sustaining. Everyone who
seeks to cultivate a talent and build on natural gifts needs a
teacher, in some capacity. And great training can sometimes
compensate for a moderate degree of talent endowment.
The quality of one’s training is a vital part of one’s growth and
development. We see evidence of this every year when we hold
our NYS auditions. We appreciate those teachers who reveal
their expertise to us through the quality of the student we hear
performing. Not every teacher is effective for every student.
Sometimes it takes a while to find the right teacher who can
relate and illuminate and promote the kind of understanding
that significant growth requires.
3. Time
1. Talent
This is something we obviously have absolutely no control
over. Some are blessed with certain gifts, others labor to
nurture what little they are bestowed with. But talent is an
essential part of any art form. The ability to express one’s self
through the arts is a God-given, genetic gift. Of course there
are degrees. (For example, there are Mozarts and there are
Kevin Federlines!) For every incredible prodigy there are
Taking time and spending time are essential elements to
developing ones natural talent. The old joke, “How do you get
to Carnegie Hall? Practice!” is a testament to the rewards of
devoting time to your own growth and evolution. And there
is no substitute for time. Robert Schumann learned that the
hard way. Trying to accelerate his fingering technique on the
piano with the aid of a mechanical gadget designed to stretch
and strengthen the fingers, he injured himself, permanently
Whole Note — 2 — February, 2007
From The Conductors Continued
Todd Doan
As I reflect on my first concert with the NYS family, I most
remember the tremendous support and involvement of our
children’s families and friends. Thinking back to my “good
old days” or not so “good old days,” I can only remember my
mom coming to two concerts, at most, in my entire young
musical career; that would be from fourth grade to graduating
high school. Even though I was raised by a single mom with
three jobs and money was low, I would still pierce my eyes to
the auditorium doors throughout a performance hoping to
get a glimpse of her walking in. Whether or not she showed
up, I would still perform my heart out on stage, even though
inside I felt empty. At the conclusion of each concert, I would
be dropped off by a friend’s family, and I went home without
having shared my experience with my mom. I would have done
anything to trade places with my friends, whose parents and
family members would be there, supporting them through
their musical endeavors. It really annoyed me when those
same friends would make negative comments about their
families’ presence. Deep inside, I
couldn’t understand why those who
had it all would still complain of the
support they were receiving from
their families.
Now as a conductor, I hope to be
part of the support system for my
students. After a concert, I make
it a point to let my students know
how much their presence and talents mean to me.
In conclusion, I hope you, as parents, will continue to give your
children support, even through adulthood. Even though your
children might not be vocal in their gratitude, don’t assume
that they’re not grateful or appreciative. And to all the young
musicians, please try not to take your family’s support for
granted. One day, you will hopefully be one of those parents
that are as visible and active in your own children’s lives as
your parents are in yours.
Todd Doan
Richard Brooks continued
crippling one finger on his right hand and ending his promising
career as a concert pianist (though his career as a composer
soon eclipsed his piano skills).
We all need to devote time to our chosen craft. Students who
make excuses for not practicing are only cheating themselves.
Learning how to practice, how to consolidate and organize
your practice time and how to discipline yourself to a positive,
constructive practice routine is essential for a successful
musician. One of my colleagues used to say “you find time to
eat, sleep and brush your teeth because you have to. Practicing
is no different.”
And there is no way to rush the wisdom that comes from the
time one spends living. To express art, one needs to have
experienced love, loss, and personal struggle. The phenomenal
violinist Itzhak Perlman recorded Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto
no less than THREE times over his career, once as a very young
man, then again and again years later. Each time he returned
to the piece he said he felt his earlier version had been lacking
artistically. Having lived and grown, he felt he had “more to say”
each time he returned to this work and perceived his earlier
version(s) as somehow lacking in emotional depth while no
doubt displaying his considerable virtuosic technique. In short,
having lived life, he felt he understood more and more of the
information that Tchaikovsky had “encoded” in the concerto
and felt the desire to move deeper into the music and beyond
the mere execution of the notes.
