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NCCMI News
Index of news articles:
-
Letter from the Director
-
Caroline Shaw Master Class
-
NCCMIs First Guidebook Dedicated to Public Speaking and Performance Etiquette
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What in the World is a Performance Review?
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An Encore Performance
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Recognizing Kindness - Our Community Partners
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From the Director: The Music Continues!
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James Ehnes thrills NCCMI Ensembles in Master Class
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First National Chamber Music Competition Winners!
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Waltye Rasulala inducted into WakeEd Hall of Fame!
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Newly-opened Building designed by Trustee Kristen Hess and HH Architecture
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Elizabeth Beilman Selected for Adaptive Leadership Circles
-
NCCMI Alum Drake Driscoll + Vision Collective receive Award
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Highlights for 20-21
-
What Is a Workshop?
-
Pop Up Park Concerts
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Trustee Ram Vedantham: NCCMI Helps Good Musicians Become Great
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From the Director: Looking to the Future with Gratitude, Hope, and Mindfulness
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Board Member Profile: Mei Thai
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Celebrating Our Graduates!
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Chamber Music during the Time of Covid-19
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Getting to Know Dr. Timothy Holley
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Leadership Ensembles and Internships 2020-21
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Raleigh Summer Showcase Series!
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From the Director: Cultivating Young Artists During Challenging Times
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Board Member Profile: Lair Block
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CMS Peer-Mentoring Experience
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Celebrating Our Competition Winners
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Meet the Arioso Quartet
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Upcoming NCCMI Auditions!
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From the Directors: January 2020
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Board Member Profile: Robert Monath
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Community Music School Partnership
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A Word From the Executive Director
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Treasured Trustee: Florence Peacock
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NCCMI Outreach: SearStone Retirement Center
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Welcome Interns
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Zuill Bailey - An Artist Up Close
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Connection with NCCMI Playing Chamber Music
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Meet the WCPE String Quartet
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Board Member Profile: Meet Kristen Hess
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Peer Mentoring Program with Community Music School
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A Word From Our Executive Director
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Arioso Quartet wins competition prize in China
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Grant Llewellyn Orchestral Workshop and Concert - A True Winner
By Elizabeth Beilman
PROUD. There is no word that better describes our feelings
about this year’s amazing team of interns. This year, 11 remarkable
individuals are learning all manner of office functions, how to
create programs, video editing, peer mentoring and event production.
Every two weeks, we meet together to discuss the next group of
events. When challenges arise, the answers are often suggested by
these bright young students. They are responsive, resourceful and
enthusiastic, and we could not have made the successful transition
to this year without their diligent support.
I truly believe that their success as interns has a lot to
do with their experience playing chamber music. After all, this art
form relies on teamwork, creative thinking and interdependence. It
stands to reason that these skills would transfer to other aspects
of working life.
We are proud to feature two of our interns this month.
Contributing articles are two brilliant young people. Eesha Barua is
the viola player in the WCPE String Quartet and our lead Newsletter
Intern. Supervised by NCCMI Board chair Waltye Rasulala, she managed
a team of other individuals in creating a wonderful public speaking
Guidebook, called “In the Spotlight.” We hope to get the guidebook
published in order to help other young musicians learn how to
present themselves in public, with confidence and conviction.
Hrishikesh Ram, pianist with the Harmonía Piano Quartet
and son of Board Treasurer Ram Vedantham, will share his story about
one of our most valued community partners, Church of the Nativity
(COTN). It was at COTN that Rishi’s quartet earned an Honorable
Mention in a national competition (Oct. 2020). Since NCCMI’s
inception, COTN has provided us with space for our major events and
recording sessions. And this past December, three ensembles made
videos for multiple virtual church services. While Community
Engagement events like these are a requirement of the NCCMI
curriculum, playing at COTN is a real joy for our young artists.
To all of our interns, we say “Bravo!”
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw is already a
familiar friend of NCCMI musicians.
She last worked with our students in a master class in May
of 2019. Based in New York, this
Tarheel native’s music is much beloved in the United
States and beyond and we are excited and
honored to have her with us for a virtual master class!
The program on January 17 at 4-6pm will
be livestreamed on Facebook Live and YouTube. Performing
ensembles will play music by
Turina, Brahms and Ms. Shaw’s Thousandth Orange for Piano
Quartet. After each ensemble
performs, Ms. Shaw will give the students feedback in real
time. There will be an opportunity
for audience Q & A during the master class as well.
Trained primarily as a violinist from an early age in
North Carolina, Ms. Shaw is a Grammy
Award-winning singer in the group Roomful of Teeth. In
2013, Ms. Shaw became the youngest
winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Music for her enigmatic
composition Partita for 8
Voices (nominated for a Grammy, Best Classical
Composition). In the fall of 2014, she was the
inaugural Musician in Residence at Dumbarton Oaks.
While committed to maintaining a busy freelance career as
a violinist and singer, performing
primarily contemporary classical music, she has taken
commissions to create new work for the
Carmel Bach Festival, the Cincinnati Symphony, the
Guggenheim Museum (FLUX Quartet), The
Crossing and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus.
Ms. Shaw studied for 15 years with Suzuki violin pedagogue
Joanne Bath (mother of NCCMI
teacher Pamela Kelly) before working with Kathleen Winkler
at Rice (B.M.violin) and Syoko Aki
(M.M. violin) at Yale. She has been a Rice Goliard Fellow
and a Yale Baroque Ensemble Fellow,
as well as a recipient of the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship.
“In the Spotlight”: NCCMIs First
Guidebook Dedicated to Public Speaking and Performance Etiquette.
By Eesha Barua
The value of public speaking and soft skills in
performance art is often underestimated.
It may seem like the short commentaries that the NCCMI
musicians deliver before their performances are extraneous to the
musical performance. But engaging with our audiences on multiple
levels is really important.
To many young musicians, this is a novel concept. That’s
why, in order to help ease their transition to a more comprehensive
understanding of what performance truly is, we created “In the
Spotlight: A Guide to Public Speaking and Performance.”
From a user-friendly Table of Contents to thorough
explanations of every aspect of a concert, the “In the Spotlight”
Guidebook seeks to help NCCMI musicians deliver the most artistic
and performative pieces they can play. The Guidebook covers these
important elements: Before the Big Show, the Pre-Performance,
Commentary Content, the Post-Performance and Virtual Performance
Tips. Each major section lays out the perfect performance etiquette,
tips for advancing speech and delivery skills, and everything in
between.
With the new Guidebook dedicated to Public Speaking and
Performance, we hope to help young musicians everywhere become more
comfortable and engaging in front of audiences, in addition to being
talented musicians.
Regardless, do not be afraid that there are
unrealistically high expectations! After all, a musician’s voice and
instrument both serve the purpose of conveying meaning from an
otherwise abstract collection of sounds. Our Guidebook works to help
musicians supply context for an audience through language, a uniting
vernacular. And then their music unites the audience in a more
sublime, inexplicable way. Good
concerts are transformed into excellent ones when students find ways
to elevate their performance. With a renewed devotion to the art of
performance, we can usher in a new generation of brilliant NCCMI
musicians in the spotlight.
What in the World is a Performance
Review?
Throughout the year, NCCMI students work hard honing the
craft of performance. In order to
improve, they need opportunities to perform AND a chance
to receive
encouragement and
suggestions from our great teachers. The Performance
Review is their chance to get both! To
see it all come together, join us on Saturday, January 9
at 7-9pm and Sunday, January 10 at
Our Faculty Panel will be watching and listening too.
Groups will receive their
comments after the concerts to help them improve their
performance skills in the coming
semester. The concerts are free but donations can be
securely made on our NCCMI website.
On February 27 at 4pm the North Carolina Chamber Music
Institute will present an encore presentation of the January 20,
2020 concert “Chamber Music Treasures In Honor of Martin Luther
King, Jr.”
This program features the music of African American
composers and the poetry of Langston Hughes. Performers on this
program are cellist Dr. Timothy Holley, violinist Alice Ju,
violinist Charles Logan, violist Jacobus Hormesen, pianist Olga
Kleiankina and soprano Waltye Rasulala.
A highlight of this encore program will be a conversation
about the music and composers with cellist Dr. Timothy Holley and
vocalist Waltye Rasulala. So join us February 27 at 4 pm on You Tube
or the NCCMI Website for this encore program.
Recognizing Kindness - Our
Community Partners
By Hrishikesh Ram
As an NCCMI student for the past three years, I’ve become
very familiar with the Church of the Nativity (COTN) in Raleigh.
Sitting in the pews and listening to various events has become a
common experience. And who could forget the beautiful acoustics and
the Schimmel grand piano?! Every year, COTN is the site of our
Orientation, Performance Review Concerts, and Spring Final Concerts.
This year, however, COTN has become much more. The Harmonía Piano
Quartet, of which I am a member, is thankful to COTN for providing
us with a location to record many of our pieces, and letting us
utilize the facilities for an entire day for a virtual competition!
From the Director: The Music Continues!
by Elizabeth Beilman
As spring became summer and summer became fall, it became
apparent that the pandemic was not going away. Like many arts
organizations, NCCMI had hoped for “reopening” in the fall, but we
were prepared for all eventualities thanks to our Medical Advisory
Committee and well- organized Board of Trustees. Tour top priority
was- and remains- the health and safety of our students, families
and teachers. As a result, protocols were established and
communicated to our community so everyone was kept reassured and
well-informed.
Turns out, young musicians and their families are starving
for the opportunity to play music together! We began the 20-21
program year with 74 students in 18 small ensembles, including piano
trios, string quartets and various other combinations. This level of
interest is a remarkable testament to community confidence in NCCMI
during challenging times. Keep in mind that, with small gatherings
and the warm weather, NCCMI groups were able to meet regularly
outside to learn the art of chamber music.
Among our protocols: masks and social distancing are
required, as well as health screening procedures. Through a team
effort and the generosity of volunteers, locations were found for
EVERY group to meet safely for their sessions. There are many people
to thank for this: host families, group coordinators, church
partners, trustees and our amazing teachers. Thank you also to our
major sponsors, the City of Raleigh Arts Commission and United Arts
Council of Wake County. NCCMI changes lives by giving students
strong social connections through music. Please support our
organization (as well as others!) by sending a donation.
