Ellis partners with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
The Ellis School has an exciting new partnership with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) to bring Bach to life across all grade levels. This interdisciplinary effort focuses on the science of sound, dance, the language of music, and other interpretive programs to bring the music and history of Bach to life for Ellis students and faculty. PSO performers will spend time on campus to introduce Ellis girls to their instruments and to share their love of Bach.
“The Pittsburgh Symphony orchestra is one of the most renowned orchestras in the world. The fact that our students will have the opportunity to engage one-on-one with members of the orchestra here at School and to perform for them April 7 at Heinz Hall is just extraordinary,” said Ellis visual arts faculty member Ms. Linda Tonetti Dugan, who is leading the partnership on behalf of the School.
Special PSO concert and reception for Ellis families
The partnership culminates in a special PSO performance of J.S. Bach’s Six Brandenburg Concertos taking place 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 7, 2013 at Heinz Hall The Ellis Silver Strings will perform in the lobby prior to the concert. Ellis families may purchase discounted tickets (normally $39) to the concert here www.pittsburghsymphony.org/ellis. Please note: the link works best in Google Chrome. Internet Explorer is not recommended.
The Ellis tickets—$15 for students and $20 or $25 for adults—include a private reception with conductor and harpsichordist, Jeannette Sorrell immediately following the concert. The Ellis Silver Strings, an Ellis Middle and Upper School student performance and practice group led by strings instructor Galina Istomin, will perform in the lobby of Heinz Hall in advance of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s April 7 performance.
Free child care available during concert
The Symphony have generously offered to make free "musical childcare" available during the first movement with the purchase of student tickets to the concert. Musical childcare is a great way for parents to relax while their children play with other children. Parents bring their children to musical childcare for the first movement. Childcare ends at the first intermission when parents pick up their children and then bring them to their seats for the second half of the concert.
Here is a glimpse of the interpretive programs taking place at Ellis, devised by our faculty in consultation with PSO teaching artists and musicians:
Band: At the first visit of the series, the C Street Brass performed for the Ellis band on December 17 and worked with the band on ensemble and practice skills. C Street Brass will be at the April 7 concert and reception. www.cstreetbrass.com.
5th grade: On February 25, violinist Monique Mead visited Amy Sidari’s 5th grade classes to speak about the Language of Music. Ellis 5th grade violinists, guitarists, saxophonists, and pianists performed for Ms. Mead during her visit.
Lower School French: On February 27, French teacher Helene Valescant-Shaffer’s class will enjoy a presentation of French music featuring arias by French opera composer, Jules Massenet, sung by tenor Donovan Smith, with violinist Monique Mead, who will speak about French/Francophone opera.
1st grade: On March 6, C Street Brass trumpeters Kyle Anderson and Scott Nadelson will speak to Diane Reckless’ class about the science of sound and will test Bach’s Brandenburg trumpet solos in diverse acoustical settings within the school. Be prepared for a surprise!
2nd grade: Terri Wilson’s and Petra Obley’s classes will learn about compositions that relate to the planets. Students, using I-Pads, xylophones, and percussion instruments, will create their own piece of rocket ship music based on Mason Bates' composition Mothership, which can be seen on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFh7LAFel4w.
US Art: Visual Arts Department Chair Sara Sturdevant’s 10th grade art history students will create informative “Ask Me” iPad introductions about Baroque dress, art and music. These iPad introductions will be available during the intermission at Heinz Hall on April 7.
Dance: Kelly Basil’s 5th and 6th grade dance class will work on a performance set to excerpts of Bach’s “Stately Dance” featuring students who will perform the dance at the Ellis Fine Arts Festival, taking place April 21.
About the April 7 Brandenburg Concertos at the PSO
Six masterpieces in concerto grosso form, the Brandenburg Concertos are J.S. Bach's supreme achievement in instrumental music. The pieces were unknown for over six generations until published as a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Bach's death. This brilliant work continues to enthrall audiences worldwide nearly three centuries later. Conductor and harpsichordist Jeannette Sorrell is one of the leading interpreters of Bach's music and will provide insights into the work throughout the concert.
Kindergarten: Pianist and eurythmics specialist Ms. Jieun Hwang and violinist Monique Mead will engage with Ann Martino's Kindergarten class in a warm-up activity involving music and motion. They will then explore Turkish elements in Mozart's music, explaining how Turkish music was a a craze for a while in the composer's time. The class will view excerpts of Mozart's "Turkish" operas, Ms. Mead will play a part of his "Turkish" violin concerto, and the students will play percussion instruments to highlight the rhythms in the famous Turkish March.
