Carlsen Cello Foundation News …putting cellos in the hands of deserving students

Last fall, our newsletter focused on how CCF News and Updates recipients channel their talent and energy to help personal causes and to make the world a better place. Clark Pang This is, of course, what music in general does, and each cellist on CCF’s roster changes their world for the better "This past year, I was very fortunate to every day through their dedication, their passion, their become the nation's Second Place winner in discipline, their creativity, and their generosity of spirit. MTNA's National Competition as well as First In this way, the results of the Carlsen Cello Foundation's work multiply exponentially. Out of the many such Place winner in the American Fine Arts Festival's stories that regularly come in, one in particular seemed (AFAF) Inaugural International Concerto Competition. to call out for special attention. Along with impressive I was this year's Junior Classical League updates from recipients far Academic Winner and Overall Winner at the State and wide, in this newsletter Convention. I am 15 now and will be a junior this fall. we feature one single profile This year, I will focus on entering the Klein International of an extraordinary young Competition as well as perform at Carnegie Hall for the man. third time in January 2012 (AFAF's Winners' Concert), and perform a solo recital for Rising Stars of PROFILE: Bruce Walker California on the series, In-Concert Sierra, in Grass Valley. It is clearly difcult (See quote p. 4) for Bruce Walker to contain his en-thusiasm about Joseph Novakavich teaching, about playing the cello, about the piece of Joseph is studying with the renowned and music he is listening pioneering performer and teacher Matt Haimovitz at the to....about practically at McGill University. This anything he loves. This summer Joseph was invited to join and tour with enthusiasm is clearly Uccello, an all-cello ensemble made up of Haimovitz' infectious. Since he became top students. The group was recently nominated for a Director of Or- Grammy for best cross-over band from classical to chestral Activities for the pop, and they have just recorded a new CD at the Sunny-side (WA) School Skywalker Ranch outside of San Francisco. Clips District in 2007 (he is still at http://www.youtube.com/watch? there), the number of v=LBJdepkQs_I middle and high school students enrolled in the Samantha Gribble orchestra programs has grown dramatically - from "I just finished my 49 students in 2007, to 110 Masters of Music in Cello students today in the 2 programs combined. Performance at DePaul University, under Steve According to cellist John Michel, professor at Balderston. Last year Central Washington University and Bruce's teacher, included a solo recital, "Bruce works in a school district in the lower Yakima Valley that is premieres of chamber music 76% Hispanic. He also directs Youth Orchestras in two cities almost 150 miles apart. I believe there are few people that have made such by Dr. Kurt Westerberg, a profound difference in so many young lives." concerts with DePaul's Ensemble 20+ (including Bruce grew up in St. Louis, MO, in a pretty much microtonal works), and inner-city environment. His father's family owns Smoky joining the Chicago O's, a chain of BBQ's where Bruce worked throughout Composers Orchestra. high school and where he developed a strong work I've also done work with a ethic, along with a lifelong passion for anything BBQ. quartet and on music His mother is very involved in the church, which gave collaborations with local composers and non-classical Bruce Walker (cont. from p. 1) News and Updates (cont. from p. 1) Bruce began playing cello in 7th grade, but had Jay Campbell no private, formal training until college. He credits his public school music teachers with giving him a great Jay (Jeremiah) was profiled here in Fall foundation. In college and with steady private lessons, 2009. He sends rave reviews for his January '11 he quickly "shot up to the front" of the Southern Illinois performance of the Lutoslavski Cello Concerto, University cello section and went from "loving the cello to which he played as winner of the Juilliard being a cellist". Since 2004, he has given yearly solo Concerto Competition. recitals on the cello. But a concurrent passions have also evolved and received wide recognition....conducting and, "Mr. Campbell—playing the piece from memory especially, teaching. —seemed completely inside the composer’s hairpin turns and sharp edges. It was an unusually confident, In 2010, after a formal interview process, Bruce even rapturous performance, with this astonishing went on a cellist finding some humor in the composer’s sighing 6-week tour teaching cello and conducting orchestras in glissandi. At the conclusion, the cheers were legion...I Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon as a faculty member with the don’t expect to hear this piece done as well for a very Youth Excellence on Stage/YES Academy, in collaboration long time.” with American Voices, a U.S. non-government, non- SEEN AND HEARD profit, cultural exchange organization. He returned to INTERNATIONAL the Middle East with them this past summer. These were life-changing experiences for him and for his students. Jay writes further: "Last September (2010), I was Challenges ranged from language barriers - he became asked to perform the solo part in Pierre Boulez' cello very succinct in his explanations, made sure he could concertino, Messagesquisse. Boulez came in and worked count in Kurdish, and made full use of culturally-apt on it with us; we did a lecture/performance for Swiss metaphors - to teaching groups of students from totally and German radio, and then a live performance the next diferent backgrounds with a wide mix of abilities, and day. Next year in Carnegie Hall, I'll be performing a new even to playing "Frankenstein" with instruments, taking cello concerto commissioned by the New York pieces from one to complete another. John Ferguson, Youth Symphony, so I'm really looking forward to Executive Director of American Voices shares some that. I'll also be presenting several lecture recitals thoughts: at the Austrian Cultural Forum." "Bruce has an amazing knack for getting the most out of his students, his orchestras and his cello. He has Emma Childs I was (and still am) practicing about 4 hours a day... I have now decided to stay at the University of Minnesota and study cello with Tanya Remenikova. I was just accepted into the program last week :) I'm also going to be majoring in French studies. I am looking forward to the coming years of hard work and musical growth. In other news, I recently wrote a grant, and received an amount to help me purchase a new cello bow made by Lee Guthrie. I work as a barista at a cofee shop, and have been saving all of this year and last to make the purchase :) Over the last year I have subbed for a few University Orchestra concerts, Fargo-Moorhead Symphony concerts, With YES Academy students in Lebanon and have been a member of the campus been a prized guest teacher and conductor at our Youth orchestras. I also played in a concert for the Excellence on Stage/YES Academies in Iraq, Syria, local chamber music series, Chamber Music ff. Lebanon and Jordan since 2010 and we look forward to many more. Click here for an amazing performance he Ruby Brailler conducted with our 100-piece YES youth orchestra in Iraq in 2010:" http://www.youtube.com/user/ I am currently Principal Cello of the Lawrence americanvoices?feature=mhee#p/c/963105CC022D92EE/9/ Symphony Orchestra. In June I passed my Alu89GEF08w qualifying exam to be a cello performance major. I am also currently teaching strings at the Asked how he gets so much out of his students, Lawrence Academy String Project. This year I plan Bruce talks about making learning fun. His philosophy is to compete in the Lawrence Conservatory to "become the biggest cheerleader of whatever subject I Concerto Competition. I will also be preparing am teaching", and to meet his students halfway, on their for my Junior recital in the winter, featuring the turf. For example, he has made it his business to read Barber Cello Sonata. I plan on attending graduate all of the Harry Potter books. And one need only glance at school in two years. Thank you so much for your continued Alumni News In October 2010, performed as Dong Gyun Kim soloist with violinist/conductor Maxim Vengerov alongside the I Throughout this year, I've been the Musici de Montréal Chamber Principal Cello of the Spokane Youth Symphony, Orchestra. and I've also won SYS's concerto competition on the Elgar Cello Concerto fourth movement. Youngest participant, The Elgar will be performed with the SYS on May 22nd personally selected by maestro in the finale of the 2011 SYS season, which also Michael Tilson Thomas, to happens to be the last concert for our long time participate in the YouTube conductor, Verne Windham. I was also a finalist in the Symphony Orchestra, performing at Carnegie Hall in April 2009. Couer d'Alene Young Artist competition." (See quote, p. 4) Performs Dvorak Cello Concerto Stephane Tetrault Stephane Tetrault with l'Orchestre Metropolitain and the Variations on a Rococo Theme with the Malaysia Philharmonic in 2012. The only non-US Carlsen cello recipient, (cont. on Stephane, from , , still keeps p. 4) CCF updated on his impressive career several ------years after acquiring his own cello. Here are The cello from the foundation is wonderful - I keep highlights: noticing great new nuances about it through each Awarded CBC / Radio-Canada 2011-2012 practice session; I love it more and more every day. Revelation in Classical Music (2011) Thank you so much for providing me with this instrument. It has been such a blessing in my life! 2010 Grant Recipient the Hnatyshyn Emma Childs Foundation's Classical Music Category ! The average cost of a cello is $8,500. 70 young cellists now play Foundation cellos, up from 60 cellists at the same time last year. Little of the joy and achievement

