Text Box: Following Friday and Saturday night concerts in Seattle and Tacoma, the Northwest Sinfonietta took its March subscription program up the Peninsula to Bremerton. A Sunday matinee at the refurbished Admiral Theatre marked the NS ensemble’s Bremerton debut, adding another community to the list of venues served by the regional ensemble. The performance capped a week of music-making for the orchestra and its guest artist, Text Box: 14-year-old Korean-American pianist Ji-Yong. Traveling from New York where he studies at the Juilliard School, Ji-Yong attracted a great deal of media attention with interviews for local Korean television, radio and newspapers in the days before his concert appearances. Seattle’s Korean Consul for Cultural Affairs, Mr. Chang Boo Moon, and the Korean Women’s Association’s Joyce Yoo, were among special guests at Town Hall in Seattle Text Box: and the Rialto Theater in Tacoma. In Bremerton, the Admiral Theatre’s Executive Director, Ruth Enderle, said she was thrilled to bring the Northwest Sinfonietta to Bremerton, and to hear them in person for the first time. Speaking with organizers and sponsors after the performance, she expressed pleasure in discovering that the orchestra measures up to its reputation for excellence. Northwest Sinfonietta officials Text Box: Public Schools, worked with the NS Education Committee to organize the event. He said the concert “was unbelievable and inspired many of our string players.” Bringing the Quartet and the young musicians together at a central location made the program cost-efficient for Bethel Schools, and helped it reach a large number of students. Sandner commented that the Northwest Sinfonietta’s “concern for bringing a high quality educational experience to our students permeated everything they did, and everyone who attended the master classes and performance enjoyed them very much.” In March, the Quartet presented another education program to elementary students. Expanded into a quintet this time, by the addition of string bass, the ensemble gave a musical tour Text Box: The Northwest Sinfonietta String Quartet has discovered a new role for itself—that of music educator. On February 1, the Quartet and Music Director Christophe Chagnard traveled to Bethel High School. Awaiting them in the school’s cafeteria were orchestra students from seven neighboring middle schools and high schools. The morning began with a one-hour concert by the Northwest Sinfonietta String Quartet. Then, student violinists, violists, cellists and bassists broke out for separate master classes with members of the Quartet. In each class, a few of the students played solos prepared in advance. Quartet members coached them and demonstrated proper playing techniques while the other students watched. Michael Sandner, Director of Arts Education for Bethel Text Box: of European nations. Music Director Chagnard narrated, and the musicians demonstrated the different sounds and the working parts of their instruments. Collaborating with the Northwest Sinfonietta was the Tacoma Philharmonic which provided the Pantages Theater and arranged for school participation and bus transportation. This arts exposure event has been presented by the two organizations for several years to 2,000 elementary students at the Pantages annually. The Quartet plans to go into Tacoma Public Schools this spring, and the Northwest Sinfonietta hopes to expand the program to more schools. Also planned for next year is a woodwind ensemble to work with band students. Text Box: Orchestra Tours the Sound Gives First Ever Performance in Bremerton Text Box: String Quartet Goes to Schools Text Box: The Northwest Sinfonietta String Quartet’s “concern for bringing a high quality educational experience to our students permeated everything they did…” — Michael Sandner, Bethel Public Schools

Illustrator
Todd Larsen