As most of you already know, STS is a virtual music mentorship organization with mentors and students all over the nation. To showcase the hard work and talent of all of the students, we hold virtual recitals on Zoom. The students can choose a piece of music and perform it to an audience from the comfort of their own home. Read on for a recap of the first three recitals!
Our first recital was held on June 15th at 2 pm CST. At this recital, we decided to partner with the Merit School of Music. The students gave an amazing performance, featuring instruments such as piano, cello, violin, flute, viola, and percussion, and music from various composers such as Bach, Suzuki, Beethoven, etc. For the final performance, Natalia Kozintseva from Merit School of Music played a wonderful rendition of Vittorio Monti’s Czardas on her flute. We also had a guest speaker from Merit School of Music, Meredith Barber, who introduced us to Merit School of Music. Merit’s goal is to provide “access to high-quality music education so that all children can experience the transformative power of music”. Learn more about Merit at meritmusic.org.
The second virtual recital was on July 18th at 2 pm CST. At this recital, we partnered with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras. Like the June recital, the students who performed were awesome. This recital featured violinists, pianists, a flutist, a guitarist, and a cellist, with music from J.S. Bach, Georges Bizet, Jacques Offenbach, and Elvis Presley. The finale by Sarah Craft from CYSO was a fantastic performance of Concerto No. 2 in E-flat Major by Carl Maria Von Weber. We also had a guest speaker from CYSO, Kevin Gupana, who talked about all the programs that CYSO provides. CYSO provides music education to more than 650 young musicians ages 6-18 through full and string orchestras, jazz, steel, chamber music, masterclasses, and music composition. Students learn from Chicago’s most respected musicians, perform in the world’s great concert halls, and gain skills necessary for a successful future. Learn more about CYSO at cyso.org.
Our final virtual recital for the summer was on August 15th at 2pm CST. As always, the performances were wonderful, and featured students on drums, cello, flute, piano, guitar, trumpet, and violin. They played a variety of pieces from Saint-Saens, Suzuki, Beethoven, and many other traditional songs. We could definitely see that the students put in the time to give an amazing performance!
For our future recitals, we plan on expanding our recital audience to those in senior centers, memory care centers, and more. Since the holidays are just around the corner, we are also planning a holiday recital; we’re really excited about this! These virtual recitals are not only a great way to connect people who are already a part of STS through a virtual platform, but also for people all over the country to appreciate the joy of music together. In addition, it gives students a spotlight in a time where it’s hard to get many people in one place. We hope to have more recitals throughout the school year!