From the Blog: News

Greetings from my flight back from Iowa City, where we had a taping last night at the Englert Theater. I must say I feel quite lucky to be on a plane right now! Some of my colleagues’ flights were cancelled due to a blizzard that’s about to hit the northeast. Assuming you are reading this blog, you can rest assured my plane made it safely through the slippery, sleety, windy, scary conditions and I have arrived back in Boston in one piece.

Now then… on to the show! Last night’s taping celebrated music making in the great Midwest. First up was Allan Steele, a Chicago-based cellist who was on our program fairly recently as a member of the Aurelia Quartet. This time, he was playing solo Shostakovich, and he played it brilliantly. Next up was Iowa native Thomas Burrill, a talented pianist who played a beautiful Chopin piece. Flutist Meekyoung Lee of Michigan provided one of my favorite moments from last night. Our producers surprised her by having a “person from her past” phone in during the taping, and her reaction (shocked, thrilled, and perhaps a tad mortified) was completely genuine and sweet. Fourth up was the Iowa-based duo of harpist Katherine Siochi and cellist Andrew Altmaier, who played an original piece by composer Jeremiah Siochi. Closing the show, the Bone Rangers from Chicago’s Merit School of Music brought down the house with a piece by Simon Wells that one of the members described as “going to a carnival that starts out fun but turns out to be evil.” I thought that described the atmosphere of the piece perfectly!

I have a flipcam preview for you below. Pretty much all of it was taken during dress rehearsal except for the part at the end where you see my startled face turn around and blow a kiss. That was taken during the actual taping by one sneaky performer who nabbed the flipcam and snuck behind the curtain during the show! Excellent work, my friend.

The late Ellen Masaki conducts a five-piano ten-pianist arrangement of "Aragonaise" from Georges Bizet's Carmen on From the Top's show #170 in Maui. Mrs. Masaki passed away in the fall and is remembered on this week's broadcast.

On this week’s broadcast of From the Top, we honor Honolulu piano teaching legend Ellen Masaki and Honokaa High School Jazz Band (Hawaii) Director Gary Washburn. Tell us about a music teacher that has made a difference in your life. We’ll feature some of our favorite entries  right here on our Green Room blog. Send an email to enewlsetter@fromthetop.org with subject line “music teacher”.

From the Top has named Jeffrey F. Rayport, Operating Partner at Castanea Partners in Boston, as Chairman of its Board of Directors. Rayport has been a member of From the Top’s board since its inception in 2003 and replaces its Founding Chairman Francis O. Hunnewell who passed in late January.

“We feel very fortunate to have Jeffrey’s leadership. His expertise will guide us as we enter a new decade full of opportunities and promise,” says From the Top co-CEO Gerald Slavet.

“It has been a privilege and a pleasure to serve on From the Top’s board and to oversee its extraordinary growth over the past decade. As Chairman, I look forward with excitement and humility to building on the foundation that was laid by our Founding Chairman, Francis Hunnewell, and to helping propel this amazingly entrepreneurial and creative organization into a future of multiple venues, channels, and media. I know we will aim to inspire ever-deeper levels of engagement with kids, communities, and audiences as we showcase both the talent and the personalities of our remarkable young musicians, “ says Rayport.

Presiding over From the Top’s February 11 Board of Directors meeting, Rayport welcomed four new members to the Board. Richard Davis, a seasoned professional with more than 30 years of executive experience, has been appointed as Director. Cynthia Curme, musician and Trustee of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Eran Egozy, co-Founder and CTO of Harmonix (inventors of Guitar Hero); and media entrepreneur Robert Williams have been appointed as Overseers.

ABOUT JEFFREY F. RAYPORT

Rayport brings more than 20 years of experience in digital and mainstream media, marketing, and information services to his new role as From the Top Chairman. Prior to joining the private equity firm Castanea Partners in September, he was Founder and Chairman of Marketspace LLC, a division of the global management consulting and merchant banking firm Monitor Group. Marketspace advises market-leading companies on customer experience and multi-channel strategy in the networked economy.

As one of the most popular faculty members at Harvard Business School for nearly a decade, Rayport’s expertise lies in increasing the impact of new media technologies on companies’ service and marketing strategies. At HBS, he developed the nation’s first MBA-level e-commerce course, and coined the term “viral marketing.” His writing has appeared in a variety of print and online publications, including Business Week, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, The Los Angeles Times, and McKinsey Quarterly, among others, and he frequently appears as a business commentator on television and radio.