Carlsen Cello Foundation th 2330 130 Avenue NE I would like e-mail alerts about Carlsen Suite 201 Foundation news and events. Bellevue, WA 98005 (Please send your e-mail address) (425) 455-9945 [email protected] I know someone who would be interested in the Foundation. (Please write g name, e-mail, mailing address on back of sheet.) $50 $500 Please list my name on the your donor $100 $1,000 list as

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Carlsen Cello Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. All contributions are tax-deductible. Almuni News (cont.)

Christian Kay Christian recently returned from the Conservatory Music in the Mountains Camp in Durango, CO. While at the camp, he auditioned and was selected to perform a solo recital. The students selected were from locations all over the world including Finland, China, Korea, Uzbekistan, New York, and Italy. Here is a link to the video of the performance of Gluck's Melodie (from Orfeo): http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=fd9h3rZVMsE Also, Christian has had another great success due in part to his training with your cello. He won the Tyler Youth Orchestra's concerto competition ***An Important Request*** Please help us keep in touch, stay green, and save money for more cellos. 1) Become a Friend on our Facebook Carlsen Cello Foundation page l-r: Barbara Balatero, Tanner Rodriguez, 8, Ray Carlsen

Thank you so much for letting me borrow the cello. I hope that generations of young aspiring cellists get to enjoy it as I did. I thank you, Dr. Carlsen, for letting so many of these young cellists progress in their studies without limitation from monetary barriers.

D. G. Kim

Clark Pang Clark

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