From the Top Receives NEA Grants to Support Radio and Outreach

Posted on May 8, 2013 by fttgreenroom

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa announced that From the Top is one of 817 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. From the Top is recommended for two grants totaling $105,000 to support production of From the Top’s weekly radio show and From the Top’s education and outreach programs.

Acting Chairman Shigekawa said, “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support these exciting and diverse arts projects that will take place throughout the United States. Whether it is through a focus on education, engagement, or innovation, these projects all contribute to vibrant communities and memorable opportunities for the public to engage with the arts.”

In August 2012, the NEA received 1,547 eligible applications for Art Works grants requesting more than $80 million in funding. Art Works grants support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts. The 817 recommended NEA grants total $26.3 million and span 13 artistic disciplines and fields. Applications were reviewed by panels of outside experts convened by NEA staff, and each project was judged on its artistic excellence and artistic merit.

For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA website at arts.gov.

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Alum Pays It Forward in Salinas, California

Posted on May 8, 2013 by fttgreenroom
Eliodoro on From the Top in 2007.

Eliodoro on From the Top in 2007.

Six years after appearing on From the Top, 22-year-old alum Eliodoro Vallecillo is paying it forward in his hometown of Salinas, California. Through his own after-school music program and traditional Mexican band, he hopes to develop new audiences for Mexican music and offer new opportunities for kids in Salinas.

Eliodoro wowed audiences on both From the Top’s radio and television programs with his performance of Mozart’s Concert No. 3 in E-flat on French horn. But it was his story about how his passion for music helped him to escape gang violence in his hometown and grieve the loss of his brother that audiences most remember.

For Eliodoro, his From the Top experience was influential in other ways. As a recipient of From the Top’s Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award, he was able to purchase a new French horn, which he used as a music major at California State University at Long Beach. He also counts From the Top’s Arts Leadership Orientation Workshop as a moment of inspiration for him.

“I remember some classes at From the Top on how to be involved in our community and that always stood in the back of my mind. It was always a dream to give back. Music is something that’s very powerful. I’m glad that From the Top encourages that, because a lot of these kids need it. I’m grateful that they made me see that!”

Music  – both traditional Mexican and classical – was a large part of Eliodoro’s upbringing but unfortunately there weren’t many opportunities in his community for music instruction. “My brother and I went through a music program where we learned to play our instruments, after that there was nothing else in Salinas,” he says.

Eliodoro was inspired to create a way for kids in his hometown to continue their musical passions. He developed an after-school music program, Escuela de Musica Regional Mexicana, that introduces kids ages 7 to 17 to Mexican music. Jesse G. Sanchez Elementary School is the program’s main site, hosting over 100 students, while a secondary site at Salinas Public Library hosts just over 80 students. Students in the program focus on traditional Mexican music, such as the accordion, guitar, drums, bass guitar, tuba, trumpet, and bajo sexto, a traditional 12-stringed bass guitar.

“I would love the students to come back, teach, and stay involved.” He said, “It caught me off guard that all the students were very enthused, along with the parents, because it’s something that’s culturally relevant.”

Along with Escuela de Musica Regional Mexicana, Eliodoro’s band, Proyecto X, is also expanding audiences for Mexican music. He and his band members are all from Salinas, but have different musical backgrounds, which has helped to create the flavorful musical style of Proyecto X. Eliodoro performs accordion in the band, which has been featured on Spanish radio across the U.S. According to Eliodoro, “Radio stations have fallen in love with us,” and it is easy to see why.

Learn more about Escuela de Musica Regional Mexicana on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAiubWk-8hM&feature=youtu.be

Learn more about Proyecto X on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GRUPOPROYECTOX
or on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GRUPOPROYECTOX?feature=watch

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Alum Stephen Feigenbaum Combines Theatrical Spectacle and Classical Music in ABYSS

Posted on March 28, 2013 by fttgreenroom

In 2007, when composer Stephen Feigenbaum appeared on From the Top Show 152 at the age of 18, his piece “Serenade for Strings” was performed by a string quintet made up of local students. Later, the piece was was recorded by the Cincinnati Pops for the From the Top CD release “From the Top at the Pops!” He is now the talented composer of the well-received musical Independents and his newest musical, The Abyss, opens tonight.