A similar growth can also be seen by following the songs of
John Lennon. He and Paul McCartney started their career
with the Beatles singing “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” a catchy
tune, no doubt, but with pretty superficial lyrics. They later
sang “All You Need Is Love,” which expressed the anti-war
sentiment of the 60’s and became an anthem for the non-violent
“hippy” movement of the time. And finally, after the Beatles
had split up, John wrote his signature tune, “Imagine,” which
urges us to consider sacrificing the materialistic, nationalistic
and religious forces that divide people in order to create a
world where we all can share and “live as one.” There is a
development in these song lyrics which came from John’s
life and experience. Holding a particular girl’s hand may be a
primary consideration for a young man in his teens, but more
philosophical questions are pondered by a mature man who
has lived, loved and lost.
So don’t rush time. Sometimes our NYS young people are
disappointed with their orchestra assignment, or their seating
assignment. Everyone’s time does eventually come. If you’re
young and we choose to develop your leadership skills rather
than placing you in a group that will challenge you to a greater
extent technically but alienate you socially, there is a calculated
reason for that. While our reasoning may elude you now, it
will make itself apparent over time. Savor the moment and
know that your future holds many exciting and inspiring
experiences for you.
So, in summation: 1. Celebrate, nurture, and utilize your talent.
2. Develop your talent through quality training. 3. Devote
yourself to making time for your instrument and allowing time
to guide you through the emotional vortex of life that will fuel
your artistry and make your music communicate to others. And
let us here at the Norwalk Youth Symphony be a part of your
growth and evolution and share in the joy of your emergence
as a musical artist.
Richard Brooks
Whole Note — 3 — February, 2007
Alumni Celebrate NYS 50th Anniversary at
‘Come Back and Play’ Weekend
Last November, former NYS musicians, conductors, and
friends from as far back as the original NYS orchestra of the
1950’s returned to Norwalk from around the country, to share
their memories, their music, and their illustrious histories
with the current NYS musical community. This first NYS
‘Come Back and Play’ Weekend was orchestrated by cochairpersons Marie-Paule deValdivia and Diane Parrish as part
of the Norwalk Youth Symphony’s year-long 50th Anniversary
celebration.
The concert began with the Philharmonia Orchestra, our
newest full symphony orchestra, playing Ralph Vaughan
Williams’Rhosymedre (Prelude on a Welsh Hymn Tune) under
the capable baton of conductor Todd Doan, who was also making
his debut with the NYS!
At the opening reception on Friday evening at the Norwalk
Town Hall, NYS alumni, some of whom had not seen each
other in years, became re-acquainted, NYS conductors past and
present shared experiences, and guests poured over scrapbooks
replete with photos and other memories from their orchestral
pasts. Among the guests was Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia,
who congratulated NYS on its 50th Anniversary, and together
all celebrated its history and the successes of its musicians,
conductors, and all members of its musical family.
Yet bright and early the following morning, as in their own
youth orchestra days, alumni were “back at work,” joining
our young musicians in their NYS Saturday rehearsals, and
preparing for the concert that evening. And what a memorable
concert it was…
For the auspicious occasion,
Norwalk Concert Hall was
bedecked in flowers and
festive balloons, setting the
tone and cheerily greeting
all our guests.
Youngmusiciansintheirfinest
concert attire and wearing
their most enthusiastic
smiles, carefully tuned and
completed any final
rehearsing that was
required. Alumni, each
wearing a red carnation,
took their places either
on stage or among the
capacity audience that
filled the concert hall.