Tickets are available for $15/students and $20& $25/adults including the after-concert private reception online at www.pittsburghsymphony.org/ellis.
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Special PSO concert and reception for Ellis families
The partnership culminates in a special PSO performance of J.S. Bach’s Six Brandenburg Concertos taking place 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 7, 2013 at Heinz Hall The Ellis Silver Strings will perform in the lobby prior to the concert. Ellis families may purchase discounted tickets (normally $39) to the concert here www.pittsburghsymphony.org/ellis. Please note: the link works best in Google Chrome. Internet Explorer is not recommended.
The Ellis tickets—$15 for students and $20 or $25 for adults—include a private reception with conductor and harpsichordist, Jeannette Sorrell immediately following the concert. The Ellis Silver Strings, an Ellis Middle and Upper School student performance and practice group led by strings instructor Galina Istomin, will perform in the lobby of Heinz Hall in advance of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s April 7 performance.
Free child care available during concert
The Symphony have generously offered to make free "musical childcare" available during the first movement with the purchase of student tickets to the concert. Musical childcare is a great way for parents to relax while their children play with other children. Parents bring their children to musical childcare for the first movement. Childcare ends at the first intermission when parents pick up their children and then bring them to their seats for the second half of the concert.
Here is a glimpse of the interpretive programs taking place at Ellis, devised by our faculty in consultation with PSO teaching artists and musicians:
Band: At the first visit of the series, the C Street Brass performed for the Ellis band on December 17 and worked with the band on ensemble and practice skills. C Street Brass will be at the April 7 concert and reception. www.cstreetbrass.com.
5th grade: On February 25, violinist Monique Mead visited Amy Sidari’s 5th grade classes to speak about the Language of Music. Ellis 5th grade violinists, guitarists, saxophonists, and pianists performed for Ms. Mead during her visit.
Lower School French: On February 27, French teacher Helene Valescant-Shaffer’s class will enjoy a presentation of French music featuring arias by French opera composer, Jules Massenet, sung by tenor Donovan Smith, with violinist Monique Mead, who will speak about French/Francophone opera.
1st grade: On March 6, C Street Brass trumpeters Kyle Anderson and Scott Nadelson will speak to Diane Reckless’ class about the science of sound and will test Bach’s Brandenburg trumpet solos in diverse acoustical settings within the school. Be prepared for a surprise!
2nd grade: Terri Wilson’s and Petra Obley’s classes will learn about compositions that relate to the planets. Students, using I-Pads, xylophones, and percussion instruments, will create their own piece of rocket ship music based on Mason Bates' composition Mothership, which can be seen on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFh7LAFel4w.
Meet the Maestra: Jeannette Sorrell at Ellis: On April 2, Ellis will welcome conductor and harpsichordist Jeannette Sorrell when she presents two assemblies about conducting and leadership to Lower School and Middle/Upper Schools. Visit the Meet the Maestra page for more information about this program.
US Art: Visual Arts Department Chair Sara Sturdevant’s 10th grade art history students will create informative “Ask Me” iPad introductions about Baroque dress, art and music. These iPad introductions will be available during the intermission at Heinz Hall on April 7.
Dance: Kelly Basil’s 5th and 6th grade dance class will work on a performance set to excerpts of Bach’s “Stately Dance” featuring students who will perform the dance at the Ellis Fine Arts Festival, taking place April 21.
About the April 7 Brandenburg Concertos at the PSO
Six masterpieces in concerto grosso form, the Brandenburg Concertos are J.S. Bach's supreme achievement in instrumental music. The pieces were unknown for over six generations until published as a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Bach's death. This brilliant work continues to enthrall audiences worldwide nearly three centuries later. Conductor and harpsichordist Jeannette Sorrell is one of the leading interpreters of Bach's music and will provide insights into the work throughout the concert.
Kindergarten: Pianist and eurythmics specialist Ms. Jieun Hwang and violinist Monique Mead will engage with Ann Martino's Kindergarten class in a warm-up activity involving music and motion. They will then explore Turkish elements in Mozart's music, explaining how Turkish music was a a craze for a while in the composer's time. The class will view excerpts of Mozart's "Turkish" operas, Ms. Mead will play a part of his "Turkish" violin concerto, and the students will play percussion instruments to highlight the rhythms in the famous Turkish March.
Tickets are available for $15/students and $20& $25/adults including the after-concert private reception online at www.pittsburghsymphony.org/ellis.
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