News and Press - Archive

December, 2010

Norwalk Youth Symphony's Master Class Series Presents David Shifrin, Clarinet

On Sunday March 20, 2011 the Norwalk Youth Symphony Master Class Series will present clarinetist David Shifrin.

One of only two wind players to have been awarded the Avery Fisher Prize since the award's inception in 1974, Mr. Shifrin is in constant demand as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, and chamber music collaborator.

Mr. Shifrin has appeared with the Philadelphia and Minnesota Orchestras and the Dallas, Seattle, Houston, Milwaukee, Detroit and Denver symphonies among many others in the US, and internationally with orchestras in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. In addition, he has served as principal clarinetist with the Cleveland Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra (under Stokowski), the Honolulu and Dallas symphonies and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and New York Chamber Symphony. Mr. Shifrin has also received critical acclaim as a recitalist, appearing at such venues as Alice Tully Hall, Weill Recital Hall and Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall and the 92nd Street Y in New York City as well as the the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. A sought after a chamber musician, he collaborates frequently with such distinguished ensembles and artists as the Guarneri, Tokyo, and Emerson String Quartets, Wynton Marsalis, and pianists Emanuel Ax and André Watts.

An artist member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center since 1989, David Shifrin served as its artistic director from 1992 to 2004. He has toured extensively throughout the US with CMSLC and appeared in several national television broadcasts on Live From Lincoln Center. He has also been the artistic director of Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, Oregon since 1981.

Mr. Shifrin continues to broaden the repertoire for clarinet and orchestra by commissioning and championing the works of 20th and 21st century American composers.

The NYS Master Class Series features accomplished musicians, from various musical backgrounds (orchestral, chamber and solo performance) who are invited to give a Master Class. All students and spectators can benefit as the master calls upon an individual or a group of students and coaches them on how to play a certain piece, shares interesting facts about the composer and talks about his/her experiences as a professional musician.

The Norwalk Youth Symphony is pleased to open this extraordinary Master Class to the general public at no cost. This special event will take place on Sunday March 20, 2011 from 5PM until 7PM at Norwalk City Hall which is located at 125 East Avenue, Norwalk CT.

October, 2010

Norwalk Youth Symphony's Master Class Series Presents John Dexter, Viola

On Sunday November 7, 2010 the Norwalk Youth Symphony Master Class Series will present violist John Dexter of the Manhattan String Quartet.

Mr. Dexter was born into a family of professional musicians. His musical training began in Des Moines, Iowa where he received his first performance degree at Drake University. He then traveled to New York City via a short army stay in the West Point Quartet to study at the Juilliard School with such luminaries as Dorothy Delay and Lillian Fuchs.

Since joining the Manhattan String Quartet in 1980, Mr. Dexter has made twenty critically acclaimed recordings; given Music Mountain radio broadcasts to millions; presented three Shostokovich cycles in New York City and on French radio. His touring with the quartet has taken him to North and South America, to Europe and on three historic tours of the former Soviet Union during the Glasnost era. Mr. Dexter is constantly expanding his activities as soloist with orchestra and guest artist with other chamber groups. His recording of Anthony Newman's Viola Concerto on Newport Classics has been accorded high praise by the critics for his virtuosity and musical poetry. As Principal Violist he has performed with the New York City Opera Orchestra, Philharmonia Virtuosi, the Joffrey Ballet in New York City, the American Symphony Orchestra, the American Composers Orchestra, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic.

Mr. Dexter maintains a very active teaching schedule with a large private studio for individual lessons and chamber music coaching.

The NYS Master Class Series features accomplished musicians, from various musical backgrounds (orchestral, chamber and solo performance) who are invited to give a Master Class. All students and spectators can benefit as the master calls upon an individual or a group of students and coaches them on how to play a certain piece, shares interesting facts about the composer and talks about his/her experiences as a professional musician.

The Norwalk Youth Symphony is pleased to open this extraordinary Master Class to the general public at no cost. This special event will take place on Sunday November 7, 2010 from 5PM until 7PM at Norwalk City Hall which is located at 125 East Avenue, Norwalk CT.

October, 2010

Leon Tec Showcase Features NYS Musicians

The Leon Tec Showcase For Outstanding Young Musicians is an annual concert providing selected, gifted Connecticut high school musicians the opportunity to perform professionally, coached by a distinguished musician and by the artistic director for the event.

The 2010 Showcase features Jedrik Chao, violist in Principal Orchestra and NYS alum Sam Weiser, violin, performing in the Mozart Piano Quartet in G minor and Beethoven Piano Trio, Op. 11.

