The 20-year-old National Philharmonic, which admits children ages 7 to 17 for free to its concerts, also will give educational performances. The BSO and the Philharmonic are also offering master classes with orchestra members, workshops and lectures, and "side-by-side" concerts with student orchestras.
For the other arts groups, the education center provides permanent space and a chance for growth.
|
|
_____EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AT STRATHMORE_____
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AT STRATHMORE
The classes and programs offered at the Music Center at Strathmore range widely, from creative movement for toddlers to master classes with members of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the National Philharmonic. Some are free, but most require fees.
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
The orchestra will offer children's concerts and workshops in the center and in schools as well as master classes and workshops. Call 877-BSO-1444 or go to www.bsokids.com.
CityDance Center at Strathmore
The center offers a range of dance classes for ages 3 and older, including pre-ballet, jazz, modern, tap, hip-hop, cardio-dance and tai chi. Call 301-581-5204 or go to www.citydance.net.
Levine School of Music
Classes are available for instruction on a variety of instruments for ages 3 and older. The school also offers community music programs. Call 301-897-5100 or go to www.levineschool.org.
Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras
The three main orchestras, two string ensembles and a harp ensemble have auditions annually. The students, in grades 4 to 12, will have several performances in the concert hall. Call 301-581-5208 or go to www.mcyo.org.
National Philharmonic
The Philharmonic is offering a program that allows children ages 7 to 17 to attend concerts for free. It also offers a two-week summer strings institute for 100 student musicians. Call 301-493-9283 or go to www.nationalphilharmonic.org.
Strathmore
The nonprofit organization will offer master classes in such areas as song writing, the fiddle, and rock-and-roll guitar and percussion as well as educational and family concerts. Call 301-581-5100 or go to www.strathmore.org.
Washington Performing Arts Society
The society offers concerts in schools and residences for artists. It also has a summer music academy. Call 202-833-9800 or go to www.wpas.org.
FREE EVENTS
Feb. 21, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. -- Discover Strathmore, an arts festival that celebrates music, crafts, stories and dance.
Feb. 26, noon -- Levine School of Music and CityDance Ensemble present "Peter and the Wolf," followed by a signing of a new children's book, "Mozart Finds a Melody," by Stephen Costanza.
March 6, 4 p.m. -- Levine School of Music presents "S'Wonderful: An American Extravaganza," a collection of Gershwin's compositions performed by faculty members.
April 14, 7 p.m. -- Levine School of Music presents "Community Sing!" with Ysaye Maria Barnwell of the a capella group Sweet Honey in the Rock.
For information about other performances and tickets, call 301-581-5100 or go to www.strathmore.org.
|
| |
|
The Levine School of Music, which also has operations in the District and Virginia, moved its classes for 575 students from the basement of St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Kensington. With a faculty of 50, its curriculum includes vocal and instrumental instruction.
Strathmore is the first home for the nine-year-old contemporary CityDance Ensemble, which has outreach initiatives throughout the region. The ensemble has 14 dancers, and about 455 students participate in a variety of classes, some of which don't require registration.
"We're finding there are a lot of dance student parents who are happy we're next to Levine because they can get their kids into music, and there's a lot of Levine parents who walk through the door and go, 'I have a kid who's always wanted to dance, but we couldn't be in two places at once,'" said Paul Gordon Emerson, artistic and executive director of CityDance Center at Strathmore.
The two organizations will present the first free family concert at the center, a performance of Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" at noon on Feb. 26.
More than 400 students in grades 4 to 12, selected after auditions, make up the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras group, which includes three full orchestras, two string orchestras and a harp ensemble.
"We've had a nomadic existence for 59 years," said artistic director Olivia W. Gutoff. "Prior to moving in here, we had our five orchestras and the harp ensemble spread out over three Montgomery County schools. But now, some of our kids are very likely to think about taking music theory from Levine; we'll be going to BSO concerts that were not available to the kids before because their parents were not always able to drive them to Baltimore. There is going to be interaction, particularly between my kids and the professional orchestras, and we hope to work with CityDance."
Gutoff said the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras, unlike the other groups, cannot expand because each orchestra has a set number of musicians. But the space at Strathmore will make it possible to better serve those participating, she said. To mark this new phase in the youth orchestras' history, the organization commissioned composer Chen Yi to create a piece, which will be performed at the center March 12 under Gutoff's direction.
For the Washington Performing Arts Society, which for 40 years has brought a diverse group of performers to the area, accessibility to Strathmore is likely to attract more performers. The group, which had not used venues in Montgomery County, offers residences, workshops and free performances for schoolchildren.
Students and parents filling Strathmore's halls say they like what they see and are excited about the opportunities for artistic expression available for those with a range of abilities.
Micaiah St. Christopher of Kensington and her daughter, Whisper, 9, paused for a break one afternoon last week outside a Levine School of Music studio. Whisper cradled a flute in her lap.
"We got hooked up with Levine specifically because of music," St. Christopher said. "I like that they've got dance here, too, but we're home-schooling, and this is part of Whisper's math education. The brain picks up math concepts by patterns, so with the dance and how the brain learns music, she's getting all these concepts in her mind."
Nearby, Emily Mazzella of Kensington was holding 18-month-old Patrick while 4-year-old John bounded ahead of them toward the Levine classrooms. Both of her sons, Mazzella said, are being exposed to an environment immersed in creativity.
"Last week they did violin, and they got to touch it and play a little bit and hear the teacher play and get an idea what it's all about," she said. "They do some rhythm stuff and dance, just learning to appreciate music."
As she followed her son, Mazzella said she planned to buy tickets for a concert, making her exactly the patron Strathmore officials say they are seeking.
