A Diversity of Sound

On Sunday, September 22, Music Haven and Hopkins School joined forces to create a "Diversity of Sound" in Heath Commons, celebrating the power of music to transform the lives of young people. The afternoon of music featured the talents of The Haven String Quartet, Music Haven students and founder Tina Lee Hadari, and the Hopkins String Quartet and Global Music Ensemble.

To begin the program, Robert Smith, Director of Hopkins' Instrumental Music Program introduced the Haven String Quartet: Yaira Matyakubova, 1st violin; Gregory Tompkins, 2nd violin; Colin Benn, viola; and Philip Boulanger, cello.
"Since 2006, the Haven Quartet has been key in the development of the Music Haven community initiative. Founded by Tina Lee Hadari, and with the tireless support of her husband, Netta Hadari, Music Haven has been teaching students to be string players in New Haven's most under-served neighborhoods, bringing artistic development into the lives of young people and their communities.  Music Haven is dedicated to public service and, as a non-profit, rely solely on contributions and grants in order to fulfill its mission. The hearts of those who love and know music as key to artistic and personal growth beat in the chest of the Haven Quartet.  These professional chamber musicians are not only world-class, they are natural-born teachers. Those that can, do, and those that can do and believe in the value of their craft, teach.  We are delighted to have the Haven Quartet lead the performances this afternoon in the first movement of Beethoven's Quartet op.59, no. 1 in F major."

Following the Haven String Quartet's performance, Smith welcomed Harmony in Action to perform with the Hopkins String Quartet. "In our performance today, we celebrate harmony in many ways, but none more important than the coming together of the Haven Quartet's inspiring students, Harmony in Action, and Hopkins' very own string quartet. Harmony in Action have been giving up their afternoons to devote to learning their instruments, putting in precious time to practice and devote to being a part of a performing ensemble.  The extrinsic reward, you will experience with them today, but the intrinsic reward is invaluable and motivating beyond words. Our Hopkins School Quartet will join in the dialogue that Bach left us so long ago, timeless music that stands as some of the best of the Baroque era."

The two groups delighted the crowd with Johann Sebastian Bach's Allegro from Brandenburg Concerto #3, as well as a modern arrangement of "Lean of Me" by Bill Withers. Smith then introduced the next performance, an experiment in improvisation, led by Hopkins teacher Ian Melchinger. "Last year, Hopkins School saw the need to broaden the scope of music education and introduce a course that would bring new instruments and performance opportunities to our instrumentalists.  The Global Music ensemble was created, and it was a logical next step to tap our very own film composer, guitarist, drummer, pianist, singer, songwriter… and member of our English faculty, Mr. Ian Melchinger. In a little over two weeks, Ian has built an ensemble that can now stretch their legs into brave new musical territory. Since he can tell you far better than I of the diversity of sound he will weave with the Global Music Ensemble and Haven Quartet, I will let him take over." Melchinger led the group of musicians in an improvisation marrying African drums with an Irish harmony, titled See It There: Afro-Irish Chamber Jam.

Tina Lee Hadari followed this unique performance with a "round robin" style offering of Sonata No. 1 for Two Violins by Jean-Marie Leclair, where three movements were played by different pairings of violinists, including two of her students, her husband and herself.

The next performance was an original jazz composition from Hopkins student Corey Chang '14, titled Evening Light. Smith introduced Corey as follows: "Corey is a senior this year at Hopkins and started playing piano at the age of two. He has been a student at the Neighborhood Music School in New Haven since he was 5, taking lessons in classical piano, jazz piano, and drums. Corey won the Neighborhood Music School Performance Prize in 2007, 2009, and 2011 and also won the New Haven Concerto Competition in 2012, performing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in the Battell Chapel at Yale. Corey has also been composing music since the age of seven. His composition accolades include performing, as a fourth grader, one of his piano compositions at a Yale/NMS conference, participating for three years in the New Haven Symphony’s Young Composers’ Project with Augusta Read Thomas, and participating in the Young Composers' Project with Christopher Theofanidis, where his string trio was performed by members of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. In 2013, he won first place in the Golden Key National Piano Composition Competition for the piece he will be presenting this afternoon, “Evening Light,” which was premiered this summer at Ehrbar Hall in Vienna, Austria."

The program rounded out with another joint performance by the Haven String Quartet and the Hopkins Quartet, followed by the closing performance, ending as the program began, with the talented Haven String Quartet.

It was a wonderful afternoon of world class music on the Hill.