Keep the arts alive!
James Ehnes thrills NCCMI Ensembles in Master Class
International Violin soloist
James Ehnes shared
some inspiring comments in a virtual NCCMI master class, “It's
uplifting to see groups playing such beautiful music together in
these difficult times”. He was in the area to videotape a
North Carolina Symphony performance with Principal Cellist Bonnie Thron, also an
NCCMI teacher. Sponsored by NCS,
this event was a lifetime thrill for NCCMI students!
On October 4, International Violinist James Ehnes taught a
master class to NCCMI ensembles. This came about through the
generous auspices of the North Carolina Symphony. In a model that is
already becoming familiar to us, NCCMI groups videotaped themselves
“in performance”. These videos were shared during a zoom class for
everyone to enjoy. Then Mr. Ehnes gave real-time feedback to the
musicians who were gathered in their small groups in different
spaces. Among the music played: two works by Johannes Brahms and a
string quartet by Bedrich Smetana. It was a real thrill for our
students to meet with an artist of the stature of Mr. Ehnes!
Fun Fact: James Ehnes will appear on the NC Symphony
Concert on November 6/7 with NCCMI
teacher/NCS Principal Cellist Bonnie Thron in a performance of the
Beethoven Septet!
First National Chamber Music Competition Winners!
Trio Serio won First Prize at the
University of
South Carolina
Chamber Music Day Competition on October 10.
Congratulations to Jaeyee Jung, Violin; Maxwell Yates, piano and
Catherine Yates, cello for their
stunning performance
of the Brahms, Op. 8 Trio!
Two
other NCCMI Ensembles also received honors. This event began with preliminary videos
submitted last March. Our WCPE String Quartet were selected at that
time. However, the competition was postponed until this fall when
Trio Serio and two other NCCMI groups were selected: this year’s
WCPE String Quartet (Sophia Liu and Henry Woodburn, violins; Eesha
Barua, viola; Ethan Hess, cello) and Harmonía Piano Quartet (Leena
Hocutt Duarte, violin; Lauren Southwell, viola; Sophia Knappe,
cello; Hrishikesh Ram, piano). The Harmonía ensemble musicians were
awarded an Honorable Mention for their Brahms Piano Quartet
performance. Congratulations to all our hard-working young artists!
See the award-winning
videos here.
Waltye Rasulala inducted into WakeEd Hall of Fame!
NCCMI Board President Waltye Rasulala has been the recipient of many
awards. The most recent accolade for our dedicated Board chair is
Wake County Public School System Hall of Fame. In a recent post
the WakeEd Partnership
said,“ In addition to performing in New York, Los Angeles, and
Raleigh, accomplished vocalist and actress Waltye Rasulala served
for 25 years as Public Affairs Director, Anchor, and Emmy
Award-winning producer for
WRAL.
Throughout her career, she has been instrumental in numerous
impactful community projects, including Success by Six, Project
Tanzania, Coats for the Children, and the annual Wake County Public
School System Pieces of Gold performance.” The award was presented
during the
WakeEd's
virtual
Stars of Education
(gala on October 22.
Congratulations to Waltye for this well-deserved recognition!
Newly-opened Building designed by Trustee Kristen Hess and HH
Architecture
Kristen Hess is the founder and CEO of
HH Architecture.
Her firm was selected in 2016 to design the new Agricultural
Sciences Center at NC State. It is a testament to teamwork within
the company and dedication to inspired and responsible design. Bravo
to Kristen and team on this accomplishment!
Elizabeth Beilman Selected for Adaptive Leadership Circles
NCCMI Executive Director was selected to
join the City of Raleigh Adaptive Leadership Circles, designed to
cultivate arts leaders’ adaptive capacities. This inclusion is
recognition of NCCMI ability to make "gradual and meaningful change"
as well as encouragement for future growth.
Sponsored by
Kenan Institute for the
Arts,
EmcArts,
the
Office of Raleigh Arts
and the United Arts Council.
NCCMI Alum Drake Driscoll + Vision Collective receive Award
Drake Driscoll, cellist, began her chamber music studies with NCCMI
in 2012. With fellow
Juilliard School of Music
musicians, she founded
The Vision Collective,
dedicated to raising awareness about refugee issues through music.
The Vision Collective musicians are recent recipients of two awards:
the Robert Sherman Award and the 2020 Entrepreneurship Grant from
the Juilliard School.
Drake Driscoll recently received
her Masters from the
Juilliard School of
Music. Drake and her fellow Juilliard students-
violinist
Timothy Chooi and Sarah Sung, viola- formed
The Vision
Collective to give voice to refugees issues. She recently appeared online with
actor/comedian
Ben Stiller, as part of a book launch for
“While the
Earth Sleeps, We Travel,” a book by Ahmed Badr
featuring stories, poetry, and art from young refugees around the
world.
Drake performed a portion of a newly-commissioned work by Afghani
Milad Youseufi
on the program. And the Vision Collective is the recipient of an additional
award: the
2020 Entrepreneurship Grant from the Juilliard School.
Highlights for 20-21
Life in the New Zealand String Quartet: A Conversation with Douglas
Beilman
Douglas Beilman was violinist with the
New Zealand String
Quartet for many years. In this special event, he will share his
memories of life in the quartet, with special attention given to the
monumental catalog of the Beethoven String
Quartets. Doug is the brother of NCCMI
Executive Director Elizabeth Beilman! Contact nccmi.office@gmail.com
to attend this special event!
Chamber Music Treasures- Music by African-American Composers (January 18, 2021 at 7:30 p.m). This will be a video
reprise of our highly successful MLK Day concert from earlier this
year, curated by Dr. Timothy Holley of N.C. Central University with
new interviews hosted by Waltye Rasulala.
Small but Mighty: Chamber Music and Social Change (Monday February 15 at 7 p.m.) will be a conversation about how chamber
musicians and other artists can support or initiate social
change/social justice in today’s society. The program will feature
NCCMI alum, Drake Driscoll and The Vision Collective along with
other guests.
To learn more about other NCCMI Special Events, click
here
What Is a Workshop?
Workshops are a valuable part of what NCCMI does to
provide students with vital current information on how to accomplish
their goals in specific areas. Each Workshop is designed to give
students the vocabulary and tools to address future requirements in
their field of interest.
Two workshops have already taken place:
The Violin to Viola Adventure took place on October 10.
Here violinists were able to try out the viola and receive great
instruction on proper playing technique by NCCMI Teacher Pamela
Kelly.
On October 24,
Executive Director Elizabeth Beilman hosted a college and career
pathways seminar entitled Music and Your Future. Our Special Guest
Panel included Dr. Peter Askim of N.C. State University; Dr. Timothy
Holley of N.C. Central University; Jimmy Gilmore of Duke University,
UNC Chapel Hill, and Meredith College; NCCMI Board Chair, Waltye
Rasulala; and Violinist Ben Mygatt, recent graduate of Williams
College. The event was very successful and we were able to answer
many questions from students about what to expect in college and
beyond.
The Collab Workshop
will take place on February 15th. This workshop is timely because
the students will learn how to create a remote chamber music video.
Looking to the future, this will be an essential skill in the
student’s toolbox as we progress through the pandemic.
All-State Orchestra
Auditions Workshop will be hosted by Elizabeth Beilman and faculty
member Pam Kelly. This will cover the gamut on audition preparation:
practice techniques, repertoire, confidence building, stage
presence, and ways to avoid common mistakes.
Pop Up Park Concerts
In partnership with the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, NCCMI
presents these short and uplifting chamber music concerts, a
serendipitous “happening” for area citizens to enjoy!
Pop Up Parks Concerts continue throughout November at
Durant Nature Preserve,
Walnut Creek Wetlands Center and
Thomas Crowder Nature Center. Check the NCCMI Calendar for further
details.
Trustee Ram Vedantham: NCCMI Helps Good Musicians Become Great
by Rebecca Christian
“Without NCCMI there would be far fewer musicians,” says NCCMI Board
Treasurer Ram Vedantham, discussing why he gives his time and
support. “NCCMI allows more people to find out about music and to
learn a lot more at their young ages with these phenomenal coaches,”
he adds.
Ram joined the Board in 2019. We were pleased to welcome him as our
Treasurer and adviser on financial matters. His older son
Hrishikesh, age 17 and a senior at Enloe High School, is a pianist
and member of the Harmonía Piano Quartet, a group that recently
received an Honorable Mention in the University of South Carolina
National Chamber Music Competition. Ram and his wife Nithya also
have a younger son, Nikhil, a sixth grader at Carnage Middle School,
who also plays the piano.
“Hrishi loves music and works
hard at it, “Ram says.
“I have been a listener-coach without musical training, but I knew
Rishi would become a better pianist by working with student groups
guided by professional musicians. In searching for a musical
organization for my son I was told about NCCMI by Mary Page Block
(wife of Board member, Lair Block).” Happily, it all worked out and
Rishi is now in his third year as an NCCMI student.
Ram believes NCCMI paves a path to success for young people through
the teamwork of chamber music.
He thinks that one of NCCMI’s major strengths is its
inclusiveness. NCCMI
makes it possible for every deserving student to participate,
regardless of financial constraints.
We are pleased to welcome Ram to our board. He has had an almost
immediate impact, having secured for NCCMI a $10,000 grant from
Silicon Valley Bank where he is currently the Director of
the Anti-Money Laundering Division.
He has also worked for Wells Fargo Bank and as a research
scientist with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Ram, originally from Chennai, India, came to the U.S. to
study at the University of California, Davis, where he earned his
PhD in applied mathematics.
Although he learned Indian classical violin as a youngster,
he said a major exposure to music came while he was at graduate
school where he and his roommate listened constantly to classical
music while they were working.
“I’m a math guy, and they go together.”
Rishi is now applying to college, hoping to study chemical
engineering and piano as a double major.