Since being on the show, Stephen majored in music at Yale University and he is currently pursuing his master’s degree at the Yale School of Music. He has received a multitude of awards, which include the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award, winner of the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble competition, and, most recently, winner of the Albany Symphony Orchestra’s “Composer to Center Stage” young artist competition. Aside appearing on From the Top, Stephen has also performed on The Martha Stewart Show and NBC’s The Sing-Off.

Last summer, the original musical Independents, with music penned by Stephen, premiered at the New York Fringe Festival and received the coveted honor of Best Overall Production. The musical follows a group of teenage slackers living on a Revolutionary War-era tall ship in a coming of age story about friendship, late-night sing-alongs, and Revolutionary War-era fashion. The musical received rave reviews: read more about it on The Huffington Post and The New York Times, or get the story straight from the creative team on their Kickstarter page.

Stephen has built upon the idea of musical storytelling in his musical, The Abyss. Stephen says: “What I was really interested in was how something like a Beethoven symphony was able, about 200 years ago, to reach a massive amount of people, and I was really interested in finding a model that would allow this kind of music, which people are still writing today and which is really important to me, to reach people in this kind of visceral way that matches other kinds of entertainment that are popular today.” Stephen, along with his partner and director, Charlie Polinger, has integrated classical music into a theatrical presentation that explores a 21st century imagining of the end of the world with an ensemble of musicians, dancers, and actors. Set in an abandoned storefront, the team uses the space to assist in provoking their audience’s imagination, inviting them to participate in the theatrical experience.

A Kickstarter page for The Abyss launched on December 7th, 2012 and they reached their funding goal on December 31st, 2012. From the Top congratulates Stephen and the cast and crew of The Abyss for their hard work and creative innovation.

The Abyss premiers on March 28th and will run until March 31st at 278 Park Street in downtown New Haven, Connecticut. Tickets are free on a first-come first-served basis. For more information, visit http://www.abysstheshow.com or http://www.stephenfeigenbaum.com.

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Elizabeth Aoki Warms the Hearts of Elderly Residents in Phoenix, AZ

Posted on March 28, 2013 by fttgreenroom

Elizabeth Aoki Photo 5

9-year-old violinist Elizabeth Aoki charmed listeners when she appeared on Show 261 in Boston, Massachusetts. During a visit to Phoenix, Arizona with her mother, Elizabeth’s musical talent also won the hearts of residents living at the Freedom Plaza Retirement Community. She worked with a family friend to organize the event and played some violin favorites for the residents (check out the program below!). They loved having the chance to meet such a talented young violinist.

The thing I most enjoy about music is getting to go to different places and dressing up. I also like seeing the smiling faces of people in the audience enjoying my music.  It seems like the people that listened to me play enjoy classical music. Because of this experience, I may want to play for retirement centers again.  – Elizabeth Aoki

Elizabeth Aoki Photo 6PROGRAM:

Édouard Lalo
Symphonie espagnole in D minor – I. Allegro non troppo

J.S. Bach
Sonata No. 1 in G minor – Adagio

Pablo de Sarasate
Introduction and Tarantella

Variations on Amazing Grace
(Traditional)

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Coming Soon: The Blount-Slawson Young Artists Competition

Posted on November 27, 2012 by fttgreenroom

It’s that time of year again – The Blount-Slawson Young Artists Competition is accepting applications! Musicians in grades 7-12 can enter to win prizes including $10,000 cash, a performance with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, and an appearance on From the Top! String, wind, brass, percussion, and piano students are eligible to apply. Applications must be postmarked no later than December 7.

Click here for more information about the competition.

Evelyn Mo performs L’isle joyeuse by Claude Debussy on her From the Top appearance in March of 2012 after winning the Blount-Slawson Young Artist Competition.

All competitors will play one concerto movement in the preliminary round on January 26 at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama, and nine finalists will perform on Sunday, January 27. From the Top Music Producer Tom Vignieri is once again a member of the judging panel – click here to read his behind-the-scenes account of the competition!