PROGRAM

Haven String Quartet
Beethoven String Quartet, op.59 #1 in F major, I. Allegro.....Ludwig van Beethoven

Harmony in Action & Hopkins String Quartet
Brandenburg Concerto # 3, I. Allegro.....Johann Sebastian Bach

Lean on Me…..Bill Withers

Hopkins Global Music Ensemble
See It There: Afro-Irish Chamber Jam.....arr. Ian Melchinger


Sonata No. 1 for Two Violins.....Jean-Marie Leclaire
I. Allegro - Emily Wang and Noel Mitchell
II. Allegro ma poco - Tina Lee Hadari and Emily Wang
III. Allegro - Tina Lee Hadari and Netta Hadari


Evening Light..... composed and performed by Corey Chang


Haven String Quartet & Hopkins Quartet
Capriol Suite..... Peter Warlock
I. Basse-Danse
II. Pavane
III. Pieds-en-l'air
IV. Mattachins

Haven String Quartet
Panonia Boundless..... Alexandra Vrebalov


About the Performers:

Haven String Quartet
As the permanent quartet-in-residence of Music Haven, the Haven String Quartet's mission is to integrate music and creative endeavor into community life. The quartet provides access to free music education and world-class chamber music performances to residents in New Haven's most underserved neighborhoods.

Yaira Matyakubova, resident violinist, has performed in Carnegie Hall with the Silk Road Project in collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma and Pinchas Zuckerman, and is a tenured member of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. She received he Bachelor's degree from the Harid Conservatory and her Master's degree from Rice University, where she was honored with a President's Award. Ms. Matyakubova further pursued her musical studies at Yale University.

Gregory Tompkins, resident violinist, holds a B.M. in voile performance, a B.A. in psychology from the University of Tochester and the Eastman School of Music, and a Master's degree from the New England Conservatory. Gregory has participated in a variety of summer festivals across the United States. He concertizes regularly in solo and chamber recitals in the eastern United States and has performed as a member of the Civic Prchestra of Chicago.

Colin Benn, residen violist, holda a B.S. from the Juilliard School. He played a season with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra and recorded with artists Milton Nascimento, Wagner Tiso, and the Rio Strings. In 2004, he played with the Sao Paulo State Symphony Orchestra and participated in the orchestra's concert tour of Latin America, played in opera orchestras in New York and Italy.

Philip Boulanger, resident cellist, received a B.M. from Boston University, an Artist Certificate from the Krakow Academy of Music in Poland, and a Masters in Performance and Pedagogy from Northwestern University. He served as a Teaching Artist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, designing innovative curricula for a variety of music education and outreach programs across Chicago Public School. Philip worked with Yo-Yo Ma on the Symphony's Citizen Musician Initiative and joined the CSO for their MusicNOW series.

MUSIC HAVEN

Tina Lee Hadari, Founder and Executive Director, established Music Haven in 2006 because she was convinced that chamber music and professional musicians could be integrated more fully into a community. Tina has always dreamed of combining her passions–chamber music, urban music education, and community service interests–to create an ensemble dedicated to public service.


The Hopkins Quartet
Louisa Chua-Rubenfeld '14, violin I
Hannah Melchinger '17, violin II
Matthew Dailis '15, viola
Shira Bedford '16, cello

The Hopkins Global Music Ensemble 
Ian Melchinger, Director, melodica
Arjun Choudhary '17, violin
Hunter Congdon '17, bell/triangle
Peter Conklin '17, guitar
Graham Dowd '17, sogo/cajon
Riley Kesserling '16, kagan/dumbek
Emily Koleske '15, steel pan
Tara Maloney '17, flute
Nathaniel Nguyen '17, shaker
John Pitkin '17, ukelele
Corey Rispoli '17, trumpet
Daniel Rock '16, kidi/djembe
Phil Ross '17, clarinet
Zoe Sernyak '17, violin


Corey Chang '14, won 1st place in the Senior category of the national level and 5th place in the international level of the Golden Key Music Festival Composition Competition for his original work for piano, Evening Light.  Last summer, he performed his own piece as well as a piece by Mozart in Vienna.

Emily Wang '16, is one of several Hopkins students who have served as a Practice Buddy volunteer at Music Haven’s after-school outreach program.  


Harmony in Action

Violins
Noel Mitchell, concertmaster
Jordan Brown, principal 2nd violin
Donasia Gray
Audrey Rivetta
Zasha Rodriguez
Damani Salahuddin
Shauna Wilson
Denasha Upchurch

Violas
Sofia Galvan, principal
Imaj Penn

Cellos
Alicia Ernsbterger, principal
Christopher Burney
Isabel Melchinger

Bass
Roy Smith