For Philharmonia’s second piece, J. S. Bach’s We Hasten with
Eager Steps, Todd passed his baton to Janet-Farrar Royce,
who had formerly conducted the NYS Chamber Orchestra
during1976-1987. Violinist Yenoin
Guibbory, an alumnus from the original
NYS orchestra in the 1950’s, was soloist,
as were current orchestra members
Hayley Karlan
on viola and
Eliza Fath
on cello. The
Philharmonia
Orchestra and
Mr. Doan then topped off their inaugural
performance with Shenandoah, an
American folk song, and Aboriginal
Rituals by Elliot del Borgo, and were saluted with thunderous
applause from a most appreciative audience. Ms. Farrar-Royce
Concert Orchestra
Whole Note — 4 — February, 2007
continued next page
Come Back and Play continued
and Mr. Guibbory each shared their fond memories from
their days with the NYS, the latter reminiscing with fellow
alumnus Robert Hodge, who had just played on double bass
with the Philharmonia. (See pages 8 & 9.)
the auditorium, and captivated the audience from beginning
to end!
Next, two NYS alumnae, Candace Channing and Bärli Nugent,
were joined by three members of the Concert Orchestra flute
section, Allison Lee, Jennifer Reilly, and Kaitlin McIntyre, in
a flute quintet performance of the Concerto in G Major for
Five Flutes by Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.
Candace and Bärli, who years ago had played flute together in
the NYS Principal Orchestra, shared their behind-the-scenes
stories of orchestral rivalry and friendship, and expressed their
appreciation for being given the opportunity to play together
again after so many years. (See Page 9)
Following the Philharmonia Orchestra, and equally dazzling,
was the Prelude Orchestra, under the baton of Todd Doan,
which produced a very impressive sound. This smaller string
orchestra’s repertoire included a selection from Nikolai
Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol and another piece
by del Borgo entitled Ancient Ritual. The conclusion of their
performance brought prizewinning smiles to Mr. Doan and
the orchestra members, perfectly befitting the great job they
had done!
The evening finale was an impeccable performance by the
Principal Orchestra! Tara Simoncic, their conductor par
excellence, first led the orchestra in Johann Strauss’ famous
and ever-enduring waltz, On the Beautiful Blue Danube,
with that special Viennese rhythm that is often so difficult
for American orchestras. They then dazzled the audience
with Gioacchino Rossini’s overture to La Gazza Ladra (The
Thieving Magpie) this time under the baton of the renowned
Gisèle Ben-Dor, who formerly conducted the NYS Principal
Orchestra.
continued page 11
The program continued with the Concert Orchestra’s
stirring performances of Beethoven’s Overture to Fidelio,
and Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien, conducted by our very
talented Richard Brooks. Their legendary rousing music filled
Whole Note — 5 — February, 2007
Guests Enjoy
Reception
Following the
November
Concert
Post-Concert Reception continued
Alumni Musicians and Conductors
Play Side by Side and Reminisce
“I never expected to …come full circle in my life, and it’s
happened.”
--Yenoin Guibbory
For many alumni musicians and former conductors, the Alumni
Weekend Concert was indeed a time to “come full circle” as
Yenoin Guibbory put it. Many picked up their instruments or
batons and joined our current NYS musicians on stage in an
historic making of music together (some even soloed!); several
also shared some touching moments of personal history from
their days with the NYS.
Peter Stern on violin with Principal Orchestra
Peter Stern had been assistant concertmaster in his days with
the NYS, but hadn’t played his violin in 16 years; nevertheless
he enthusiastically joined the Principal Orchestra for their
performance of On the Beautiful Blue Danube. With him on
stage were alumnae Pat Pukkila, Neesha Ramchandani,
Dana Schaul-Yoder, Rebeca Lipsitz, Wendy KernerLucas, Jennifer Zych and Liz Lockhart. Jennifer and Liz
were best friends since their NYS days, and sat side by side
in the woodwind section. They had driven straight from their
jobs in Connecticut and Delaware respectively to be a part
of the weekend.
Deborah Grose played cello with
the Concert Orchestra. For her, it was
“kind of a family thing,” as conductor
Richard Brooks put it, because on
stage with Debbie was her niece Sara
Grose, a clarinetist with the Concert
orchestra!
Sara Grose
Some very memorable personal
vignettes from their earlier days
with the orchestra were shared by
our alumni musicians and former
conductors.