Rayport serves as a director of several public and private companies, including GSI Commerce, i-Crossing, International Data Group, ValueClick, and Andrews McMeel Universal. He is a Trustee of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. Rayport earned a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College; a Masters of Philosophy in International Relations from the University of Cambridge (U.K.); and a Master of Arts in the History of American Civilization and a Ph.D. in Business History, both from Harvard University.  He and his wife Hillary and son, Abraham, live in Boston, MA.

As a high school student in South Bend, Indiana, LaMont Barlow had to make a difficult decision. Would he follow his passion for classical music down a path that would lead to conservatory studies and a career in music? Or would he pursue his interest in science at a liberal arts college and ultimately become a doctor?

He had already accomplished great things musically. He played practically every woodwind instrument, was an award-winning pianist, and at 16 had been featured on From the Top’s radio program while attending Interlochen Arts Camp. But he also excelled academically.

Ultimately, LaMont chose to attend Harvard University, where he graduated with high honors in biochemistry. Though he focused on science, he kept up with music, serving as Associate Principal Bassoon of the New England Philharmonic, performing regularly with other ensembles in the Boston area, and winning a campus-wide concerto competition. Today, LaMont, 26, is completing his studies at Columbia University’s Medical School and continuing to play bassoon and piano as much as he can. Read more about LaMont’s story.

What difficult choices have you made? If you studied music and have chosen a different career path, how have you stay involved in music? What does music mean for you now?

Flynn Center for the Performing Arts. Photo by Jim Westphalen.

Hi all! This weekend we taped a radio show in Burlington, Vermont at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, a beautifully restored vaudeville house right in the center of town.

I was so excited for the taping because one of my favorite performers was invited back as a 10th Anniversary guest – soprano Nadine Sierra, who was originally on our show six years ago when she was 15. Back then I remember being astonished by how rich and beautiful her voice was, and I was really looking forward to hearing her sing again.

Nadine Sierra. Photo by: New York Times.

This time around the now 21-year-old Nadine sang a gorgeous aria from Charles Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet. Surveying the audience from my perch onstage, I could tell that they were as thrilled by her performance as I was. She also spoke about her surprise at winning the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions last year (that’s kind of like the American Idol of the classical world). It’s the kind of competition that launches major careers, so I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Nadine in the future!

As usual, the taping also featured a diverse array of outstanding kid musicians – and this show featured a whole flock of them. There was Leland Ko, a precocious 11-year-old who wowed everyone with his cello skills; JeeHae Ahn, 18, who gorgeously played Liszt on piano; and a quartet of teenage bassoonists who performed a new piece of music written by 17-year-old Timothy Woos (who has been honored by ASCAP as a composer).

The show closed with the 93-member Vermont Youth Orchestra playing a movement from Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra by Joseph Schwantner. The piece featured a cadenza section improvised by teenage percussionist Nick Bonaccio. You couldn’t see him too well from the audience as he was placed in the back of the orchestra, so I snuck in with my handy flip cam during dress rehearsal to give you a peek at his mad skills. Check out the video below – and don’t forget to tune in when this show airs the week of May 10th!

Following our taping at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara on January 27, we gathered all the performers for our arts leadership workshop and asked them to reflect on the power of music. Here are some of the stories they shared both from their own personal experiences and from history:

Kara Sainz

“When Renee Fleming sang in New York after the twin towers had fallen….In her book she talks about how she couldn’t cry or get too emotional because when she went to sing, she had to show strength for everyone. She said people see singing as very personal and I’m sure that many people were grateful for her performance in bringing everyone together in those few minutes of song.” — Kara Sainz, 17, soprano

“Last weekend, I organized a benefit concert for the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Lots of different people came and I was able to raise $2,432 for the American Red Cross. I was very surprised and happy with the results of my show J.” –Rieko Tsuchida, 15, piano.  Read more about Rieko’s inspiring benefit concert here.