“All we do as parents is urge him to spend time with people”,
Ram said. “Ultimately we
are human and we need human interactions to survive,” which is one
reason he believes chamber music is essential.
He also thinks Rishi has benefited from being an NCCMI
intern. “He is
learning to take on responsibilities.
As you assume responsibilities you learn to think about
others, to be dependable. Rishi has been asked to manage the web
interface and is also helping to organize some of the events.
When you give kids adult responsibilities, they rise to the
occasion.”
“Luck favors the ones who work hard, Ram says, “but NCCMI allows for
good musicians to have a chance to become great."
From the Director: Looking to the Future with Gratitude, Hope, and
Mindfulness
Greetings to all!
We hope you are safe, healthy, and ready to navigate the most
unusual year in our lifetime. NCCMI is excited and ready to face the
new challenges presented by the pandemic as we get the new season
underway! Gratitude, Hopefulness and Mindfulness are our guiding
principles as we plan for a future full of opportunities for
creative growth.
Our organization is grateful for the promising number of students
who will be returning to the program this year. For those still
wondering about how our program might work in 20-21, check out
the archived video of our Spring Final Concert.
For those wondering about how our performances might work in 20-21,
check out the
archived video of our Spring Final Concert. In June, our
students presented our Spring Final Concerts in three jam-packed
segments covering six hours! Through the magic of Facebook Live, you
can watch the 3rdconcert of that marathon day: a collection of
talented and dedicated groups, showing amazing creativity in
conquering the difficulties of putting together a virtual concert.
The program begins with awards given to our many outstanding
musicians. This event turned out to be a tremendous success, despite
being our first foray into the virtual concert world.
We are so grateful to have an outstanding Board of Directors
committed to the mission of chamber music: bringing people together
through meaningful and intimate musical experiences. NCCMI Trustees
met recently in a virtual retreat and reviewed our Strategic Goals.
Their commitment to visionary goals- that meet the needs of our
whole community- is strong and deep. Because of their support, NCCMI
is equipped to respond flexibly and responsibly to current health
trends while NCCMI while maintaining strong fiscal management.
NCCMI is fortunate to enjoy a broad base of support from the
community at large, with a special nod to our public funders: the
City of Raleigh Arts Commission and the
United Arts Council. Both of these
organizations have provided consistent encouragement, resources and
a warm sense of community with our fellow arts programs that has
made us feel hopeful for the future.
The coming year will undoubtedly bring challenges, but opportunities
for creativity and collaboration will be greater than ever. For the
past four and a half months NCCMI has worked tirelessly to
understand the idiosyncrasies of the virtual world; we have
developed new resources to enhance the chamber music learning
experience. And we are developing safe protocol plans for in-person
sessions (outdoors/at social distance/with masks/temperature checks)
as conditions allow in alternation with zoom classes. It is
gratifying that our students and outstanding coaches are so eager to
engage with and explore these opportunities.
NCCMI has developed scenario plans that conform with local/state
guidelines. As always the safety and well-being of our students and
teachers is our first priority. We will consult with our Medical
Advisory Group and NCCMI families as needed to adapt from one
planning model to another. In any case, students will continue to
have many opportunities to meet in small groups and grow as young
artists. Updates will be posted on our website and social media
sources.
During the season ahead, we will be looking for new ways to provide
greater accessibility for all to partake in our musical offerings.
We will continue our partnerships with the
Chamber Music Raleigh, the
North Carolina Symphony and the
Community Music School. We will be presenting virtual
concert events, featuring our Faculty Artists. And we are creating
new portals for wider participation in the virtual world. We welcome
one and all to participate in zoom auditions in August or by
appointment by clicking
HERE.
Board Member Profile: Mei Thai
When you ask NCCMI board member Mei Thai what she brings as a member
of the board, she says “flavor”. She grew up in Taiwan where
her family still lives and where she auditioned in the seventh grade
for a select music school similar to the NC School of the Arts.
She excelled and was able to attend TungHai University from which
she graduated first in her class as a double major in clarinet and
piano. She then worked as a teaching assistant there before coming
to the U.S. to attend Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins
University in Baltimore. She followed that by earning a DMA in
clarinet performance at the University of Maryland— becoming the
first person from Taiwan to do so.
She had a big career ahead and was being recruited to return to her
university but then she met her husband Vince, a Georgia Tech
electrical engineer who grew up in Chapel Hill (he was a violinist
with the NC all state orchestra and is a self taught player of the
viola and guitar. ) As she says, “Vince upset my plans but he is a
good guy.”
Mei does not regret that change of plans.
“I’m a musician and I am very happy,” she says. “I’m also a
parent. My teachers at TungHai wanted me to go back and help
develop the chamber music program there. I stayed here and
though I didn’t help my alma mater, I am now helping out
chamber music in my local community through NCCMI.”
Mei got involved after her son Jonathan became a cello student in
NCCMI’s award-winning Arioso quartet. Jonathan is a rising
sophomore at UNC, majoring in neuroscience and music with a minor in
Chinese. Mei has one daughter Bethany who is a senior at
Research Triangle High School and an 11-year-old, Karissa, a rising
6th grader at Serling Montessori School; this past year she was a
violinist with the NCCMI Allegro Piano Quartet as well as
concertmaster of the Triangle Youth Orchestra.
Adding to the “flavor” Mei brings to the board is her perspective as
a musician and music teacher. She has taught at NC Central
University for 16 years and also has her own studio, teaching
clarinet. In addition she is a businesswoman, working
alongside her husband in their realty and property management
company. As part of her service to her community Mei helps at
her daughter Bethany’s school and serves as manager/administrative
director for the local Chinese dance group. She calls all this
“juggling”. “I love to contribute my professional background to
NCCMI”, Mei says. “Sometimes I can foresee something.
Also I help with the kids to make their coaches’ jobs easier.
When the groups are formed I give them a little lesson at their
first rehearsal and guide them how to practice.”
NCCMI, in Mei’s opinion, helps students appreciate music in a deeper
sense through knowing each other, working as a group in an intimate
environment and listening to each other. In chamber music
there is no “faking it”, she says which can happen in a large
orchestra.
“In a chamber quartet each person is accountable. In order
even to make music in a chamber group the students learn how to work
together, how to learn the music together and how to
communicate without talking. Students learn to understand their
roles—when to be in the background and when to be forward,” Mei
explained. “My daughter has learned how to project her sounds,
how to listen to others and to understand that music is just not
from herself but from her group.”
Solid friendships are made, Mei concluded. “Jonathan’s
group still keeps in touch even though they are now in college.
Because of the close work together the groups become friends, so
that when they practice there is so much laughter.”
Celebrating Our Graduates!
NCCMI has 14 graduates this year. One of them- Jaewon Jung- has been
with us for 6 years! In this video, we recognize our outstanding
graduating seniors.
Chamber Music during the Time of Covid-19
By Ethan Hess
Chamber music, like many things during this pandemic, has had to
adapt in several ways. However, groups that cannot meet in person
still find ways to make music together. In my case, it was initially
hard to collaborate with group members and coaches in a way that we
could continue to improve our performance.
We had to make a few changes, including our practice methods and
even one of the pieces we were playing. It turned out that we would
be playing chamber music in a new way. We ended up playing a new
piece where every group member had a solo at some point. This does
not always happen, so it was awesome to see everybody in my group
trying to add personality to their part while everyone else
supported them. Even with our inability to practice together in
great detail (which requires meeting in person) my group ended up
having a positive experience.
The youngest NCCMI ensembles is the Subito String Quartet. They
spoke about challenges they faced with “socially distanced” chamber
music in this
video. Staying in tempo
with one another proved difficult when not meeting in person.
Despite these challenges, the young musicians found chamber music to
be a great way to take their mind off the pandemic and help them
cope with their lack of socializing. It is clear when you listen to
their recording that they overcame challenges of social distancing
to create a beautiful performance of Vivaldi’s “Spring” from the
Four Seasons.
Getting to Know Dr. Timothy Holley
By Waltye Rasulala
Chamber Music Coach with NCCMI Legato String Quartet
Dr. Holley’s curated concert, Chamber Music Treasures will be
presented as a Facebook Live event on September 27 at 7:30pm. Look
for more information soon!
For Dr. Timothy Holley, growing up in a family of musicians set him
on his chosen career path of music. His mother is a pianist and his
father came from a musical family and is a singer. To this day
they sing together in a group called the Pro Nelson Singers,
dedicated to the preservation of Negro spirituals. It was founded
right after the assassination of John Kennedy in 1963.
At his Mother’s encouragement when he was 6 or 7, Timothy began
studying piano. His father often recalled how he would often lie
under the piano when his Mother was playing, totally fascinated with
the sounds and the desire to be close to the sounds that the piano
made.
His exposure to symphonic music and its instruments came when he was
in the third grade of the Detroit, Michigan school system. It was
through their strong instrumental program-and visits from the
Detroit Symphony-that his interest in music expanded. At that time
he learned to play the trombone. When his family moved to Lansing,
Michigan, and he entered the public schools there, the cello became
his new instrument of choice. He was 10 years old. So while
the Detroit schools introduced him to a strong orchestra program,
the schools in Lansing introduced him to the world of strings.
Upon graduating from high school he entered Baldwin Wallace
University in Ohio to further his study of the cello. Later he
continued study at the University of Michigan where his dissertation
focused on the cello music of African-American composers.
In January of this year, Timothy’s knowledge of African American
music was brought to life through Chamber Music Treasures, an NCCMI
Faculty Artist concert. In his curated program honoring Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., Timothy introduced the chamber music of Chevalier
de Saint-Georges, Adolphus Hailstork, Florence Price, Margaret Bonds
and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor… ALL African American classical
composers. The concert, performed by NCCMI Faculty Artists, was
truly an evening of new music for many in the audience.
In 2013 he started the Facebook group “The African American Cello
History Collective”, and maintains a related blog site titled “A
View From The Scroll”,
www.viewedscroll.blogspot.com
. When he is not busy with those activities he is teaching college
students as Associate Professor of Music at North Carolina Central
University, performing with the Mallamé Chamber Players, the North
Carolina Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of the
Triangle.