Janet Farrar-Royce, who
had conducted the NYS
Chamber Orchestra from
1976 to 1987, shared the
following reflection:
“Thirty-some years ago,
I stood up here for the
first time, a barely tenured
teacher in Westport, newly
married and not even aware
that I would have a 26-yearold son someday. It was the
thrill of my life to be here.
Janet Farrar-Royce
And I spent eleven years
growing with the children I worked with. What a wonderful
organization we had! What an excellent board! The teachers I
worked with, the other conductors I worked with! Everybody
just amazed me! And you know what? I came back last
Wednesday night, and it’s just the same. And the ones that are
the most special of all, the children. I feel like we never left.
I love them already. And I’m very proud.”
Robert Hodge, who
now lives in Chicago,
and who had just
played on bass with
the Philharmonia
Orchestra as Ms.
Farrar-Royce
conducted, was
joined by solo
violinist Yenoin
Guibbory, also from
the orchestra of the
1950s, as they also
reminisced.
Yenoin Guibbory (l) & Bob Hodge (r)
Both Yenoin and
Robert spoke highly of John Master, a founder of the NYS.
“What you see here is the product of the passion and the vision
and the musicality of John Master who originally conducted this
orchestra,” said Mr. Hodge. Mr. Guibbory went on, recalling
a recent conversation with Mr. Master:
“I was amazed. He sounds exactly like he did, like I remember
him. I’m sure he’s here very strongly in spirit. He was one of my
main violin teachers and I had no idea I would model my career
after his. And when we were in touch after so many years I
was astounded to find out I had done many of the same things
that he did, even though we weren’t directly in touch. “
continued next page
Whole Note — 8 — February, 2007
Alumni Musicians and Conductors Play Side by Side continued
Mr. Guibbory continued:
“And I just want to say that I’m so impressed. I never expected
to kind of come full circle in my life, and it’s happened. I
think Norwalk itself should be proud of the amazing amount
of talent, not only on stage, but the terrific work on the part
of the staff and the board. It’s really quite phenomenal, and
we really treasure it.”
Candace Channing shared a story of her own reaction upon
finding a recording containing a flutist who turned out to
be...
‘I can’t believe what I’m hearing! This flutist is incredible!
Whoever she is, it’s unbelievable! Every phrase is exactly the
way I want to do it. The ends of the phrases . . .’ So by now
you’ve figured this out. It was Bärli on the flute…
“And now here we are thirty something years later, totally
enjoying getting to be back together again, thanking the
Norwalk Youth Symphony for our times together, and planning
the next time we would actually see each other again and play
together. So thank you!”
Gisèle Ben-Dor,
former conductor of
the NYS Principal
Orchestra, guest
conducted the Principal
Orchestra that evening,
and afterwards also
captivated the audience
with a story:
Candace Channing and Bärli Nugent
Another great moment in the concert came when Candace
Channing and Bärli Nugent performed together in a flute
quintet by Bodin de Boismortier, and afterwards recalled their
times together as flutists in the NYS some 30 years before.
Bärli spoke of the magnanimity of her friend:
“In the early ‘70s, Candy was principal flute and I was principal
second, and there was a fierce rivalry going because Candy was
from Staples High School and I was from Wilton High School.
And the assistant first was from Staples and the assistant second
was from Wilton High School so you can imagine what the
flute section was like! However, the rivalry continued unabated
until the day I auditioned for Juilliard, the only school that I
considered worthy to attend, and was rejected. As I dragged
into Norwalk Youth Symphony rehearsal the next Saturday
morning, and was downcast and miserable, Candy took me
firmly in hand and said, ‘Listen, kid, I have a fabulous teacher,
he’s in Manhattan School of Music. You need to study with
him. Audition there, and you will get in. You will love him.’
And she was right!”
Bärli went on, “I ended up at Juilliard by the way, and Candy
went to Eastman and she worked with James Galway and a
bunch of other people. I’ve never forgotten that moment
when in such generosity and kindness she let go of the rivalry
and lent me a hand, a huge hand.”
“I’m sure you know
Gil Shahan, the great
violinist. You might
not know he made his
United States debut
with an orchestra,
with the Norwalk
Youth Symphony.