Jonathan Miron

“I visited Cambodia when I was very young and learned about a Swiss doctor who was providing free healthcare to the Cambodian children, victims of past wars. As little as $200 could save a child. Thus, I made it my goal to help as much as possible and played violin on the streets of Aspen raising $500 for the hospital.” — Jonathan Miron, 17, violin

Kenneth Renshaw

“When I was last on From the Top,  I visited a middle school in Lubbock, Texas and performed a short program of music that I initially thought might be demanding for  a middle school audience.  However, when I began to play I was immediately impressed with the effect the music had on them – they remained slient and focused throughout the entire performance (even during Lutoslawski.)  Afteerwards they asked many questions and seemed interested and inspired to continue their own lives in music.” — Kenneth Renshaw, 16, violin

“Rostropovich played Bach at the fall of the Berlin Wall, bringing music into politics and history.” — Will Chow, 16, cello

When have you experienced or witnessed the power of music to make a difference in people’s lives?

On Saturday night we taped an episode of the radio show at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall in Boston. It was bittersweet for us because we dedicated the show to one of the major forces behind From the Top, Francis Hunnewell, who passed away last week. He was a huge supporter of young musicians, and the wonderful kids performing in his honor created a touching and fitting tribute.

Saturday was also an example that in show business anything can happen but you must carry on. Our production manager Elizabeth DeVore, who was injured while loading in the equipment, speaks to that in this video clip.

18-year-old cellist Bobby Chen opened the show with a gorgeous performance of Tchaikovsky’s Pezzo Capriccioso. We were then introduced to 16-year-old violinist Gergana Haralampieva and 14-year-old pianist Phuong Nghi Pham, both of whom shared inspiring stories of immigrating to the city of Boston from their native countries.

Matthew Muckey and his donkey, Jasper

Following their performances, we were reintroduced to Matthew Muckey, an extraordinary trumpet player who was originally on our show in 2002 at the age of 18. Back then he played Arban’s flashy Carnival of Venice and spoke about his unusual pet – a shaggy donkey named “Jasper.”

Matthew has done pretty well for himself since then. Now 25, he is the associate principal trumpet player in the New York Philharmonic! Of course, when he arrived at rehearsal for our show he was bombarded with questions about scoring such a phenomenal gig right out of college. As for me, I rushed up and breathlessly asked him about Jasper. I was relieved to learn that his hairy donkey is still alive and kicking (though greyer and shaggier than ever).

Matthew Muckey today. Photo by Caroline Cardiasmenos.

During the show, Matthew wowed the audience yet again, this time showing a more melodic side of the trumpet with a piece by Oskar Boehme. The show closed with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra performing the overture to Mozart’s Don Giovanni, an exciting ending to a wonderful taping. Make sure to tune in when this show airs the week of March 29th.

Christopher O'Riley. Photo by J Henry Fair

On every broadcast, Christopher O’Riley performs a piece during the station break. Our live audiences are treated to the full performance, though on the broadcast only a portion of the performance is heard.

Among the break pieces Chris is performing this season is the world premiere of “Falling Canons” by Grammy Award winner Kenneth Fuchs. The first of these performances was included on our Salt Lake City broadcast, and the second of which is included on this week’s broadcast. Chris will continue to perform the remaining canons periodically on our broadcasts.

Chris told us more about this premiere:

Grammy Award-winning American composer Kenneth Fuchs’ most recent work includes an aria for baritone and orchestra entitled Falling Man, based on J. D. McClatchy’s excerpted material from Don Delillo’s eponymous 9/11 novel. As Ken was working on the piece, he became fascinated with the machinations within the thematic material, and decided to create a series of piano pieces more rigorously exploring the motivic possibilities. The resultant work, Falling Canons, is a set of 7 canons, each springing from a descending scalar and rhythmic degree (#1 at the unison ending on B, #2 at the second ending on A; each with attention to rhythmic permutations inherent in each degree). The aria and the piano pieces are set to premiere in the coming year, with a subsequent recording in Vienna soon after.

I am proud to be Ken’s chosen advocate for this new piece, and as each canon is relatively short, I thought it would be nice to roll out each in premiere performances as part of From The Top tapings around the country.”

Greetings from somewhere high above the clouds on my flight back to Boston. This has been quite the tour! After spending over a week in Hawaii and then the past few days in California, I’m almost frightened to be going back to the wintry conditions at home.