He believes that the gift chamber music gives to young people is
learning to like the music they play, learning to share that music
with others and having a conversation about the music. He says,
“teach students to talk to each other about the role their
instrumental part plays in the total piece of music they are
learning. Learn to communicate.”
When asked what advice he has for young people learning and
performing chamber music. He has this to say:
(1) “Listen..listen..listen. To all kinds of music.”
(2). “Anything you hear for the first time, you need to
give yourself time to process it.” In other words,
don’t be too quick to judge it.
(3) “Listen to learn, understand, and to ask the
question: Is this relevant?”
(4) “Don’t just like music in a vacuum. Be around people
who have a kindred interest.”
Sage advice from a seasoned performer and outstanding teacher!
Leadership Ensembles and Internships 2020-21
By Jewel Hurtgen
Each spring, auditions are held to assign advanced students to
ensembles that will make professional recordings, enter local and
international competitions, and perform for professional
engagements. Our three leadership ensembles this year are the WCPE
String Quartet, NCCMI Piano Quartet, and Trio Serio.
The WCPE String Quartet is funded by WCPE - The Classical Station
https://theclassicalstation.org The
Juniors and Seniors in this Quartet are new to the leadership
program, so this semester will be a combination of getting to know
each other and learning more difficult music. Peter Askim, the
conductor at NC State and a resident of Greenville, is composing a
2nd piece for NCCMI. Look out for the debut of this piece coming
later this year!!
The NCCMI Piano Quartet includes musicians who have previous NCCMI
experience together. Rishi, Leena, Lauren, and Sophia are excited to
perform pieces by Brahms and Turina. The Trio Serio ensemble, better
known as Jaeyee and the Yates’ siblings, are in their third year as
an ensemble. Because of their years of experience and trust in each
other, these students are taking on more difficult pieces by
Shostakovich.
In addition, this spring NCCMI interviewed and trained 10 interns, 2
returning members and 8 new members. 2 interns will be retiring at
the end of the summer. They have started to work this summer with
Elizabeth Beilman learning the ins and outs of NCCMI. The interns
help with scheduling, musical program designs, online forms, stage
crew, social media posting, and so much more.
As a previous member of a leadership ensemble and one of the
returning and retiring interns, I have an abundance of gratitude
towards NCCMI. The leadership ensembles have given me so many
opportunities to perform incredible music with other passionate,
hardworking students who have become my friends. Chamber music has
rekindled my love for music and inspired me to study music in
college. This internship has been a fantastic.
All three ensembles are beginning to work together this summer by
creating their own unique way to collaborate musically, regardless
of social distancing! We look forward to hearing them in the near
future!
Raleigh Summer Showcase Series!
By Elizabeth Beilman
We are so excited that the City of Raleigh is featuring NCCMI on its
Summer Showcase Series. This is a significant affirmation of
our program's mission and importance to the community and we hope
that everyone has a chance to see it. NCCMI is the only youth music
education program being given this opportunity.
Check out the WCPE String Quartet and Fantasma Piano Trio in their
beautiful performances! Congratulations to the musicians in these
ensembles - they really impressed our friends at Raleigh Arts,
making all of this possible.
Most of all, we thank the City of Raleigh Arts Commission for their
support for NCCMI!
From the Director: Cultivating Young Artists During Challenging
Times
By Elizabeth Beilman
We hope this finds everyone safe and well in this most unusual and
stressful time. Despite the cancellations and interruptions to our
“normal” schedule, we are keeping our students challenged and
engaged with important musical activities. Our staff and students
are demonstrating their creativity and resourcefulness, coming
together to support our chamber music curriculum in alternative
learning environments.
NCCMI has instituted online activities to
replace live coaching sessions. Some examples… students completed an
exercise in score analysis and cue marking in their instrumental
parts. To study the art of performance, coaches are assigning videos
for the students to evaluate with a “compare and contrast” report;
then each small ensemble gets together in the virtual world, to
discuss their observations. Musicians will also be submitting
composer reports. These enriching activities are not just busy work;
they are actually terrific mechanisms to build critical skills and
artistry in young musicians.
From the date of our last newsletter up to last week, NCCMI
ensembles shared the joy of chamber music to many audiences
throughout
Wake County. The
Performance Reviews were highly beneficial to coaches and students,
testing their progress in a performance setting. Our outreach events
at the North and West Regional Public Libraries were well received.
And on January 26th,
Highland United Methodist Church (one of many
generous church partners) featured our students in a “Spotlight
Concert.” A dozen NCCMI ensembles performed works from Beethoven to
Debussy, in front of a very appreciative audience.
During these challenging days, all of us at NCCMI wish to thank our
generous donors. YOU make it possible for NCCMI to train the
musicians of the future… and we’d like to add a special shout out to
our parent contributors who fervently responded to our annual fund
letter. Thanks also to the
United Arts Council and the
Raleigh Arts Commission who
continue their support of NCCMI and all artists in our area.
While we regret having to cancel many of our spring events, we are
already looking forward to returning to perform for our friends at
retirement communities, libraries, museums and at
NC Symphony events. In the meantime, please stay in
touch; we’d love to hear from you!
The end-of year NCCMI Formal Concert has been rescheduled for June
7, 1:30-5:30 at
Church of the Nativity. For all schedule
changes, consult the
NCCMI online calendar.
Wishing you good health and a swift return to normality,
Liz
Board Member Profile: Lair Block
By Becky Christian and Jimmy Gilmore
Board member Lawrence “Lair” Block is webmaster for NCCMI and has
played an important role in the success of the organization over the
past five years. Dedicated and multi-skilled, Lair has brought his
business acumen and knowledge of the “tech” side of life to NCCMI.
The website is the road map to NCCMI and it is Lair who has made the
site easy to navigate and understand. Executive Director, Elizabeth
Beilman said, “Without the systems Lair introduced we would never
have been able to grow to nearly 100 students in 25 groups we have
now. Before Lair came on board I had to do everything by hand---get
the information to put the groups together and process all the
registration materials.”
Lair is not a musician himself, but listens to music all day because
his wife, Mary, is a violinist and Owner of “Arioso Strings, Inc.”
Truly he brings an invaluable perspective to the NCCMI board with
his engineering degree from Cornell and an MBA in Finance from the
Wharton School of Business.
Music is the heart of NCCMI. Seems simple enough; just get some
musicians together and start coaching them on a Beethoven String
Quartet. But that is the result, not the process. A lot has to
happen before we get down to actually teaching the students. But the
administration aspect of NCCMI is incredibly complex, and it is the
Board that, utilizing their unique talents, keeps the Institute
going.
Read more about the Arioso Quartet sponsored by Lair and Mary Block
in this newsletter below.
CMS Peer-Mentoring Experience
By Brooke Chow
For the second year,
NCCMI is partnering with
Community Music School Raleigh through the
peer-mentoring strings program. Community Music School is a
non-profit organization that aims to provide all children with the
opportunity to learn music through access to quality music lessons
that cost as little as $1 per lesson. NCCMI students that play the
violin, viola, or cello now have the opportunity to peer-mentor a
student at Community Music School.
By working with Community Music School, NCCMI supports a positive
cause for the community. CMS and NCCMI have also worked together to
hold masterclasses and workshops, including the highly-anticipated
Side-by-Side between NCCMI and CMS students on February 22nd. NCCMI
students can volunteer occasionally or weekly, based on their
schedules. They can also choose the time and how long they
peer-mentor: ranging from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. All volunteering
with CMS students can count towards school volunteering hours and
club. This year, four dedicated volunteers have volunteered at CMS
on a weekly basis: Ethan Hess (cello), Asher Wexler (violin and
viola), Brooke Chow (violin), Hrishikesh Ram (piano), and Mia Lucier
(piano).
Asher and Hrishikesh were both interviewed about their experiences
working with CMS students. Hrishikesh works alongside NCCMI Board
Chair, Ms. Waltye Rasulala, at CMS lessons. He plays as an
accompaniment for her vocal students. Asher plays both the violin
and viola and helps CMS students with their fingerings, rhythms, and
musicianship. Hrishikesh first started volunteering so that he could
have a tangible impact on the community. Similarly, Asher hoped to
do what his excellent music teachers had done for him: “I can't
imagine not having music in my life - the way it brings people
together, embodies cultural heritage, expresses emotion, and tells
stories - and I wanted to give that gift to kids who wouldn't have
access to it otherwise.”
While talking to Hrishikesh, he spoke of his many experiences: “my
favorite memory was attempting (and failing) to accurately
sight-read new accompaniment music on the spot, for a new piece of
repertoire that Ms. Rasulala was teaching her voice students. The
piano accompaniment was a bit much to read right off the bat, and it
was "interesting" to hear how it sounded the first time I tried it!”
Asher’s favorite memory was working with Jose to current his
bowhold. The stories they exchanged made the moment incredible
“humanizing and intimate.”
It’s indubitable that the Peer-Mentorship Program has sparked
incredible growth in both NCCMI and CMS students. Asher’s experience
has taught him many valuable lessons: “My experience at the
Community Music School not only taught me about patience and
relationship building but also about the very simple joy of seeing
one's teaching come into fruition. There's nothing like it.”
Hrishikesh encourages other NCCMI students to join as mentors:
“Other NCCMI students should join the program to witness and
experience first-hand how they can impact the education of other
aspiring musicians and students in the local area, and how they can
help motivate and mentor students in their musical endeavors. It is
a great volunteering opportunity in and of itself, and everyone
should take advantage of it as much as possible.” Likewise, Asher
says the same: “ I've found that serving in an arena in which I'm
passionate is not only more meaningful and fulfilling but also more
effective. So, from one passionate musician to another, I
strongly encourage you to join the peer mentorship program.”
If you are interested in volunteering, please email
brooketchow@gmail.com.
Competition Winners 2019-20
By Elizabeth Beilman
NCCMI musicians have garnered many prizes and recognition this
spring. Their accomplishments reflect positively on the NCCMI
program, designed to shape musical leaders!