We encourage all young musicians to consider this wonderful opportunity, so please share this information.

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Alumni Updates

Posted on October 19, 2012 by fttgreenroom

From the Top alumni are doing amazing things! This summer, it seemed like every time we fired up the old internet-machine, we saw news of another From The Top alum making waves in the world of music and beyond. In the coming weeks, we’ll be updating you on a plethora of From the Top alumni. This week, we start out with our alumni who can be found on the piano bench:
Michael DavidmanMichael Davidman (Show 234, Virginia Beach, Virginia) was awarded the following awards over the summer:

Grand Prize in the LISMA Foundation 9th International Music Competition in the 17-23 year old category at 15 years  old.
First Prize in both Solo and Concerto in the Ithaca College School of Music Piano Competition and will be performing Saint-Saens Piano Concerto in G minor, No. 2, op. 22with the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra, February, 2013.
And he was awarded the Chopin Foundation of the United States Piano Scholarship! Way to go Michael!

Pianist Umi Garrett (Show Umi Garrett211, Santa Barbara, California) recently won the 13th Osaka International Music Competition in Osaka, Japan and also won 1st prize in the Chopin International Piano competition in Budapest, Hungary.

She said of the competitive experience in Osaka: “I know that there was a lot I should have done better, but it meant a lot for me because it was my first competition in Japan, and lots of people helped me to get to this competition. I wanted to do well to show them my appreciation.” Well done, Umi!

Kimberly Hou (Show 232, College Park, Maryland) was awarded 1st Place in the 27th IYAPC (International Young Artist Piano Competition) as well as the Chinese Performance Prize. She was also chosen as a 2012 US Presidential Scholar in the Arts. She says of this wonderful opportunity: “Having the opportunity to collaborate with artists from all different disciplines for the Kennedy Center performance was so eye-opening and inspiring!”

Brian Ge (Show 187, Boston, Massachusetts) just won another concerto competition in Aspen on July 2, 2012. He performed the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467 with the American Academy of Conducting At Aspen Orchestra on July 10 at the music tent. Brian is one the concerto competition winners from last year and performed Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 with Aspen Concert Orchestra.

Congratulations to all of our outstanding alumni, and check back for more updates next week!

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Alums study with Renée Fleming in upcoming HBO series

Posted on May 10, 2012 by fttfallintern

This May, two of our very own alums will be featured on HBO with critically acclaimed soprano Renée Fleming!

Mezzo soprano Samantha Hankey (a Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist from Show #226 in Boston) and baritone Sean Plum (Show #201 in Boston) will be featured in HBO’s “Renée Fleming: a YoungArts MasterClass,” revealing the ambition of four singers as  Renée herself guides them. The show will air on May 28 at 6 p.m.

The first MasterClass Series featured artists such as Placido Domingo, Edward Albee, and more.

Like the other students, Samantha and Sean are both graduates of the YoungArts program in Miami. Samantha is continuing school at the Juilliard School and Sean is at the Curtis Institute of Music.

Congratulations to Samantha and Sean and be sure to tune in to HBO!

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Sandra Bailey Inspires Students to Pursue their Dreams

Posted on April 30, 2012 by alspot

“(This event) made me realize what kids can accomplish when given the necessary support from role models in their community. I feel honored to have had the opportunity to enrich the lives of…youth in my own community.”

Sandra Bailey with Atlanta Preparatory Academy students

Bassoonist Sandra Bailey understands the value of outlining goals to help achieve one’s dreams. Wanting to share this message with younger students in her hometown, she visited a 6th and 7th grade music class at the Atlanta Preparatory Academy, where her younger sister is a student.

After challenging the students to write down their goals, Sandra talked about the steps she took to make her own dreams become a reality, from getting her first bassoon, to appearing on From the Top and being selected as a Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist (she was on Show #232 and will be part of our upcoming gala!).

Sandra dazzled the students with a range of musical selections, from Bolero to the SpongeBob theme, and encouraged them to explore their own musical potential. She created a special pamphlet with musical opportunities in Atlanta for the students to take home and share with their parents.