We taped a wonderful show last night at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara. I was especially excited to look out into the audience and see one of From the Top’s biggest fans – Bassoon Bob! He is a bassoonist in his nineties who has been a devoted listener since we first started airing ten years ago. He traveled all the way from his home in Reno to take his granddaughter Emily to our taping. It was so wonderful to see him there!

The musicianship in the Santa Barbara show really struck me. One outstanding performer after another took the stage. Kicking off the show was 17-year-old violinist Jonathan Miron, who played a virtuosic piece by Karol Szymanowski. He was followed by one of the most talented mezzos we’ve ever featured, Kara Sainz, who sang Mozart. Next up was the Soleil Trio performing a fiery piece by Astor Piazzolla, followed by flutist Kevin McAtee, who beautifully played from a Mozart concerto.

Closing the show was one of the tiniest talents I’ve ever seen– 9-year-old Umi Garrett. She had such a powerful way of playing that her piano seat kept rolling back during rehearsal. Too small to brace it with her feet, our trusty host Christopher O’Riley rushed to the rescue, plopping himself down on the bench with her in order to hold it in place while she played! For the actual taping, a piece of wood was drilled down to keep the bench from rolling away.

The show was a wonderful end to our two-week tour. Looking forward now to next week’s taping at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall! But not looking forward to the cold…

Rieko Tsuchida with her older sister and fellow From the Top alum Mayumi.

Like many, 15-year-old Bay-area pianist Rieko Tsuchida was deeply saddened by the disaster in Haiti and inspired to take action. With just three days of planning, she and friend Jonah Hopton, turned their musical talents into a means of raising money for the American Red Cross. We are so proud of her efforts.

In her own words, here’s how she did it:

We began contacting various local churches last week and got a call back from the Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church on Wednesday night (luckily for me, that church had just invested in a brand new Steinway B).  With only about three days until our concert was on, tenor Jonah Hopton and I frantically started making flyers and announcing the concert at school, on facebook, through e-mails, phone calls, etc.  I had come up with the idea of the concert, and so I was nervous when I was put in charge of organizing everything!  Jonah and I managed to come up with a great program ranging from Bach and Handel to Chopin and Ravel.

It was a total surprise on the day of the event when over 150 people showed up, crammed into the church sanctuary!  The audience consisted of people from the local senior citizen home, parents who came with their young children after seeing the flyers around town, kids my age, and church members.  One thing they all had in common was their love for music and their willingness to help others in need.

The feedback was so positive and various people came up to us afterwards asking if we could perform at their organizations and venues.  Lots of people from our high school showed up, too, which was so great! Some were friends, but others just came with their families.  I wasn’t expecting that, as 99% of the people at my school don’t listen to classical music, ever.  In total, we raised $2,432 and counting.  Some people were so impressed with the concert that they promised to send more money!  Jonah and I will be sending all our proceeds to Haiti via the American Red Cross Society.

All in all, I would say this concert was even better than planned, especially with only three days to put it together! Thank you again to each of you who came.  This never could have happened without the support of you all.

Rieko will appear on From the Top’s broadcast taping in Santa Barbara tomorrow evening with her piano trio, the Soleil Trio.

Rainbow Falls in Hilo.

Aloha from one of the most magical places on earth – Hawaii’s Big Island, where we just completed two tapings of the radio show, plus a week of educational visits in local schools with our partner Hawaii Public Radio.

The Big Island is such a fascinating place. I’ve been told there are eleven different climate zones here. In our few days on the island, we’ve experienced dry desert, chilly rain, lush forests, vog (that’s volcanic ash fog that burns your throat), and the kind of tropical beaches you usually only see on postcards. There’s also a huge snow-capped mountain here, where people drive up to stargaze. Amazing! I’ve included a short video of my drive across the island with From the Top’s Production Manager Elizabeth DeVore.

Our first taping was in Kamuela, also known as Waimea, which is the center for ranching activities on the island. The show was terrific, and the kids were a lot of fun. I was excited because one of my favorite vocal pieces was featured – “Monica’s Waltz” from Menotti’s opera The Medium. Teenage soprano Hailey Markman really brought it to life!

An especially touching moment during that show was when Chris O’Riley played a piece in tribute to the late Ellen Masaki, a legendary piano teacher from Hawaii who was a great friend to From the Top. We all miss her and it was nice to be able to honor her memory.