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR WINNERS!
The WCPE String Quartet and the Arioso Quartet were both selected as
finalists for the Federation of Music Clubs Joel Adams String
Quartet Award (3/7/2020). This award is given on a biennial basis
and comes with a cash prize. State Finals will take place through
online submission of recordings. You can listen to the WCPE
Recording below!
The
WCPE TheClassicalStation String Quartet was selected as
finalists for
The University of South Carolina School of Music String
Quartet Competition (2/2020). This comes with the opportunity to
work closely with the
Parker Quartet. In January, violinists Jewel Hurtgen and
Henry Woodburn were awarded 1st and 2nd prizes respectively at the
Woman’s Club of Raleigh Music Competition. They will be
continuing on to the district level competition.
The winner of the
Triangle Youth Philharmonic Association Concerto
Competition is cellist Catherine Yates. Longtime NCCMI musician and
cello student of NCCMI
Director Elizabeth Beilman, Catherine will perform the
Schumann Cello Concerto as a soloist on the final TYP concert. If
the concert is rescheduled for the fall, Catherine will still appear
as a soloist. Catherine Yates was also the state winner for the
North Carolina Music Teachers National
Association Junior level Solo Competition. Her brother,
NCCMI pianist Max Yates accompanied her at the competition.
A large number of NCCMI students were selected for the
Eastern Regional All-State
Orchestra in February. L to R, front row: Sophia Knappe,
Noah Anderson, Max Yates, Lauren Southwell, Catherine Yates
(Associate Principal Cellist), Jaeyee Jung, Sophia Liu, Rebecca Cai,
Caroline Smyth. Back row L to R: David Daeyhun Kim, Jaewon Jung,
Collin Queen, Henry Woodburn, David Kim (viola), Raphael Lee, Kai-En
Wang, Sharayu Gugnani, Jayon Felizarta. Many of our middle
school-aged students were selected for the Junior Eastern Regional
Orchestra as well.
Congratulations to Sophia Knappe, cellist with
WCPE TheClassicalStation String
Quartet, recently selected for the
National Youth Orchestra of the USA / NYO2! This is a
HUGE honor. Some years, no students are selected from the Tarheel
State. Sophia is the 2nd NCCMI student on the NYO roster.
Quenton Blache was our last NYO representative (graduated
in 2019 and now attending the
University of Southern California Thornton School of Music).
Quenton has been asked to return to NYO this coming summer.
Meet the Arioso Quartet
By Waltye Rasulala
What happens when a Wake County School, a school orchestra director,
and group of talented young musicians all join forces to make music?
Well, you get one of the North Carolina Chamber Music Institute’s
many talented chamber groups… the Arioso Quartet. Green Hope High
School in Cary has become home to the Arioso Quartet. Their coach
Alice Ju is the director of the Orchestra program at the school.
Alice teaches the Arioso Quartet musicians in the Symphony Orchestra
at Green Hope High School.
The group gets together at school to practice during their lunch
hour and after school each day. Alice sees this arrangement as a
great way for the students to get a chance to work together, get to
know each other, and to grow as young musicians. One of the members
of the Arioso Quartet Kai-En Wang is a violinist who joined NCCMI
for the first time this year. He wanted to do something more than
solo and orchestra playing with his music, so he encouraged his
friends from Green Hope to join him in becoming part of NCCMI. Due
to their leadership skills, these students were chosen for the
Arioso Quartet. Kai-En likes having the flexibility of coaching at
both home and school. As the winner of the Spitznagel Award, a
scholarship for outstanding violinists, he feels that “chamber music
makes you more responsible for your playing and you feel that you
are an important part of the group you are playing with.”
This is Alice’s first year coaching a chamber music group for the
North Carolina Chamber Music Institute. She believes that having the
chamber music group at Green Hope, “… is a real plus. More and more
students will become aware of chamber music. Chamber music should be
a part of the school curriculum. It builds bonds with other students
and having this group here has elevated the bar.” Her partner in
teaching the group is long-time NCCMI teacher, Bonnie Thron,
Principal Cellist with the NC Symphony. The Arioso Quartet showed
how high that bar really is when they recently competed at the local
level for the Joel Adams String Quartet Award through the Federation
of Music Clubs. They were among two of NCCMI groups selected to
compete at State Finals. However, due to cancellation of the State
Convention, they will be submitting their performance by videotape
online submission.
The Arioso Quartet is sponsored by Arioso Strings, Inc.
NCCMI AUDITIONS 2020-2021- Sign up online!
NCCMI will begin accepting videotaped auditions starting March 29.
Students interested in auditioning for NCCMI can register
here. Here are some of our
highlights:
·
NCCMI is an academic year program of Chamber Music training and
Leadership building for students aged 7-19.
·
Mentoring by professional musician/educators, including North
Carolina Symphony musicians.
·
Sharing the joy of great chamber music in many area concerts with
the opportunity to earn Community Service hours! Financial Aid and
Payment Plans are available.
·
Ensembles are assembled based upon student level, schedule and
approximate age. Groups meet about once per week on a day/time
convenient for each small ensemble. Sessions take place in faculty
studios, students’ homes or at partner churches in the community.
VIDEOTAPED SUBMISSION DEADLINES
Leadership Ensembles- April 26*
Regular Ensembles with Early Bird Discounts- June 7
Regular Ensembles-August 1
LIVE AUDITIONS
Regular Ensembles -August 16 and August 23
Other dates TBD
*These partial or full scholarship groups are open to those with at
least one year in NCCMI or comparable chamber music experience.
2019-20 Ensembles included: WCPE String Quartet, NCCMI String
Quartet, Arioso Quartet and NCCMI Piano Trio. Ensembles are put
together based upon student level, schedule and approximate age.
Audition Requirements: Scale, Solo and Sight-reading (emailed after
registration is confirmed).
From the Directors
By Jimmy Gilmore and Elizabeth Beilman
All of us at NCCMI want to wish everyone a happy and prosperous NEW
YEAR! Thank you for your continued support and we hope that
you’ll be as excited as we are to make the year 2020 the best ever!
We’re looking forward to the year ahead and the ever-expanding
opportunities we have in store for our students. But before we
plunge headlong into a new decade, we need to catch our breath and
take a moment to reflect back on the milestones of this past fall.
The world renowned Eroica Trio visited Raleigh in September and
taught a masterclass for the Fantasma and Serio Trios of NCCMI. This
event and a subsequent masterclass with the Ciompi Quartet in
November featuring the Rondo Trio, the Allegro Piano Quartet, and
the Calore String Quartet was made possible through our ongoing
partnership with Chamber Music Raleigh. Giving our students a chance
to perform in front of some of the world’s leading chamber music
ensembles remains an essential part of the NCCMI experience.
As you know, part of the NCCMI mission is to serve the greater
community through our extensive outreach program. Some of the
highlights this fall were concerts at the NC Governor’s Mansion Open
House, the Cardinal at North Hills, numerous services played at
partner churches, and the WCPE String Quartet concert with the
Raleigh Boy Choir. Many NCCMI ensembles also appeared on the
Ovations Concert Series which takes place in the lobby of Meymandi
Concert Hall prior to NC Symphony Concerts. This program is a part
of our partnership with the NC Symphony.
This fall marked the launching of a new Faculty Artist series. Our
purpose is to expose students to the remarkable musical level of our
faculty and at the same time offer the faculty a chance to perform
some of the great works of chamber music for their students and the
public. The first concert took place in September at Meredith
College with Aurora Musicalis (Rebekah Binford, violin.... Elizabeth
Beilman, cello.... Jimmy Gilmore, clarinet...and Kent Lyman, piano).
The program, entitled “Aurora Musicalis Celebrates Birthdays!” was
curated by Elizabeth Beilman and featured works by composers Ludwig
van Beethoven and Clara Schumann on the anniversary of their birth.
The second concert took place in November at Church of the Nativity
and was curated by Kirsten Jermé. “Four by Four: A String
Quartet Extravaganza” was all that the title promised. The
performers were: Robert Anemone, and Carol Chung, violins, Matt
Chicurel, viola, and Kirsten Jermé, cello. The public and students
present were treated to a “tour de force” performance highlighting
works by Beethoven, Shostakovich, and North Carolina’s own Pulitzer
Prize winning composer, Caroline Shaw. (Incidentally NCCMI students
had a master class with Ms. Shaw back in May 2019).
We recently completed our Mid-year Evaluations. Our groups sounded
better than ever and students had the chance to practice
introductions with a microphone! Three outstanding “Performance
Review” concerts took place in early January, presented by 25 small
ensembles. Faculty Panelists review the performances; these are
shared with the groups to help them improve in the second semester.
Please mark your calendars for the third faculty concert hosted by
Church of the Nativity on Martin Luther King Day, January 20, 2020.
The concert will be curated by Dr. Timothy Holley of NC Central
University. The program is “Chamber Music Treasures” and will
feature music by African American Composers. This should be a very
interesting program of some familiar music and some that will be a
“first hearing” experience for our audience. This will be a very
popular event so please plan to arrive early.
The week after the Martin Luther King concert, on January 26, eight
NCCMI ensembles will appear on a Spotlight Concert at Highland
United Methodist Church. This concert will give NCCMI students a
chance to “Strut their Stuff” in front of yet another segment of the
public. The church is excited about presenting this concert as one
of our “Partner Churches.” Your attendance at this concert this is a
wonderful way for you to experience the breadth and depth of the
talent at NCCMI.
In the meantime, please check out our website at NCCMI.org for
other upcoming events. If you have any questions or thoughts you
would like to share please feel free to contact us by email or phone
anytime.
Looking forward to seeing you soon at an NCCMI event.
All the best,
Liz and Jimmy
Robert Monath
By Rebecca Christian
Protection of intellectual property is important in the field of
music and it became a fortunate connection for NCCMI when Rob
Monath joined the board. Rob, who has his own law firm in
Raleigh, has specialized in copyright and
trademark law
for a broad range of clients, particularly music publishers and
artists around the country as well as in North Carolina. His
connections to music have been lifelong, and says his first
comforting experiences as a child were taking naps under the
Steinway while his father, the music editor of Simon & Schuster
publishing company, practiced.
