FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 15, 2015 Music Academy of the West Contact: New York Philharmonic Contact: Ana Papakhian Katherine E. Johnson (805) 695-7907 (212) 875-5700 [email protected] [email protected] 10 Zarin Mehta Fellows From Music Academy of the West Arrive in New York City January 2 for Ten-Day Immersion with New York Philharmonic Carl Anderson (double bass), Benjamin Hoffman (violin), Maki Kubota (cello), Nikolette LaBonte (horn), José Martínez (tuba), Rebecca Reale (violin), Rainer Saville (trumpet), Samuel Sparrow (clarinet), Mark Teplitsky (flute), Naho Zhu (bassoon) Photo: Scott Alan Mount In the second year of a four-year partnership between Music Academy of the West and the New York Philharmonic, ten Academy musicians will travel to New York in January 2016 to participate in the New York Philharmonic Global Academy Fellowship Program (Jan 2-12), developing their career skills through what President and CEO of the Music Academy of the West Scott Reed called “an extraordinary opportunity to gain valuable experience alongside the musicians of one of the world’s greatest orchestras.” During the once-in-a-lifetime immersion experience, described by Music Director Alan Gilbert as “a window into the real life of the orchestral musician,” the Zarin Mehta Fellows will take lessons from and shadow members of the New York Philharmonic, rehearse chamber repertoire in preparation for a private performance at The Morgan Library & Museum, perform mock auditions, and join the Teaching Artists of the New York Philharmonic Education program on visits to two New York schools in Queens and the Bronx. The Fellows will rehearse with and may have the opportunity to perform with the New York Philharmonic for concerts on January 7-9 and 12, in a Strauss and Wagner program led by Alan Gilbert, featuring New York Philharmonic Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence Eric Owens. The 2016 Zarin Mehta Fellows, selected by audition from 65 Music Academy of the West instrumentalists, are: Carl Anderson, double bass; Benjamin Hoffman, violin; Maki Kubota, cello; Nikolette LaBonte, horn; José Martínez, tuba; Rebecca Reale, violin; Rainer Saville, trumpet; Samuel Sparrow, clarinet; Mark Teplitsky, flute; and Naho Zhu, bassoon. As 2015 Zarin Mehta Fellow Anthony Bellino said: “Playing with the New York Philharmonic was inspiring and intimidating. The first time walking on stage, seeing my seat next to the other members of the trumpet section — it was so unreal for me I couldn’t stop smiling the entire time.” Philharmonic President Matthew VanBesien also expressed his enthusiasm: “I congratulate the ten impressive Music Academy fellows who have been selected to join the New York Philharmonic in January 2016 as Zarin Mehta Fellows. We truly believe this kind of unique immersion in the life of an orchestral musician is an unparalleled experience, and we’re proud to be able to offer it to these and other students through our Global Academy. The Philharmonic’s first performance residency at the Music Academy of the West was a magnificent culmination of the first year of this cornerstone New York Philharmonic Global Academy collaboration, and we look forward to several more successful years of partnership.” The Music Academy of the West is the first American partner in the New York Philharmonic Global Academy. The four-year partnership formalizes a long relationship between the institutions; thirteen New York Philharmonic musicians are alumni of the Academy, including newly appointed Philharmonic Concertmaster Frank Huang. The partnership, which began in the summer of 2014, combines training of Music Academy fellows by Philharmonic musicians; biennial performances by the Philharmonic at the Music Academy Summer Festival; and Academy Festival Orchestra performances at Music Academy Summer Festivals led by Alan Gilbert. The Music Academy’s partnership with the New York Philharmonic has been made possible through the generosity of lead sponsors Linda and Michael Keston. The Global Academy Fellowship Program, in association with the New York Philharmonic Global Academy, is supported in part by The Alec Baldwin Foundation, Inc., an anonymous donor, and other gifts made towards the Zarin Mehta Fund. About the New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic plays a leading cultural role in New York City, the United States, and the world. This season’s projects will connect the Philharmonic with up to 50 million music lovers through live concerts in New York City and on its worldwide tours and residencies; digital recording series; international broadcasts on television, radio, and online; and as a resource through its wide range of education programs and the New York Philharmonic Leon Levy Digital Archives. The Orchestra has commissioned and/or premiered works by leading