Sean Robbins. Photo by Hawaii Tribune-Herald

After Waimea, we were off to Kea’au, which is on a different part of the island, near Hilo. We performed our show on the campus of the Kamehameha School. There was an incredible moment towards the end of our dress rehearsal. Students from the school were in the audience watching, and when they stood up to leave, they sang us a traditional Hawaiian chant to us to thank us for inviting them.

The taping went great and was so well received. Hawaii audiences are some of the most generous I’ve encountered. I think they were especially proud of their hometown musician, slack key guitarist Sean Robbins (pictured right).

We’re all sad to leave Hawaii tomorrow, but we’re looking forward to our next taping in Santa Barbara on Wednesday. I’ll catch up with you then! Signing off from paradise…

Lauren Chipman

Alum Lauren Chipman, who recently returned for an episode of From the Top, will be performing in this Friday’s “Hope for Haiti Now” telethon. Lauren, a violist and member of indie rock band The Rentals, will be working with Christina Aguilera and John Legend during the two-hour performance show. “I’m really looking forward to playing with these artists in addition to helping to bring aid to the people of Haiti,” she says. More than 100 artists have signed on to help raise funds for victims of the earthquake. The show will air commercial-free across ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BET, the CW, HBO, MTV, VH1 and CMT on Friday at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Learn more about the special.

Yuki with Representative Thomas Stanley of Lexington, and Representative Gloria Fox of Boston at the State House in Boston

We were honored to receive citations today from the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate in honor of From the Top’s tenth anniversary.

From the Top alum Yuki Beppu, 12, of Lexington, Massachusetts played Bach and Paganini in the Grand Staircase filling the State House with beautiful music during the lunchtime hour. Yuki also received the citations from Representative Gloria Fox on behalf of From the Top.

Hi everyone! I just returned from a special taping of the radio program, recorded in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and held at the incredibly beautiful Bethel AME Church in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston.

There was some fear regarding whether we’d all make it to the show as it’s been snowing non-stop here in Boston, but everyone arrived safely, we had a full audience, and everything went off without a hitch!

Photo by Caroline Cardiasmenos.

It was quite an inspiring show to say the least. A major part of the show was the Boston Children’s Chorus, a fantastic organization known for their televised Martin Luther King Day, Jr. concerts. They brought their magic to the From the Top stage, singing a variety of beautiful works.

I especially loved their opening performance. Instead of our usual From the Top theme, the chorus sang a song called MLK, which was originally written by U2. It featured a teenage soloist from the chorus, whose voice was just mesmerizing.

I also loved the offbeat piece Chris played during the break of the show, which called for the audience to literally grunt in rhythm as the chorus clapped along and Chris played (and sang)!

The show also featured a wonderful teenage string quartet from the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra performing a movement from “Calvary” by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, and alumni flutist Chaz Salazar, whose performance of William Grant Still’s “Summerland” was stunning.

Make sure to tune into this special From the Top episode airing during the weekend of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

-Joanne

From the Top visits East Palo Alto Boys & Girls Club

The day after our taping at Stanford University’s Dinkelspiel Auditorium, From the Top had the opportunity to visit the Boys & Girls Club of East Palo Alto for a special family performance. 16-yr-old cellist Nathan Chan, 16-yr-old pianist Jade Huang and 13-yr-old violinist Stephen Waarts , all performers on the show, were joined by local alum, 13-yr-old pianist Hilda Huang, to play for an intimate audience of parents and kids.

Because of the small audience size, two young boys had a very special experience.  James and Myles sat in the front row for the entire performance with wide eyes, asking great questions and sharing their reactions to the music.

James was one of the first audience members to arrive, and he got a special treat when the performers, who were all fooling around on the piano playing “Heart and Soul” invited him up to join them. Nathan started teaching him a simple left hand part while the others took turns playing the melody. After a couple rounds, James, who didn’t play the piano at all, was really starting to get it!

Playing "Heart & Soul" with James

During the program, each musician played some of their favorite pieces, shared their thoughts on the music and answered questions from the audience. Nathan got things started with the beautiful Prelude from Bach’s Cello Suite No.3, then he shook things up a bit with the rock and jazz influenced “Julie-O”, which he had performed the night before. The kids were amazed by the way he used the cello as a guitar and a percussion instrument.