“Music was not my escape,” he said, “but I found so much
possibility with playing music. Once I was in a hotel on the other
side of the world where the owner brought out his nephew; we had
never met. The host handed us each a guitar and in about two
minutes as we jammed, we made an incredible connection.
That is the power of music.”
Rob, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with degrees in
English and Law, moved into his specialty when he defended Hinshaw
Music Company, a publisher of choral music, for eight years in a
copyright infringement lawsuit that became published case law.
That led him into representation of composers, Tony and
Grammy-nominated musicians and music publishers.
He has negotiated high profile licenses and agreements with
top entertainment, media and publishing companies ranging from music
for all major US television networks, the BBC and PBS to music for
the Royal Wedding of William and Kate.
He is the author of By the Book: A Simple Copyright Compliance
Method for Musicians and Music Professionals and was selected by
Business North Carolina for their 2019 Legal Elite for Intellectual
Property.
Rob joined the NCCMI board at a time when there was no attorney;
he could see the need for legal expertise. But his involvement
goes far beyond legal advice.
“I care about music intensely,” he said. “It is critical for young
people to take up an instrument and play as part of a group so that
they have to relate with other musicians to create a sound.
They rise and fall as a team.
They’ll use critical skills honed through NCCMI - to think on
your feet and to communicate with others in a nuanced way -
throughout life, whatever they pursue.”
Rob has been playing music since his teens, saying it was the way
he interacted with his peers. “It’s a lot better than getting
into trouble”. But he
says he would have liked some of the experiences NCCMI provides.
Having a group coach, someone who can help a group sound better and
teach students how to contribute better as part of a group is
something young musicians really need, particularly if they are
going to pursue a professional career, he explained.
“With chamber music so much of what you do is designed to
complement and enhance rather than just to play,” he said. “That’s
why the kids like it—they are learning 2+2=5. To a certain extent
you can’t even get this experience in an orchestra where there are
ways you can hide. But in an ensemble, you’ve locked arms and
you’re jumping out of the airplane together; you must communicate
and coordinate your efforts.”
Rob also believes that the relationships between students and
their NCCMI coaches help develop confidence, a gift they’ll have
through life. “You have to have the relaxed confidence to put
yourself out there. For
example, the number one factor in attracting venture capital is to
be confident about what you can do. NCCMI is teaching
confidence and at performances you can see it.”
Rob is enjoying serving on the NCCMI board because he believes the
organization blends musical and administrative excellence thanks to
the leadership of the chair and the executive directors.
“This is a very functional organization which makes serving on the
board lovely,” Rob said.” People check their egos at the door.
Because now so many people are sitting home alone and texting about
themselves it’s very lonely; there are fewer and fewer opportunities
to work with others to be part of something excellent. It’s a joy to
be a part of this.”
Community Music School Partnership
By Brooke Chow
The North Carolina Chamber Music Institute’s partnership with
Community Music School has opened countless doors of opportunity for
students. The Peer Mentorship Program, which was pioneered last
year, allows NCCMI students to work with CMS students every week.
Every Tuesday and Thursday, NCCMI students such as Hrishikesh Ram,
Asher Wexler, Ethan Hess, and Brooke Chow, visit CMS to help
students learn their music. These volunteers gain invaluable
experience working with their peers honing their own technique.
This year, the Community Music Partnership allowed for multiple
workshops including the Musical Pathways Workshop. This workshop
included a panel discussion about Careers in Music. Among the
panelists that spoke included faculty and representatives from
UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, Meredith College, Appalachian
State and others.
Ms. Waltye Rasulala, President of NCCMI, interviewed one CMS
student and her mother—attendees of the workshop. Roxana Bernabe,
who has been a harp student at CMS since 2014, had this to say “I
learned a lot about job opportunities in music, that there were
other careers other than teaching or playing an instrument. It was
inspiring to hear what those on the panel had to say about their
careers.” Her mother, Graciela Reyes also learned quite a bit: “I
wanted my daughters to come so they could learn more about music and
what they could study in college. I did not know about music therapy
and the many other careers they could pursue.”
NCCMI is excited to continue this partnership with CMS. One
upcoming event, the NCCMI x CMS Side-by-Side Concert is on February
22nd at 3:30. It is free and open to the public!
A Word from the Executive Director
By Elizabeth Beilman
Over the last six years, NCCMI has grown in numbers and visibility
as students and teachers see the quantifiable results of a great
chamber music education. Our yearly student number has grown from 13
to 90. We now have 22 small ensembles who meet weekly with
professional teachers, including NC Symphony musicians. Our students
are leaders in their individual schools and occupy prominent
positions in All-Region and All-State Orchestras.
The process of rehearsing independently and receiving guidance
from professional musicians builds transferable life skills:
leadership through interaction with peers; independence as each
player is responsible for their individual part; communication
through public speaking and student-led rehearsals; and teamwork,
where each player trusts other members of the ensemble to do their
job. It takes a lot of dedication and hard work, but NCCMI is also a
lot of fun!
This year, our initiative with Community Music School has broadened
to three areas of collaboration: the Peer Mentorship Program, the
Collaborative Pianists Project, and partner workshops. Through peer
mentoring, NCCMI musicians will be able to work side by side with
Community Music School musicians in group classes. This is a
wonderful opportunity for NCCMI musicians to gain some experience
helping out younger kids and honing their own skills while receiving
volunteer hours. The Collaborative Pianists Project give NCCMI
pianists valuable partnering and performance experience with
Community Music School musicians and teachers. This year, partner
workshops include: NCCMI teacher Ashley Kovacs (Celtic Improv), a
Career/College Planning Workshop, and our annual Side by Side
Chamber Orchestra Workshop.
Other opportunities come to us through key partnerships with North
Carolina Symphony and Chamber Music Raleigh. This year, these
include master classes with the Virado Trio and the Ciompi and
Harlem String Quartets. NCCMI groups performed for over 8000 people
in outreach concerts occur throughout last year. Looking ahead this
year, performances are planned for retirement communities,
libraries, museums, Autism Society, Ovations before the Symphony and
many more.
Our groups are able to accomplish so much because they are
inspired on a weekly basis by our terrific team of teachers,
including many NCS musicians. For these sessions, Wake County area
churches provide welcoming spaces. We couldn’t do it without these
generous friends: Edenton Street United Methodist Church, Highland
United Methodist Church, Church of the Nativity, and Apex United
Methodist Church. And NCCMI is honored to “give back” by providing
music for worship services.
Support for scholarships and programming has increased through the
generosity of government agencies and private citizens.
These include 2019-20 funding increase by the City of Raleigh
based on recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission.
NCCMI is also supported by the United Arts Council of Raleigh
and Wake County, as well as the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the
Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. For the 5th year,
WCPE-The Classical Station is supporting NCCMI through an Education
Fund grant.
Most of our county-wide events are open to the general public.
Check us out through social media outlets and plan to drop in for a
master class, workshop or concert. You will be glad you did! Chamber
Music is a musical conversation among friends. Welcome to the party!
Treasured Trustee: Florence Peacock
Rebecca Christian
It can be assumed that soprano Florence Peacock has been singing
her entire life since she made her public musical debut at the age
of four, singing “God Bless America” before a large crowd in an
arena in her home town of Covington, GA.
She sang from memory because she hadn’t yet learned to read!
Now that she can read, she has sung professionally in many
languages with French and German her favorites. She is still
performing today.
Florence believes music is an extremely important element for the
human race. “Music is a
way for human beings to express their feelings safely: feelings of
sadness, of joy, of anger.
It’s very important to young people, especially if they’re
not funded. NCCMI can give them training they need and music can
save their lives.”
Florence studied piano and clarinet but her voice is her primary
instrument. She prepared
for a professional music career by earning a B.A. from Hollins
College in Virginia and a Master’s in Music from Yale. It was at
Yale that she met her anthropologist husband James.
A friend introduced them, saying “he talks like you do.’” And
in fact, James grew up in Georgia too. Instead of going on from Yale
to New York, Florence decided to marry James, who took her to
Indonesia, then to Princeton and finally to Chapel Hill.
But along the way she has been presented in recitals and concerts
in Indonesia as well as England, Japan, Russia, Canada and the U.S.
She has appeared on Performance Today on National Public Radio, as a
soprano soloist at the Franz Schubert Institute in Austria and at
the Oberlin (Ohio) College Baroque Performance Institute for several
years. In fact, she was
still singing at Oberlin this summer.
In addition to performing, Florence has also taught music and has
been very active in supporting musical and philanthropic
organizations in the Triangle.
She has served on the board of Triangle Opera, the advisory
board of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Community Chorus, the national
development council of UNC-Chapel Hill and was president of the
Preservation Society of Chapel Hill. She has also been active in the
Chapel Hill Music Teachers Association and the National Association
of Music Teachers.
Florence thus brings the perspective of a professional musician,
a music educator and a community philanthropist to the board.
She joined the board of NCCMI because she is a strong
believer in music education. “Music stimulates the brain,'' she
said, “and the physical exercise is very good for people too.” She
enjoys hearing vocal soloists singing with chamber music ensembles
or accompaniment. She
likes the direct connection of the singer to other human beings.
“NCCMI offers something absolutely critical to these young
people,” she said. “Each is tutored by terrific musicians, a
wonderful opportunity to get coaching at that level. We as board
members have to make sure that NCCMI survives because of its
essential and unique work. I believe this kind of education can
carry on the goodness of the world.”
NCCMI Outreach: SearStone Retirement Community
Waltye Rasulala
Throughout the years, the young musicians from North Carolina
Chamber Music Institute have many performing opportunities.
Performances are held in churches, libraries, at Ovations before
Symphony performances, and at many of the retirement communities in
the area. SearStone Retirement Community in Cary is one of the many
retirement communities that have welcomed NCCMI performances.
Audience response to the young musicians’ performances has been
exciting and truly a learning experience. Recently, John O’Neil, a
resident of the SearStone Retirement Community, expressed how the
residents feel about these afternoon chamber music performances.
