Thank you to Vadim Gluzman for an inspiring master class for the String Academy. Violinists are Elson Koh, Abby Ko, Miranda Isbitts and Cooper Olsen. Justin Bartlett is our wonderful SA pianist.

Leo Arekalyan finished all 50 lessons of pitch and rhythm in “I Can Read Music,” which is a total of 500 lines of music reading! He has really become an EXCELLENT reader, and is starting to fly through Wohlfahrt Book 1.

Saturday, October 30th was the big day for TWO Violin Halloween Concerts and a Cello Concert. Was a thrill to be back together. Thank you to all for this happening. Coming soon – concert excerpts.

Sunday, October 31st was our first Entire Works Concert of the Season. Featured were Sinead Whelan, Ben Lee, Miranda Isbitts and Elson Koh performing works of Hoffmeister, Barber, Mendelssohn and Bartok. Special thanks to Justin Bartlett, our terrific pianist for all occasions. Bravo to all!

Abby Ko was the winner of the MTNA Regional Competition this week. She goes on to the finals.

Serge Kalinovsky was Runner-Up and Cooper Olsen received an Honorable Mention.

These honors would not happen if not for all the hours, days, weeks, months and years of your dedication to excellence. We applaud all of you!

We will be dividing up the Violin Groups for our Halloween Concerts which take place on Saturday, October 30th in Recital Hall

Violin CONCERT ONE – 1 PM with dress rehearsal from 9 to 10 in MA452
All Beginner Class
Book 3, MC, and VE
VV I and II (will perform in both concerts)

Violin Concert Two – 2:15 PM with dress rehearsal from 10 to 11 in MA452
Book 1A and 1B/2
Book 4  and Book 5/6
VV I and II (will perform in both concerts)

Cello Concert will take place at 3:30 in Recital Hall
Dress rehearsal from 10 to 12 in MA454

Performers please come dressed in your favorite Halloween costumes for the concerts/not the rehearsals.

Abby Ko was the first prize winner this past weekend (August 11, 2021) of the The Sherer International Violin & Piano Competition 2021. She will have the opportunity to perform with the Maple City Orchestra during their 2022-23 season. Looking forward!

Welcome back to our Fall Semester 2021. We are moving ahead in the new normal and look forward to meeting everyone in person. As you have read from Christina, Groups will begin this Saturday as we begin preparation for the Violin and Cello Halloween Concerts on Saturday, October 30^th. (Violin concert will take place at 1:30 and cello concert at 3:30 in Recital Hall.) Solo Recitals will take place at the end of the semester, the weekend of December 11/12. In between we will add Entire Works Programs and additional events as they unfold.

This Sunday, Cooper Olsen will be performing Carmen Fantasy by Sarasate with the Bloomington Symphony.  This is an outdoor concert taking place at Switchyard Park’s Pavilion at 7 PM and all are welcome. You can use the parking lot located at 1601 S. Rogers St. Hope to see you there.

We will continue to post all news at our blog site: https://blogs.iu.edu/jsomstringacademy/

Many best wishes for a healthy and productive semester,

Mimi

Three of the Virtuosi, Elson Koh, Abby Ko and Cooper Olsen performed a wonderful concert with Justin Bartlett on August 7th for the Telluride Young Artists Classical Festival. (View Concert) Sydney Denman created the festival in the spectacular setting of the Rocky Mountains and gathered an enthusiastic and supportive audience. It was a memorable experience. Thank you!

The String Academy is opening enrollment for Violin and Cello BEGINNERS CLASSES. We decided last year that with the difficulties of online teaching it would be better to delay the beginners until we could meet in person. And yes, the time has come. Please spread the word as we are happy to fill the ranks. For those new students already playing and wanting to join the String Academy, contact Christina Hightower (crunnacl@iu.edu) to make a time to play for us on Saturday, August 21^st.

Watch a few lessons of a Beginning Student 

Watch Performance Excerpts