Hilda was next, and of course, we had to talk to her about her favorite composer, J.S. Bach. Hilda played a favorite Prelude and Fugue and gave a great explanation of the term fugue. She had the kids imagine four people running along with the same tune: sometimes they’re running next to each other, sometimes they’re crisscrossing and sometimes they crash into each other. Hilda also performed a Ligeti Etude, which one little boy said reminded him of a Tom and Jerry chase scene. Hilda agreed!

Stephen played an excerpt from the Brahms Violin Concerto before dazzling the audience with Waxman’s fiery Carmen Fantasie. He shared his thoughts on  music as a language without words and how each person can create his or her own story in response. The kids in the audience imagined several colorful stories for the Carmen Fantasie after his powerful performance.

Next up was Jade, who played etudes by two different composers, explaining to the audience that these are essentially exercises for pianists. Jade began with Chopin’s Etude Op. 10 No. 1, which she described as the equivalent of push-ups for the right hand. Watching her right hand run up and down the keyboard at break-neck speed throughout the entire piece had the audience nodding in agreement. Jade brought the program to a close with the two Prokofiev Etudes she performed the night before, explaining that the second one was a great “anger management tool.”

The whole event ended just as it had begun: with the From the Top musicians showing the kids in the audience their instruments and getting them involved. James and Nathan became fast friends when they bonded over a shared love of Mettalica: Nathan quickly pulled out his cello and started jamming on “Unforgiven” and some other classic hits while James stood watching with a huge grin. Meanwhile Hilda was showing another little girl how to play some simple tunes on the piano. At the end, all of the performers were excitedly talking about a return visit and the different chamber music they could play. This could be the start of a beautiful collaboration.

Photo by: Advocate/Liz Condo. Christopher O'Riley plays at LSU's Claude L. Shaver Theatre.

Yesterday, Christopher O’Riley and Tour Producer David Balsom spent the day in Baton Rouge at the Louisiana State University College of Music and Dramatic Arts to announce the launch of a new partnership. LSU has named Chris its first Distinguished Visiting Artist from 2010 to 2013 and has invited From the Top to record an episode on the LSU Baton Rouge campus and to collaborate with the university for a two- to three-year series of radio tapings, community engagement,  arts leadership and communication activities. This partnership will enhance performing arts programs in the community as well as encourage student participation and skill building in the performing arts.

“As the dean of the College of Music and Dramatic Arts at LSU, I’m very proud that we will be starting a three-year association with piano artist Christopher O’Riley, as well as the popular NPR program ‘From the Top,’” said Laurence Kaptain, dean of the LSU College of Music and Dramatic Arts. “He comes to us as someone who has stepped beyond the traditional role of a concert artist sequestered on the stage. He has embraced technology, media and popular culture while retaining his high artistic values. The residency of Christopher O’Riley as a performing artist and media personality demonstrates the new linkages that LSU must make with national media as well as popular culture.”

From the Top alum Halie Silverman, an LSU master’s degree student and trumpeter, joined in on the announcement by presenting Chris with an LSU sweatshirt.  She said that appearing on From the Top back in 2004 was a defining moment for her.

From the Top is thrilled to embark on this new partnership and eager to head back down to LSU next season for some more of the incomparable Baton Rouge hospitality. Read more about the announcement in the Baton Rouge Advocate.

From the Top is heard on KRVS 88.7FM, Lafayette, Tuesdays at 7pm; KDAQ 89.9 FM, Shreveport, Saturdays at 11am and beginning in January 2010 WRKF 89.3 FM, Baton Rouge. New Orleans’ WWNO-FM is also expected to carry the show beginning in fall 2010.

Hi all! I just returned home from Silicon Valley and the beautiful campus of Stanford University, where we taped a great show this weekend. We had the pleasure of being joined via phone by a very special guest –puzzle master extraordinaire Will Shortz! As a huge fan of the New York Times Sunday Crossword, I have to admit I was giddy with excitement. He joined us to give an original word quiz to a talented young violinist /puzzle aficionado, who was featured on the show.

Evan Premo and Mary Bonhag on From the Top.

