Violist Jason Amos joins the CMW staff as a first year Fellow. We're thrilled to have him on the team!

Jason began his viola studies at age eleven in the public school system of his hometown of Southfield, Michigan. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan and is currently pursuing a Graduate Diploma at the New England Conservatory of Music.

He has received honors in several competitions, including 4th place in the 2007 Sphinx Competition and 1st place in the 2006 Detroit Symphony Orchestra's Bradlin Scholarship Concerto Competition. In addition, Jason appeared as soloist with the Ann Arbor Symphony, played in the Flint Symphony, and performed as Principal Viola for many other orchestras throughout Michigan.

Jason enjoys participating in the Sphinx Organization’s musical outreach programs—all programs aimed toward increasing the presence of minorities in classical music. Jason’s teachers include Martha Katz, Yizhak Schotten, Caroline Coade, and Catherine Carroll. He plays on a 1967 Celeste Farotto viola generously loaned through Shar Music.

CMW represents at the CVS Caremark 5K in downtown Providence on Sunday morning. Clearly there was an enthusiastic tie-dying party after Friday's family picnic…

Friday's picnic for CMW families included a potluck feast, fun and games, and some serious business: rehearsing for an upcoming performance by the Providence String Quartet and Phase III student quartet.

Phase 2 started the year out with a retreat at Camp Aldersgate in North Scituate, RI. Included in the overnighter was an open fire, microwaved marshmallows, an orchestra rehearsal on Handel, canoeing, and a leadership training by members of YUGA and Phase 3 member Fidelia.

-Sara Stalnaker, Providence Quartet

Jesse gets a little fruit shopping in on the way to the PSQ photo shoot.

Sebastian, our fearless leader.

New official PSQ photos by Sandor Bodo coming soon…

Here are some photos of Community MusicWorks staff and students looking smart at last spring's Imagining Art + Social Change conference. You can visit the conference documentation page on our website, where you'll be treated to many more excellent images from the conference donated by our photographer friends Mary Beth Meehan, Jori Ketten, Owen Muir, and Sandor Bodo.

Wednesday, September 17 at 12:00 pm
Fiddle tunes from around the world in beautiful Burnside Park
Violins, mandolin, guitar, possible percussion cameo by Liz Cox?

Cellist Adrienne Taylor joins CMW this week.

From Adrienne's bio:

Adrienne received a Bachelor of Music Degree and Performer Diploma from Indiana University and completed her Master of Music degree at Northwestern University. Her teachers include David Szepessy, Hans Jørgen Jensen, and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi.

Adrienne has performed in recitals and chamber music concerts throughout the U.S. as well as in Europe and Japan. As a member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra from 2005-2007, Adrienne participated in the orchestra’s Musicorps program which presents educational concerts to schools and colleges throughout the city. Adrienne enjoyed various performance opportunities during her time in Chicago, including performances with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble during their visit to the city in 2006. 

In 2007, Adrienne accepted a position as assistant principal cellist of Orchestra do Norte in Portugal, where she had the opportunity to perform throughout the country. We're thrilled that she has returned to the U.S. to participate in CMW's Fellowship Program beginning in September 2008.

Many thanks to Mary Beth Alger and her family for hosting the PSQ (and their family) last week. Mary Beth is the director of the Chappaquiddick Summer Music Festival. What a way to begin rehearsing for the fall concerts! 

Photos by Sebastian.