(more…)

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From the Top Alumni Take Beijing by Storm!

Posted on April 9, 2012 by fttgreenroom

Friday, April 6th, began the 2012 Menuhin International Violin Competition, taking place in Beijing. Among the 42 competitors, From the Top was represented by 11 alumni, including:

Among Senior competitors (under 22):

1. Hannah Cho (Show 209/Waimea)
2. Piotr Filochowski (Show 149/Mercersburg)
3. Eric Gratz (Show 177/New Albany & Show 180/Berkeley)
4. Zenas Hsu (Show 161/San Francisco)*
5. Alexi Kenney (Show 200/Wolfeboro)*
6. Eunice Kim (Show 94/Boston)*
7. Anna Lee (Shows 152, 174, 204 & TV)*
8. Kenneth Renshaw (Shows 186, 211 & 228)*

*These competitors have gone on to be in the semi-final round, taking place on Wednesday!

Among Junior competitors (under 16):

1. Alina Kobialka (Show 252/Chattanooga)
2. Jieming Tang (Show 251/Potsdam)
3. Jacqueline Tso (Show 244/Kalamazoo)

Good Luck to all!

Want to see the competition? Click here to view the livestream of the competition. Performances begin at 10:00am Beijing Time!

UPDATE, 4/11/2012: As of Wednesday, from a record number of 238 hopeful entrants to the Menuhin International Violin Competition, 3 out of the 4 finalists are From the Top alumni. Congratulations to Alexi Kenney,  Ji Eun Anna Lee, and Kenneth Arthur Renshaw (Click on the name to see their performance video from the competition!). Also, we wish good luck to Alina Kobialka who’ll be competing on Friday in the Junior Finals! Click here to see more competitor videos!

UPDATE, 4/17/2012: The results are in! In the senior competition, From the Top Alumni received First, Second, and Third place! Congratulations to all of the competitors!
1st place: Kenneth Renshaw
2nd Place: Anna Lee
3rd Place: Alexi Kenney
4th Place: Siyan Guo

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Big Break Winner & Runners-Up Announced

Posted on December 17, 2010 by fttgreenroom

From the Top and Carnegie Hall are pleased to announce the results of the Big Break – our first online competition for America’s young classical musicians!

Selected by popular vote, our Grand Prize Winner is 17-year-old percussionist Marcelina Suchocka from Chicago, Illinois.

Ms. Suchocka is a student at Chicago’s Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and is also a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Percussion Scholarship Program. She was selected from a pool of hundreds of classical musicians who submitted videos to the Big Break contest between October 18 and November 18.  All classical musicians, the contestants ranged in age from 8-18 and participated on a variety of solo instruments including piano, bassoon, harp, voice, violin, cello, bass, marimba, and recorder. On November 29, Ms. Suchocka and 14 other finalists were selected by From the Top and Carnegie Hall to be part of a public vote between November 29 and December 14.  Her winning performance of an excerpt from Anders Koppel’s Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra can be viewed below or at YouTube.com/BigBreak.

As Big Break’s grand-prize winner, Ms. Suchocka will appear on a national radio broadcast this spring of NPR’s From the Top, hosted by Christopher O’Riley. The episode will be taped on Sunday, April 10 before a studio audience at The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, the multiplatform, acoustically superb performance venue of Classical 105.9 FM WQXR, New York City’s sole dedicated classical music station. The previous day, on Saturday, April 9, she will perform at a Carnegie Hall Family Concert in Zankel Hall, produced in partnership with From the Top and hosted by Mr. O’Riley.

As we were so impressed by the high performance level of all the Big Break finalists, three runners-up have also been selected to appear on the From The Top national broadcast and Carnegie Hall Family Concert.

The three runners-up are (in alphabetical order):

16-year-old pianist Gideon Broshy (New York, NY);

Gideon Broshy

16-year-old cellist Brannon Cho (Short Hills, NJ)

Brannon Cho

14-year-old harpist Helen Gerhold (Lansdale, PA).  

The special episode of From The Top’s weekly series, featuring Big Break’s Grand Prize Winner and runners-up, will air on participating NPR stations later in the spring.

Congratulations to all!

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