We also reconnected with another 10th Anniversary Alum, double bassist and composer Evan Premo, who was originally on our program back in 2002, when he was 17. Now a happily married 24-year-old, Evan divides his time between Manhattan, where he is a fellow of the Weill Institute at Carnegie Hall, and the Hudson Valley, where his wife, Mary, is getting her Masters in Vocal Performance at Bard.

Evan and Mary performed two beautiful pieces together and told the amazing story of how they met. To give you the lowdown, they basically struck up a conversation on a bus, and when Evan told Mary he was a double bassist and that he liked to go ice fishing, Mary felt like she already knew him. Well it turned out that she had heard him on From the Top a year and half earlier! Little did she know then that this memorable bassist would one day be her husband. Of course, we here at From the Top take full credit.

Also on the show, a vivacious young cellist played one of my favorite pieces, “Julie-O” by Mark Summer, a talented pianist went head to head with Chris O’Riley to determine the pieces best suited for releasing aggression, and the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, 30-teenagers strong, closed the show with a beautiful Corelli piece.

This program will broadcast the week of March 1, so mark your calendars! But here’s a preview to tide you over.

– Joanne

Melissa White on From the Top.

This week’s episode of From the Top features violinist Melissa White, member of the Harlem Quartet.

Quoted by the Lansing State Journal, Melissa says:

“I’m living my dream because I’m playing my violin and getting paid for it,” she said.

“I was so impressed with [the performers on the From the Top broadcast taped in November],” she said. “It was weird to be sitting there as the older one and realizing I was good enough to be on the show at their age.”

Her advice to current From the Top performers.

“You’re not going to love every performance and sometimes you’re going to feel beaten down from lesson after lesson,” she said. “But if in 10 years you can say you kept doing it, then you’ve accomplished something.”

Last weekend, Melissa and her quartet were invited to perform at the White House’s holiday party. Learn more about Melissa on this week’s broadcast of From the Top.

Caroline Goulding and Christopher O'Riley at a sound check for the CD release party at (Le) Poisson Rouge in Septmber 2009

Last night, among the Grammy nominations announced was a nod to From the Top alum, 17-year-old violinist Caroline Goulding for her self-titled debut album, recorded with our host Christopher O’Riley. The album is a collection of works by American composers, composers writing in this country and pieces inspired by uniquely American idioms, as well as a Cape Breton set which features Caroline with pianist Janine Randall. Caroline and Chris played a few favorites from the album at an event co-sponsored by From the Top and Telarc Records this September at New York’s (Le) Poisson Rouge, including Kreisler’s “La Gitana.” Caroline and Chris also appear on From the Top at the Pops performing the third movement from Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin, Piano and Strings in D minor with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under the direction of the late Erich Kunzel.

At From the Top, we are thrilled to see the success of a young artist who in a way as grown up with us. Caroline first appeared on From the Top when she was just 13 years old, and has subsequently appeared on several other radio broadcasts as well as on our PBS television show. In August, we spoke with Caroline about heading to college at the same time that she’s released her first recording.

Three cheers for Caroline and her collaborator Chris!

Robbie and Allie Switala with the students at Lakeview Middle School.

In early November, From the Top spent a whirlwind week in Texas with radio tapings and school visits in Waco and Dallas. From the Top alumni and brother and sister team Robbie, 18, violin, and Allie Switala, 16, violin from Grapevine, TX, launched our Texas road shows with a visit to Lakeview Middle School in Colony, TX.

Robbie and Allie gave a riveting performance of Mozart, Bach, and one of their personal favorites, the Handel-Halvorson Passacaglia (see them perform it on our television show), in front of 50 enraptured middle school orchestra students.

The Switalas talked about how much they love playing chamber music with their friends, and how being siblings definitely gives them an edge on the toughest part of ensemble playing – teamwork and communication. They  put the students at ease answering questions between musical selections and even finishing each other’s sentences!

They agreed that playing both violin and viola made them better musicians and advised the students to practice slowly and approach the music measure by measure–not always fun, but really helpful and necessary.

Orchestra Teacher Beth Emert commented, “I love how personable everyone was. The question and answer element helped us remember that the musicians are real people with other passions, interests, and hobbies.”

The students were just as enthusiastic. “Everything was great! I wish we had more time to hang out with them!” said one student.

On Friday evening, November 13, Lakeview students attended the From the Top taping at the new Winspear Opera House at the AT& T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, where they got to cheer on another group of fantastic, young musicians.