Event to Include Local Children in University’s Nationally Recognized String Project
10/31/2014
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu and Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
* Media Advisory *
Sunday, Nov. 2
2:30 p.m.
What: The Boston Symphony Orchestra will bring one of its chamber ensembles to UMass Lowell for a free public performance partnering BSO musicians with children participating in the university’s String Project.
A capacity crowd of more than 800 people, the limit for the performance, is expected.
Featured Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians will be Si-Jing Huang and Sheila Fiekowsky on violin, Kazuko Matsusaka and Daniel Gertz on viola and Blaise Desjardin on cello. The quintet will perform music by Max Bruch and Felix Mendelssohn, starting at 3 p.m.
At 2:30 p.m., before the ensemble takes the stage, two dozen schoolchildren age 8 through 10 who are learning to play the violin, viola and other stringed instruments through the UMass Lowell String Project will perform beside the UMass Lowell music students who are teaching them as part of the program.
The BSO selected UMass Lowell to host the concert in recognition of the String Project and the event is designed to give the audience a sense of musicians’ journey toward mastering their craft. The performance is part of the BSO’s Community Chamber Concerts Series, which brings classical music to audiences in cities and towns throughout Greater Boston. The show will be followed by a reception for the musicians and the audience.
Students age 8 to 18 in public schools throughout the Merrimack Valley take string-instrument lessons and music classes through the UMass Lowell String Project, which was founded in 2001. Last spring, the initiative earned outstanding program of the year accolades from the National String Project Consortium during the annual conference of the American String Teachers Association. The UMass Lowell program was honored for its leadership in providing music education to students in local public schools and its commitment to engaging the community.
Where: Durgin Concert Hall, South Campus, 35 Wilder St., Lowell. Contact UMass Lowell media relations for directions and parking information.