Franklin Pond Founder and Music Director, Ronda Respess, was awarded the Atlanta Federation of Musicians Educator Award for her work with Franklin Pond for the last 20 years. The award was announced at the last Union meeting and comes with a $500 stipend which is to be donated to a non-profit of choice – which, of course, is Franklin Pond. Ronda is very grateful for this honor bestowed by her colleagues.
Watch the Spivey Hall Young People’s Concert with Franklin Pond on YouTube. Hear interviews with three Fall Into Spring students, listen to their groups perform, and meet Artistic Director, Ronda Respess and Program Coordinator, Ginny Fairchild.
Rainer Eudeikis, principal cellist of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra visited Franklin Pond on April 13 as a masterclass artist. The students were excited to work with him and hear him play. We all appreciated another live masterclass.
Nick Curry stepped in for us at the last minute on March 23 for an online masterclass. Nick teaches at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville and is an Atlanta native.
Franklin Pond alum, Josiah Coe (2005 & 2006), is coaching and playing the Dohnanyi “Serenade” with Emily Rader and Julia Gaines for the second half of the year. What fun to have him back teaching for us!
Four Franklin Pond groups played in the first live masterclass of the year on Tuesday, January 12. This was part of our live Fall Into Spring program, which is being held in Peachtree Road United Methodist Church. The students were thrilled to perform and get coaching from David Coucheron, concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and his sister Julie Coucheron, a fabulous pianist, both of whom can be heard in concerts all over the U.S. and abroad.
Our PR genius, Lucy Crosswell of ProjectPR, entered the 2020 (all virtual) Franklin Pond Chamber Music Competition to compete for the much sought after Phoenix Awards, and we are one of the finalists!
Fall Into Spring is off to a great start. Live coaching has begun and, with everyone is being very careful to follow all COVID-19 regulations, we are looking forward to another successful season. When they sound this good at the first coaching session, we can’t wait to hear them in a few months!
The Franklin Pond Quartet and flutist Christina Smith gave live outdoor concerts at Lenbrook senior living in September and at Common Table Church Saturday, October 17. After being quarantined for so long, it is wonderful to see people enjoying live music again, of course socially distant. The people may be masked, but the music isn’t. It is better than ever!
(images courtesy of Common Table Church)
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