These young musicians are learning from the best.
Seventy-five middle school student musicians auditioned on Jan. 30 and 31 for a coveted spot in the New York Pops’ Kids on Stage program. Only 20 chosen finalists will be trained by New York Pops teaching artists and will perform on stage for the orchestra’s annual birthday gala at Carnegie Hall on May 2.
“Kids on Stage is an amazing opportunity for young musicians. In addition to the excitement of the culminating performance on stage at Carnegie Hall, students engage in a truly immersive learning experience throughout the audition and rehearsal process as they work closely with skilled educators, professional musicians, and Maestro Reineke,” said Lisa Beth Vettoso, The New York Pops’ director of education.
The program is part of the orchestra’s PopsEd program, which is led by Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke and provides an exciting learning environment for its students, showcasing tools like composition, lyric writing, performance, and mentorship to foster learning.
Before the gala, the young musicians will have five rehearsal sessions, including three with PopsEd teaching artists, one led by Reineke, and a dress rehearsal at Carnegie Hall before the gala. Of the 20 participants, five students will be selected to receive a three-week scholarship to the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts Summer Camp in Hancock, N.Y., to participate in the program for advanced musical studies.
The 20 finalists certainly proved their mettle at the auditions.
“The students are asked to prepare a piece of music, play basic scales, and sight read in a format similar to an orchestral audition,” said Karen DiYanni, a current Kids on Stage judge as well as a New York Pops violinist and PopsEd Teaching Artist. “At the auditions, we met young musicians from all over the city, with varying levels of experience on their instrument. In addition to newcomers, we saw many that auditioned and/or were selected last year. This speaks volumes about what an incredible experience and opportunity Kids on Stage is for middle-school students.”
Education is an essential part of The New York Pops’ mission. Through its PopsEd programs, the organization collaborates with public schools, community organizations, children’s hospitals, and senior centers throughout the five boroughs, which affords thousands of New Yorkers the opportunity to participate in music programming.
“Kids on Stage helps fill the gap in today’s music education system by giving students a truly unique, professional opportunity,” said DiYanni.
To be considered for participation, the students filled out an application form and submitted two personal essays and a recommendation letter from a teacher. Student essays and recommendation letters were then reviewed by the director of education and New York Pops staff, who selected students and invited them to audition, said Vettoso.
The 2016 Kids on Stage students include:
• Ande-Marie Balla, flute, grade 8
• Eve Budd, clarinet, grade 7
• Quentin Chen, violin, grade 7
• Lukas Chin, horn, grade 7
• Philip Fletcher, euphonium, grade 8
• Pasquale Giusto, trumpet, grade 8
• Jeshua Kim, flute, grade 8
• William Lach, trumpet, grade 8
• Yong Ho Lee, clarinet, grade 8
• John Liu, euphonium, grade 7
• Victoria Lu, violin, grade 8
• Jessica Mandel, horn, grade 8
• Olivia Mangum-Lehmann, cello, grade 8
• Simone Martel, saxophone, grade 7
• Jordyn Pierre-Raphael, saxophone, grade 8
• Abigail Rodriguez, percussion, grade 8
• Meghan Stackhouse, clarinet, grade 6
• Adam Vidal, trumpet, grade 8
• Anna Wielgat, oboe, grade 8
• Shuran Xie, saxophone, grade 6
The New York Pops 33rd Birthday Gala “Do You Hear the People Sing” at Carnegie Hall (881 Seventh Ave. between W. 56th and W. 57th streets in Midtown, www.newyo
Shnieka Johnson is a Manhattan-based education consultant and freelance writer. Contact her via her website: www.shnie