And of course, I was
Gisèle Ben-Dor conductor
conducting; that’s how I
remember it! And he was
a 13 to 14 year old, the age of many of the young people in
the orchestra. He played the Carmen Fantasy by Sarasate and
this was so important to him that his father, an astrophysicist,
who is dead now unfortunately many years already, at that
time he wanted to take the two tapes that we had, from the
two performances (we did two performances), and he rented
a studio, and asked me to go there, help him to edit those two
tapes so he could have one tape that could show what his son
could do! And I have that tape, and it’s beautiful of course.
It’s with the Norwalk Youth Symphony! So I just want to tell
you, you have the best of the best here. You have a great
organization that has grown immensely. You have a lot to be
proud of!”
Whole Note — 9 — February, 2007
For Many Alumni, NYS was a Stepping Stone
to an Illustrious Career
By Marie-Paule deValdivia and Diane Parrish
In the process of searching for and contacting our alumni for
the anniversary weekend celebration, we were able to locate
alumni who had played in the original NYS orchestra in the
1950’s, and in every decade since. Some had chosen careers
in music, others in business and other areas. It was striking to
discover how many alumni have illustrious careers, and we’d
like to share with you a few of their achievements and the
memories they have of NYS.
From the earliest years of the orchestra:
John Simon (1964)* a composer, pianist and songwriter,
wrote on our website,
“My dad, Lou Simon, who was one of the founders of
the Norwalk Symphony, its concertmaster for quite a
while and its president too, was instrumental (‘scuse the
pun) in starting the Youth Symphony. As I understand
it, it had been on the minds of many on the orchestra
board but, when John Masters appeared on the scene,
they had someone who could actually do it. And John
and my dad sat side by side in the viola section of the
“big” symphony until my dad passed away....”
Bob Hodge (1962) now a lawyer in Chicago, and whose father
was also one of the original board members of NYS; Bob was
the first alumnus to get in touch with NYS. Through his many
contacts, he helped us get in touch with many others. We owe
him a debt of gratitude!
Bob Swan (1962), a violist at Chicago Symphony Orchestra;
David Ohanian (1961) played French horn at the Boston
Symphony for many years and is now a university professor;
Dr. Yenoin Guibbory (1964), Professor Emeritus, artist, and
music coach; and
John Von Daler (1964), renowned violinist and composer
in Denmark.
Alumni from later years included other illustrious names
such as:
Chris Brubeck (1966), jazz artist and composer;
Bärli Nugent, Associate Dean at Juilliard;
Stephen Sametz (1971), composer, songwriter, university
chorale arts professor;
John Zucker (1971), lawyer and Vice President at ABC TV;
Molly Skardon (1971), also on the staff at Juilliard.
Suzanne Bona (1980), radio host and musician, wrote us
that:
“My participation in the NYS definitely influenced my
educational path and career... Currently, I host and
produce SUNDAY BAROQUE, a weekly radio program
heard nationwide. I also play frequent solo chamber
music concerts, get together with a weekly flute group,
and recently joined a community orchestra to once
again play the orchestral music that NYS taught me to
love so much.”
Russell Platt (1982) is a music writer at the New Yorker;
Scott Mitchell (1988), is a well regarded local business owner;
and
Peter Stern (1989) is EVP at Time Warner and on the Board
of Stamford Symphony Orchestra.
Our most recent graduates appear to be just as successful:
Andrew Knebel (2002) writes: “ I’m currently in my 5th year
at the Hartt School of Music/University of Hartford pursuing
a double degree in Viola Performance and Music Education,
where I am in the honors chamber music program...” and
Emily Asen (2003), will graduate from NYU in three years
instead of four, and just launched a record label.
NYS can even claim its own NYS sweethearts! Linda Walton
(1971), violist with the Rochester Philharmonic, and viola
teacher, wrote: “When I was in the 9th grade, I sat principal
viola in the NYS. On my left sat James Kirkwood, assistant
principal cellist. Little did I know that I was sitting next to my
future husband!”