“Residents are very emotionally supportive of the NCCMI groups. They
enjoy hearing the kids perform and absolutely hearing the various
levels of their performances. You can see the kids progressing up
each year.”
John, who studied music as a child and as an adult, said this
about the performers. “I see these young people becoming
professional performers one day. NCCMI is a gateway for them to
perform, not just with a good group, but with a great group. I think
that must be one of the greatest thrills for them and for us.”
As a gateway to helping NCCMI musicians reach their goals of
professionalism, SearStone is very welcoming because they enjoy the
young people playing chamber music for them. Applause to you
SearStone for your support.
Welcome, Interns!
Brooke Chow
When I was first selected for the position of Lead Intern during
junior year of high school, I was apprehensive about the duties and
tasks I would be assigned. I had worked internship positions in the
past and they were less than satisfying: pouring coffee, organizing
sugar packets, and making copies for hours on end. I was worried
that this internship position would be the same.
However, I was pleasantly surprised. Ms. Beilman, NCCMI’s
Executive Director, welcomed us interns with open arms and made us
feel at home as we convened for our first meeting. I was pleasantly
surprised to recognize the familiar faces of the five other talented
musicians that would be interning alongside me: Jaewon Jung, Sophia
Knappe, David Kim, Neha Vangipurapu, and David Dongha Kim. As we
discussed our skills and goals, Ms. Beilman provided us with a wide
array of options so we could select the position that most
interested us. Right off the bat, I knew that I wanted to work on
the newsletter. Journalism and writing had long been an unexplored
interest for me and working on NCCMI’s newsletter was the perfect
opportunity to finally familiarize myself with the process. Ms.
Beilman had also taken note of my desire to give back to the
community, which I had expressed on my application, and she asked me
to implement the peer mentorship program—which I was absolutely
ecstatic about!
The peer mentorship program is a partnership between NCCMI and
Community Music School Raleigh, which provides affordable quality
music lessons to young students in the area. This initiative would
allow CMS students to receive supplemental help with their music
education from NCCMI musicians. I was in charge of scheduling
lessons, recruiting volunteer mentors, and serving as the direct
line of communication between NCCMI and CMS. Working on this
initiative was extremely fulfilling. For the first time in my life,
I finally felt that I was helping out the community. Working with
these passionate young musicians was inspiring and it was always the
highlight of my week. Besides working on the newsletter and
mentorship program, I collaborated with the five other interns on
their projects. From compiling grant statistics to creating online
calendars to drafting the programs, the work was always new and
challenging.
Overall, the NCCMI internship has been a valuable experience. As
we onboard new interns this upcoming year, I’m looking forward to
getting to know these bright individuals and working with them to
reach their goals, too.
Zuill Bailey- An Artist "Up Close"
Connection with NCCMI
By David Kim
When I sat down in the concert hall before the performance, I
wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The soloist Zuill Bailey - I’d
heard of him, sure, and I’d even observed one of his instructional
masterclasses in the past. Yet, as every musician knows, the true
ability of a performer can be found only in their performance. The
instant Mr. Bailey played his first note, a pure, melodic “G#”, any
previous doubts of mine were dispelled, and I knew that the concert
would be one to remember. From the mysterious, yet profound Walton
Cello Concerto, to finally Strauss’s majestic and ostentatious “Don
Quixote”, I was captivated from beginning to end. By the finale, I
was on my feet shouting, “Encore! Encore!”.
Yet, I was not limited to simply watching such a talented, skilled
performer from within the audience - Through the connections of Ms.
Beilman we were actually able to meet him in person. One-on-one,
were able to personally discuss at a length many facets of his
professional career as a cellist, such as his personal relationship
with his cello. At the end, I was even able get him to sign my
program!
None of this would’ve been possible without the assistance of the
NCCMI. It was only through the efforts of the many,
behind-the-scenes organizers and planners that I was able to secure
a spot in Mr. Bailey’s masterclass, gaining valuable experience and
knowledge. The cost of attendance to Mr. Bailey’s most recent
performance, like many others, was covered by the institute. Without
masterclasses like these, I would never have met the many talented
musicians that I now consider my closest friends.
Playing Chamber Music
By Elizabeth Beilman
Chamber Music is by its very nature a connective art. Each
instrumental part is independent and yet reliant upon the others in
the ensemble. While one musician might begin the melody, another one
carries it forward or adds embellishment. The fact that a string
quartet can sound almost orchestral- in the hands of a composer like
Beethoven or Shostakovich- is a small miracle of texture and
harmonic depth. For a student, learning to play one’s own part while
at the same time listening and responding to the others- “in the
moment”- is another small miracle. This is one of the reasons why
playing chamber music builds artistry and leadership in young
musicians. It is also a metaphor for the success of NCCMI in its 5th
anniversary year.
The connections we see in the form of chamber music itself are
also inherent in our community of partners, teachers, contributors
and friends. NCCMI started with only 13 students and now has 81.
This growth came about mostly through word of mouth recommendations
and the strength of many friendships: From the inspiring master
classes by nationally recognized ensembles, provided by NCCMI’s
partnership with Chamber Music Raleigh to the use of wonderful
spaces at our Partner Churches for weekly sessions and events… From
the North Carolina Symphony, whose music director Grant Llewellyn
conducted an amazing workshop in the fall of 2018 to the helpful
suggestions of NCS staff and performing opportunities like Ovations
Before the Symphony or the upcoming NCS Legislative Reception. Our
newest partners are the Raleigh Arts Commission and the United Arts
Council who have provided NCCMI with essential program support. UAC
recently presented the NCCMI String Quartet at the annual State of
the Arts event, giving us terrific exposure in the arts community.
One thing leads to another. Just like the theme and variations in
a great Haydn string quartet or perhaps the precise and graceful
“handing off” of musical phrases in a well-honed chamber ensemble.
What would we do without the beautiful graphics and marketing
materials created by Kim Ridge or the gorgeous photos taken by Chris
Walt Photography and volunteer Joseph Fuller? And we love visiting
our many partners Retirement Communities and the Wake County
Libraries where we have found vibrant friends who give our students
a real boost with their enthusiastic applause and warm response.
Once again, WCPE-The Classical Station and Arioso Strings,
Incorporated have bestowed our program with generous gifts,
resulting in the naming of two of our scholarship ensembles in their
honor. We would be remiss to leave out long-time friends known
throughout the community for years for consistent support of the
arts: Soprano and NCCMI trustee Florence Peacock and Tom and June
Roberg (through the Triangle Community Foundation). Their major
gifts have helped to fund scholarships and important NCCMI programs.
Each of our Board members and sub-committee members has shared
his/her many gifts with enthusiasm; our growth is a tribute to their
constant and creative stewardship. Be sure to read the article about
our newest board member, the highly accomplished and talented
Kristen Hess!
Our friendships continue to “crescendo.” Just look at our
partnership with the Community Music School. The upcoming/annual
NCCMI-CMS Side by Side Workshop and Concert event is sure to bring a
smile to every face. Try to attend if you can! Building upon our
partnership, NCCMI and CMS are exploring a brand-new Peer Mentoring
program, launching soon.
Our NCCMI teachers provide the most inspiring connection to the
NCCMI students. There is no more effective training found in the
world than the intensive mentoring of classical pedagogy. Our
teacher/student ratio is 1:4. Through their remarkable and vivid
connections with composers and diverse traditions and cultures, our
teachers literally bring the past to life for their students. This
is an irreplaceable gift. It’s as though we are having one big
chamber music party. We welcome all our friends: come together and
join the party!
Meet the WCPE String Quartet
By Waltye Rasulala
For the past four years, WCPE The Classical Station has sponsored
NCCMI through its Education Fund. In recognition of this generous
gift, NCCMI established the WCPE String Quartet. This scholarship
ensemble is made up of students from the North Carolina Chamber
Music Institute. All of the chosen WCPE String Quartet musicians
have to audition, a process includes a videotaped preliminary, three
rounds of semifinals and final auditions.
Let me introduce you to the students who are members of the WCPE
String Quartet this year.
Quenton Blanche, cellist, is 17 years old and joined the WCPE
String quartet and NCCMI for the first time this year. Quenton is a
graduating senior at Ravenscroft School and has studied cello for
eight years. He is a Lower School Orchestra assistant, plays Varsity
Soccer and has been accepted for the second consecutive year to the
National Youth Orchestra. In addition to all of this he also
composes music and is an NCCMI intern. He plans on majoring in music
when he enters college next year.
Abigail Marshall, violist, is 18 years old and is a graduating
senior at Apex High School. She participates in the orchestra at her
school and this year she is an NCCMI intern. Abigail started her
string playing with the violin and two years ago she started
focusing on playing the viola. UNC-Greensboro is her college of
choice where she will be majoring in music. Her career focus is to
become a music teacher, but she wants to make sure she leaves time
to play in small ensembles, orchestras and to learn contemporary
string music.
Neha Vangipurapu, violinist, is 17 years old and is a senior at
Raleigh Charter High School. She has been studying violin for ten
years and this past summer she attended the Meadowmount School. Her
time there was spent practicing intensively her violin for hours
each day. This year at NCCMI she is an NCCMI intern learning the
business of what it takes to run this organization. At Raleigh
Charter she plays in the school orchestra. When she attends college
next year, she will become a double major in music and international
relations. Neha says that through her relationship with NCCMI she
has learned how to play chamber music, communicate with her fellow
musicians when she plays in these groups and has expanded her list
of close friends. She feels that all of these attributes grouped
together have given her the greatest experience of being part of
NCCMI.
Jaewon Jung, violinist, is 17 years old and has been in NCCMI the
longest of all the WCPE String Quartet members. This is his second
year playing in the WCPE String Quartet and he has been part of
NCCMI since 2013. This year he is also an NCCMI student intern and
as part of his internship, he is managing all of the online program
submission forms (for over 40 events!) In addition to all this
responsibility he serves on the stage crew. Jaewon has studied music
for eleven years and when he goes to college, he plans to major in
health care and music will be a hobby.