This year's event takes place on Friday, October 22, 2010 at 8:00 PM at the Unitarian Church in Westport.

August, 2010

Norwalk Youth Symphony Appoints New Conductor

The Norwalk Youth Symphony is very excited to announce that it has secured the services of a wonderful new Conductor to lead the Principal Orchestra for the upcoming 2010-11 season. Mr. Jonathan Yates will be taking up the baton from his predecessor Ms. Tara Simoncic, who has accepted the position of Assistant Conductor of the Harrisburg, PA Symphony Orchestra. 

Jonathan received his BA in music, magna cum laude, from Harvard University, his Masters of Music in piano from State University of New York at Stony Brook, and his Graduate Diploma in Conducting from The Julliard School.  He has impressive experience as a conductor and musician.  His current and past conducting positions include the Camerata Notturna in New York, the Sarah Lawrence Orchestra, the 92nd Street Y Community Orchestra, the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Harvard University Bach Society Orchestra. 

Additional biographical information about Jonathan Yates.

January, 2010

Norwalk Youth Symphony's Master Class Series Presents Bärli Nugent, Flute

On Sunday April 25, 2010 the Norwalk Youth Symphony Master Class Series will present flutist Bärli Nugent.

Ms. Nugent, an alumnus of the Norwalk Youth Symphony Principal Orchestra, is the Assistant Dean, Director of Chamber Music, and a faculty member of the Juilliard School, and Director of Chamber Music for the Aspen Music Festival and School.

She received Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Juilliard, and the Doctor of Musical Arts from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

A founding member of the Aspen Wind Quintet, winners of the 1984 Naumburg Chamber Music Award, she performed over 1,000 concerts with the Quintet throughout the United States, Europe, the former Soviet Union, and North Africa. Principal flute of the Concordia Orchestra under conductor Marin Alsop for eighteen years, she co-curated the Concerti di Mezzogiorno chamber music series with Gian Carlo Menotti for the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy.

A former faculty member at the Bennington Chamber Music Conference, she has presented seminars at Juilliard, Hartt, Princeton, Stanford, the Chautauqua Institution, Beijing's Central Conservatory, Guangxi Arts College, Xinghai Conservatory, Shenzhen Conservatory, National Conservatory of Algiers, Vilnius Conservatory, and the Aarhus Conservatory. She was Program Director for the 2008 Emerson Quartet International Chamber Music Workshop, has served on advisory panels for Chamber Music America and the national board for the Aspen Music Festival and School, and been published by Chamber Music magazine and the Juilliard Journal.

The NYS Master Class Series features accomplished musicians, from various musical backgrounds (orchestral, chamber and solo performance) who are invited to give a Master Class. All students and spectators can benefit as the master calls upon an individual or a group of students and coaches them on how to play a certain piece, shares interesting facts about the composer and talks about his/her experiences as a professional musician.

The Norwalk Youth Symphony is pleased to open this extraordinary Master Class to the general public at no cost. This special event will take place on Sunday April 25, 2010 from 5PM until 7PM at Norwalk City Hall which is located at 125 East Avenue, Norwalk CT.

December, 2009

Norwalk Youth Symphony's Master Class Series Presents Darrett Adkins, Cello

On Sunday January 10, 2010 the Norwalk Youth Symphony Master Class Series will present acclaimed cellist and recording artist Darrett Adkins.

Mr. Adkins has performed both nationally and internationally. Mr. Adkins was the 'Cellist of Honor' at the Rio de Janeiro International Cello Encounter; King Harald of Norway attended his Oslo debut. Mr. Adkins has recently performed with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, Tochio Soloisten, Seoul's Prime Orchestra and the Tokyo Philharmonic. Until 2002 Mr. Adkins was a member of Flux, a string quartet dedicated to cutting-edge music. He appeared in major festivals in New York, Melbourne (Australia), Southern California (Ojai), and Oslo.

Mr. Adkins is a faculty member at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, The Juilliard School and the Aspen Music Festival and School.

The NYS Master Class Series features accomplished musicians, from various musical backgrounds (orchestral, chamber and solo performance) who are invited to give a Master Class. All students and spectators can benefit as the master calls upon an individual or a group of students and coaches them on how to play a certain piece, shares interesting facts about the composer and talks about his/her experiences as a professional musician.

The Norwalk Youth Symphony is pleased to open this extraordinary Master Class to the general public at no cost. This special event will take place on Sunday January 10, 2010 from 5PM until 7PM at Norwalk City Hall which is located at 125 East Avenue, Norwalk CT.