Masterclass with Peter Oundjian
The masterclass yesterday with Peter Oundjian was wonderful. He is the consummate musician and such a nice person. Ravel “Introduction and Allegro” and Prokofiev Quintet.
The masterclass yesterday with Peter Oundjian was wonderful. He is the consummate musician and such a nice person. Ravel “Introduction and Allegro” and Prokofiev Quintet.
Robert Spano worked with three of our groups on Saturday, February 23 at Atlanta Symphony Hall. He is a wonderful teacher — a born teacher — and teaches with such compassion and love. He inspired all the students and all who attended.
Our TDP string quartet (yet unnamed!) performed at the pre-concert onstage performance of current Talent Development Program students, just before the big 25th anniversary concert with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and TDP alumni. They did a good job with Beethoven Op.18 #4, especially considering they haven’t had it for very long. We were very proud of them all. Brandon’s cello solo earlier in that pre-concert was wonderful.
Jun-Ching Lin stepped gave a wonderful masterclass Saturday, January 19 in Atlanta Symphony Hall to three of our groups. They sounded terrific for halfway through the year!
In collaboration between Franklin Pond and the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra Chamber Players (ASYOCP), the Dali Quartet gave a short performance on stage in Symphony Hall on Saturday, November 17, then worked with two of our groups playing the Matz cello quartet and the Ravel “Introduction and Allegro”. It was a mutual admiration day. The audience of about 60 students and parents enjoyed the Dali performance which included a quartet composed by ASO violinist Juan Ramirez. The Quartet members were very impressed with our students, who played beautifully.
On Wednesday, October 24, the Franklin Pond Players and 3 alumni (well, 4 including the Sarah Park Chastain) played a Children’s Concert in Spivey Hall. Jun-Ching Lin emceed the whole thing and the audience was wonderfully attentive the whole time. Jun-Ching and Carolyn Hancock were joined by Sarah Chastain and Barney Culver in the professional quartet. Nicholas Lin and his dad played a movement of a Brahms sonata and Jordan Leslie and Evan Nicholson awed the audience with a showy duo. We love doing these student/professional collaborative concerts!
The first Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Insider’s Evening took place on Tuesday, October 9 at a gorgeous home in Buckhead. Jun-Ching Lin and his son, Nicholas played a movement of a Brahms Violin Sonata. What a fabulous duo! Then the Franklin Pond Quartet (Jun-Ching, Carolyn Hancock, Paul Murphy and Danny Laufer) played Gershwin Lullaby and Haydn (“Frog Quartet” of course!). What a wonderfully inspiring evening. THANK YOU all!
The Prokofiev quartet and Mozart quintet groups played very well and made us proud at the City Springs Festival (Saturday, August 11). Wish we could have tried out the big hall (much better acoustics), but we were glad to be part of the celebration. What a beautiful building and city center to represent our city!
Our Summer Finale Concert was on Sunday, July 29. “I was very proud of all the kids. They worked very hard and showed their best Sunday, as well as the three Community Concerts they played last week. Seeing these kids grow musically and technically, and particularly seeing them grow personally, is food for the heart. I love these kids!”
-Ronda Respess
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