All of the members of the WCPE String Quartet practice daily at
least two hours a day. They each follow through working with their
private teachers, NCCMI coaches and of course in school orchestras.
The music they are focusing on this year in their WCPE String
Quartet is the music of Beethoven and Grieg. They have performed for
the Jasper and Borromeo String Quartets in NCCMI Master Classes and
in May will be performing in the Caroline Shaw Master Class. All of
them say that learning to communicate with each other as musicians
is one of the most important aspects of playing chamber music.
Board Member Profile: Meet Kristen
Hess
By Rebecca Christian
Board member Kristen Hess is a believer in collaboration which is
also at the heart of chamber music.
Kristen is the Principal and CEO of HH Architecture, a
commercial architecture and interior design firm which
differentiates itself by a collaborative, partnership-style approach
to design. That has made
the firm Kristen founded a success; it was just named the Triangle
Firm of the Year by the Triangle chapter of the American Institute
of Architects. And
Kristen is seeing the collaborative approach of NCCMI with its
students from close range, not only as a board member but as a
parent—her son Ethan, 14, is a cellist with the Espressivo Quartet,
and her daughter Lauren, 10, plays viola in the Vivace String
Quartet.
The NCCMI board is comprised of a variety of backgrounds and
perspectives. Currently two parents serve on the board: Kristen and
Mei Thai. Kristen brings her business, governance, leadership and
decision-making experience to the board but also brings the very
important perspective of parents, helping the board stay in touch
with issues that affect students and families.
Kristen’s business philosophy includes continual civic investment
and community involvement so her firm is engaged in many ways in the
community. Personally, she serves on the board of the NC Coastal
Pines Girl Scout Council and also of the Chamber of Commerce.
She said she joined the NCCMI board because of her great
respect for the organization’s leadership and her gratitude for the
organization, which she believes gives opportunities to her
children.
“At NCCMI the children receive not only wonderful musical
training, but also life skills and lessons for leadership, teamwork,
and public presentation. The coaches and musical professionals are
critically acclaimed and have been mentors and advocates for our
children. There is constant attention to critical thinking, public
speaking, risk taking and decision making,” she said. Kristen
believes NCCMI has many strengths and is committed through her board
membership to enhancing the organization.
Fostering that collaboration is a key strength she believes.
As she summarized, “NCCMI pulls together young musicians who might
not otherwise work together to create strong teams. The small groups
afford these students the opportunity to be important team players
and leaders. They are not lost in a crowd. They are required to
communicate with one another and lean on each other to create a
unique product. They learn to prepare, audition, present and
participate in their communities.”
Peer Mentoring Program with Community Music School
By Brooke Chow
This year, NCCMI is partnering with Community Music School Raleigh
to start a peer-mentoring strings program. Community Music School is
a non-profit organization that aims to provide all children with the
opportunity to learn music through access to quality music lessons
that cost as little as $1 per lesson. NCCMI students that play
violin, viola, or cello now have the opportunity to peer-mentor a
student at Community Music School.
By working with Community Music School, NCCMI supports a positive
cause for the community. Many students at CMS lack the confidence
and support they need during their lessons and performances. By
having an NCCMI peer-mentor that can practice with them and help
with fingerings and musicality, both NCCMI and CMS students are
strongly benefitted. NCCMI students can volunteer occasionally or
weekly, based on their schedules. They can also choose the time and
how long they peer-mentor: ranging from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours.
All volunteering with CMS students can count towards school
volunteering hours and club.
If you or your child is interested in this opportunity, please
fill out the following SignUp Genius:
"https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0E4AA8A729A1FE3-nccmi"
A Word From Our Executive Director
By Elizabeth Beilman
NCCMI is celebrating our 5th anniversary year; our yearly student
number has grown from 13 to 80. We now have 20 small ensembles,
working and performing throughout the year. These include string
quartets, piano/string combinations and a woodwind quintet who meet
weekly in sessions with professional teachers, including NC Symphony
musicians. NCCMI organizes events at over 40 locations each year,
including retirement communities, museums, libraries, Ovations at
the Symphony and many more.
Over the last five years, NCCMI has grown in numbers and
visibility as students and teachers see the quantifiable results of
a great chamber music education. Our students are leaders in their
individual schools and occupy prominent positions in All-Region and
All-State Orchestras.
The process of rehearsing independently and receiving guidance
from professional musicians builds transferable life skills:
leadership through interaction with peers; independence as each
player is responsible for their individual part; communication
through public speaking and student-led rehearsals; and teamwork,
where each player trusts other members of the ensemble to do his
job. All this could sound very serious, but NCCMI would not be so
popular if playing chamber music weren’t also a lot of fun!
Our partnerships have helped us along the way: North Carolina
Symphony (Grant Llewellyn Workshop Concert, Ovations performances,
Caroline Shaw master class and outreach opportunities), Chamber
Music Raleigh (master classes with Jasper and Borromeo String
Quartets and pianist Andrew Tyson). We are so grateful!
We also thank the many area churches that provide space for NCCMI
sessions and performances: Edenton Street United Methodist Church,
Highland United Methodist Church, Church of the Nativity and Apex
United Methodist Church. Another facet of our partnership: our
groups are honored to provide music for worship services at these
churches.
Support for scholarships and programming has increased as well.
NCCMI is funded in part by the City of Raleigh based on
recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission.
NCCMI is supported by the United Arts Council of Raleigh and
Wake County, as well as the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the
Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. For the 4th year,
WCPE-The Classical Station is supporting NCCMI through an Education
Fund grant.
Most of our county-wide events are open to the general public.
Check us out through social media outlets and plan to drop in for a
master class, workshop or concert. You will be glad you did!
Among our highlights for the fall/winter season: The Borromeo
String Quartet Master Class (Nov. 17 at Highland United Methodist
Church) and concerts at many area retirement communities (The
Cardinal at North Hills, the Oaks at Whitaker Glen and SearStone).
To see our students at their very best, attend one of our
Performance Reviews (1/6 or 1/12 2:30pm) or Spring Concerts (April
27 or May 4 at 2pm)
Chamber Music is a musical conversation among friends. Welcome to
the party!
Arioso Quartet Prize-Winning Performance
In the summer of 2018, members of the Arioso Quartet, Belinda Wang
(violin), Demi Wang (violin), Richard Gao (viola) and Jonathan Thai
(cello), competed in the semifinals of the Chinese National
Television Talent Search Competition in Washington, DC. After
winning that competition, they were off to Beijing, China to compete
in the finals.
Arriving in China, they realized that their chosen work to play,
Horse Race (a traditional Chinese piece, arranged for Classical
String Quartet) was being performed by another competing group,
which had more people, traditional Chinese instruments, in addition
to Western instruments. Arioso plays strictly Western instruments.
Right away they realized that they had to find a way to be more
appealing; to show the audience more than just “look at what we can
play”. They had to be more than just classical musician…they had to
be a stand out.
So, in a single afternoon, despite jet lag they reworked their
program to incorporate a medley of different styles, Pachelbel
Canon, Despacito by Luis Fonsi, Beethoven String Quartet Op. 18, No.
4 and of course Horse Race, and performed their program as a skit.
To quote cellist Jonathan Thai, “in a quartet there are four
different instruments, four different parts and four different
opinions. So, personalities were attached to each instrument and we
incorporated a conversation within the chamber music” selections”.
The completely memorized performance won the attention of the judges
and the show’s producer. As a result, they were awarded the
Instrumental Prize and their videotaped performance will be
presented on Chinese Television this year.
The creativity and beautiful performance made Arioso a “stand
out for sure.”
The Grant Llewellyn Orchestral Workshop and Concert… A true winner.
On a beautiful October Saturday, the strains of the music of
composers Edward Elgar and Antonin Dvorak moved beautifully
throughout the sanctuary of St. Francis United Methodist Church in
Cary. Inside the church, a 62-piece orchestra made up of young
musicians from North Carolina Chamber Music Institute, University of
North Carolina (Chapel Hill and Greensboro campuses), and Greenville
and Wake County high schools played together. Joining them in this
Side-by-Side experience were other professionals including NCCMI
faculty, freelance musicians and members of the North Carolina
Symphony. Conducting them was the Music Director of the North
Carolina Symphony, Music Director Grant Llewellyn.
What!! Am I seeing this correctly? The music director of the North
Carolina Symphony conducting these young people; How did this
happen? According to Maestro Llewellyn, it was simply the thing of
asking. “I was
approached by Liz Beilman, our associate Principal Cellist to see if
I would like to work with the students from the NCCMI chamber
groups. I had previously only heard them play chamber music and was
impressed with their standard, so I jumped at the idea."
That idea produced an intensive workshop including sectionals with
NCCMI Assistant Director Jimmy Gilmore and David Glover (former NCS
Associate Conductor and NCCMI teacher). This was followed by a
two-hour rehearsal for the young musicians with Grant Llewellyn in
order to prepare a public performance of Serenade for Strings, Op.
20 by Edward Elgar and Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op 88 by Antonin
Dvorak.
What kind of expectations did Grant Llewellyn have for the day? “I
arrived without any expectation and I was immediately impressed.”
The students were also impressed with this wonderful and
generous conductor who gave them the chance of a lifetime.
Not only did this world class conductor teach and lead these young
musicians, but he also gave one, Lauren Southwell, a crash course in
conducting. Did she actually volunteer to stand in front of this 62
- piece orchestra and suddenly try her skill at conducting?
According to Maestro Llewellyn “She didn’t exactly put her hand up,
but she smiled and that is always fatal.” Extending this kind of
opportunity is something that Grant says he enjoys doing.” If I can
open the door for any young person to have an opportunity, then I
will.”
Rob also
believes that the relationships between students and their NCCMI
coaches help develop confidence, a gift they’ll have through life.
“You have to have the relaxed confidence to put yourself out there.
For example, the number one factor in attracting venture
capital is to be confident about what you can do. NCCMI is
teaching confidence and at performances you can see it.”
3131 Ashel Street, Raleigh, NC 27612
919-781-3863
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