Virtuosi to play Carnegie Hall

Virtuosi, a group of 21 of the Jacobs School of Music’s String Academy’s best violonists, violists and cellists, ages 12 to 18, will perform at 7:30 p.m. March 11 in Carnegie Hall in New York.

They are co-directed by associate professor Brenda Brenner and cello program director Susan Moses.

“This is an enviable experience,” Brenner said. “This opportunity is allowing them to prepare and preform at the highest level. Whenever you’re preparing for Carnegie Hall, you are raising expectations.”

Virtuosi is made up of kids from Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Minnesota, among other states. Students travel up to 300 miles every Saturday for all-day rehearsals.

The String Academy was started 36 years ago by director of the program and Jacobs professor Mimi Zweig as a pre-college opportunity for orchestra musicians. The academy has classes to teach young people how to play an instrument. Their youngest student is 3 years old. However, if students have already learned how to play an instrument, they have to audition to get into the String Academy.

The group is funded by a grant from the Starling Foundation. Zweig said they did not apply for a grant but it was just “something they were lucky enough to receive.” The Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation also gave money to other music schools such as The Juilliard School.

This is not the String Academy’s first time in Carnegie Hall. Virtuosi performed in Weill Recital Hall in 2002. They have also performed in Argentina, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Spain and Sweden.

To book a performance at Carnegie Hall, one must find a vacant date and book the show.

“We are hoping a lot of important people come out to support us,” Brenner said. “We have a large alumni network, and we hope they will come hear what we are doing.”
Renowned violinist Gilles Apap is performing with the Virtuosi in Carnegie Hall. He is a friend of Zweig.

“Gilles is an interesting player because he can play a huge variety of styles,” Brenner said. “He really thinks outside the box and helps the students grow
musically.”

Amy Lidell is a 17-year-old violin player in the Virtuosi from Bedford. She said she started playing when she was 5 years old. She said her mom practiced with her a lot, and she just kept practicing because it makes her happy to play.

“In Virtuosi, we all love each other and making music,” Lidell said. “It gives us a lot of experience with playing in a chamber orchestra and together.”

Zweig said this is a great opportunity for the group.

“This is an extremely exciting, enriching event for these kids,” Zweig said. “They have worked so hard and achieved so much. They truly deserve to be heard in such a distinguished venue.”