Musicians of the future in our Berkshire home towns | theberkshireedge.com

Carolyn Newberger, artist, child psychologist, and musician (flute and jazz washboard) summarizes, "This week in Los Angeles, several young musicians from Pittsfield are playing a concert in Walt Disney Concert Hall under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel, the famed conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic." 

Kids 4 Harmony participant Leila P., July 3, 2018.
Photo: Carolyn Newberger

On July 31, they will be playing the first movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 with Emanuel Ax, and on August 7, they will be playing in Tanglewood on Parade at 4:45 in the afternoon.

In the Berkshires, where great music and great musicians are standard fare, we also have some amazing young local musicians who are enriching our community not just during the summer season, but year-round. These children are participants in Kids 4 Harmony, a groundbreaking program of Berkshire Children and Families that creates opportunities for children in underserved communities through intensive, ensemble-based musical instruction.

Started in 2011 and directed by Alicia Stevenson, over 100 children are served in both North Adams and Pittsfield. A core group of the children are now playing at a level of high musicianship, and have performed in Boston and Los Angeles as part of the larger El Sistema movement in the United States...

On July 31, the children will play with Emanuel Ax, himself a passionate champion of the role music can play in elevating the lives of children. The occasion will be the Kids 4 Harmony gala at Berkshire Community College. Early purchase of tickets is advised as last year’s event was sold out.
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Source: theberkshireedge.com