composers from every era since its founding in 1842 – including Dvořák’s New World Symphony, John Adams’s Pulitzer Prize– winning On the Transmigration of Souls, dedicated to the victims of 9/11, and Magnus Lindberg’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Renowned around the globe, the Philharmonic has appeared in 432 cities in 63 countries – including the groundbreaking 1930 tour of Europe; the unprecedented 1959 tour to the USSR; the historic 2008 visit to Pyongyang, D.P.R.K., the first there by an American orchestra; and the Orchestra’s debut in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2009. The New York Philharmonic serves as a resource for its community and the world. It complements its annual free concerts across the city — including the Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer — with Philharmonic Free Fridays and a wide range of education programs – among them the famed, long-running Young People’s Concerts and Philharmonic Schools, an immersive classroom program that reaches thousands of New York City students. Committed to developing tomorrow’s leading orchestral musicians, the Philharmonic has established the New York Philharmonic Global Academy, collaborations with partners worldwide offering training of pre-professional musicians, often alongside performance residencies. These include the Shanghai Orchestra Academy and Residency Partnership and collaborations with Santa Barbara’s Music Academy of the West and The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. The oldest American symphony orchestra and one of the oldest in the world, the New York Philharmonic has made almost 2,000 recordings since 1917, including several Grammy Award winners, and its self-produced digital recording series continues in the 2015– 16 season. Music Director Alan Gilbert began his tenure in September 2009, succeeding a distinguished line of 20th-century musical giants that includes Leonard Bernstein, Arturo Toscanini, and Gustav Mahler. For more information, visit nyphil.org. About the Music Academy of the West The Music Academy of the West is among the nation’s preeminent summer schools and festivals for gifted young classical musicians. At its ocean-side campus in Santa Barbara, the Academy provides these musicians with the opportunity for advanced study and performance under the guidance of internationally renowned faculty artists, guest conductors, and soloists. Admission to the Academy is strictly merit based, and fellows receive full scholarships (tuition, room, and board). The Academy’s distinguished teaching artists roster has included famed soprano Lotte Lehmann, composers Darius Milhaud and Arnold Schoenberg, cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, pianist Jeremy Denk, and current Voice Program Director Marilyn Horne. Academy alumni are members of major symphony orchestras, chamber orchestras, ensembles, opera companies, and university and conservatory faculties throughout the world. Many enjoy careers as prominent solo artists. In 2014 the Music Academy entered into a four-year partnership with the New York Philharmonic, resulting in unprecedented training and performance opportunities for Academy fellows, and Summer Festival residencies for Philharmonic musicians. The Music Academy of the West cultivates discerning, appreciative, and adventurous audiences, presenting more than 200 public events annually, nearly half of them free of charge. These include performances by faculty, visiting artists, and fellows; masterclasses; orchestra and chamber music concerts; and a fully staged opera. The 2016 Summer School and Festival will take place from June 13 to August 7 at the Academy’s scenic Miraflores campus and in venues throughout Santa Barbara. For more information, visit www.musicacademy.org. About the Zarin Mehta Fellows Carl Anderson double bass (’14,’15), 20, born in Cincinnati, Ohio, is an undergraduate at DePaul University, where he studies with Alex Hanna. Mr. Anderson has obtained both the highest scholarships in music and academics that DePaul University offers. During his freshman year, he won DePaul University’s concerto competition and performed with the DePaul Symphony and Opera Orchestra. He is a current substitute with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the New World Symphony in Miami, Florida. This year he also participated in the New York String Seminar at Carnegie Hall. He spent two summers at the Perlman Music Program where he played under the baton of Itzhak Perlman. Benjamin Hoffman violin (’12,’13,’15), 25, born in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a student at Yale University. Mr. Hoffman is currently concertmaster of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, and recently enjoyed serving as concertmaster of the Yale Philharmonia under John Adams at David Geffen Hall