Of course, music did not become the career focus of everyone
in the orchestra! Mr. Wolf Guibbory (1964), jewelry designer,
entertainingly, touchingly and insightfully wrote us: “Unlike
most of my siblings, I was a bit of a fraud when it came to
practicing the violin. While [my brothers] were preparing
themselves for careers in music, I was dreaming of becoming
the next Mickey Mantle. I never quite made it to the Majors,
in either baseball or music (my experience with the NYS was
limited to the reserve group, if memory serves). Nonetheless,
the musical culture of my childhood has translated into a
passion for music of nearly all genres. As in the past, it retains
today the ability to touch my spirit in places unexplored by
the spoken word.”
These and many other alumni have left similar messages on our
website, telling us how they were doing and their recollections
of their days in NYS. Some spoke of siblings and mentioned
friends with whom they had maintained contact or run into over
the years. Many shared their memories of Saturday mornings,
and their respect and admiration for former conductors such
as John Master and John Huweiler who had made such a
difference in so many of their lives.
We encourage you to visit our website and reconnect with the
alumni of the NYS. Go to www.norwalkyouthsymphony.org
and look for Meet our Alumni. We’d love to hear from you!
*in parenthesis is the last year played with the NYS.
Whole Note — 10 — February, 2007
Fifty Years of NYS History Chronicled
One of the most popular locations
in Norwalk Town Hall for alumni to
congregate over Alumni Weekend,
was a table in the Community Room
upon which lay not hors d’oeuvres or
crudité, but rather two voluminous
scrapbooks replete with over 50 years
of NYS history. These albums were
a labor of love compiled by former
NYS Board member Sheila Lacouture
who culled and organized 50 years
worth of newspaper articles, programs,
photos, and more, to provide our
weekend guests with plenty of historical
source material as they recalled their
friendships and times with NYS.
Alumni peruse NYS Albums
Also available that weekend, hot off
the presses, was the wonderful golden
anniversary commemorative book compiled
by NYS Board member Greg Payne. In
its stunning gold cover, it contains photos
and names of orchestra members spanning
the entire 50 years of NYS history! Board
Chairman Valerie Szeto thanked Greg
during the concert for his tremendous
efforts in putting together such a great
commemorative book for all to enjoy not
only in Norwalk, but which could be taken
home! Copies are available for purchase
from the NYS office.
Greg Payne
Come Back and Play continued from page 5
Principal Orchestra
After masterfully energizing
every orchestral note from the
podium, Ms. Ben-Dor shared
her enjoyment in having this
relatively relaxing time away
from her busy schedule and
career. The Principal Orchestra,
then again under Tara’s familiar
direction, beautifully played a
movement from the Summer of
Vivaldi’s popular Four Seasons,
with recent NYS alumnus
Michael Szeto providing the
exciting and powerful violin
Michael Szeto
solo. Concluding their program was Paul Dukas’ imaginative
Sorcerer’s Apprentice, popularized by the Disney movie
Fantasia.
The weekend festivities continued after the concert as all
were invited to a beautiful champagne and dessert reception
in the Community Room. There, with fine food and good
company, all could celebrate the success of the concert, and
toast the musical legacy of the Norwalk Youth Symphony’s
‘50 years of timeless music.’ Many commented that they
would love to do this again. For our NYS young musicians,
the amazing experience of seeing and meeting and playing
with these accomplished NYS alums was one that they would
always remember, and that would provide for some a glimpse
of what may lay in store for their own futures…
Whole Note — 11 — February, 2007
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The Whole Note Newsletter
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NORWALK, CT
71 East Ave., Suite N., Norwalk, CT 06851
Save the Dates
• Saturday, April 28, 2007, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, Annual NYS Open House
• Sunday, May 6, 2007 2 p.m. Chamber Music Recital
• Sunday, May 13, 2007 3 p.m. NYS Orchestra Concert
Please Note Web Addresses:
E-mail: info@norwalkyouthsymphony.org
Web site: www.norwalkyouthsymphony.org