MV Chamber Music Society
The Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society continued its long time support of Music Education with its instrument loan program, lesson scholarships and a high school scholarship to a talented music performance or education major. in the past year MVCMS provided the high school orchestra with a string bass rental for the year, allowing a talented student to practice and perform on a quality instrument. Most notably our Artist in Residence Program, originally funded by MVYouth, and now in its 8th year featured QuinTango, an internationally lauded ensemble from Washington D.C. in March 2023. Introducing a new genre of music to our strings players, students prepared in advance with tango music. The student orchestras were coached by ensemble members, received private lessons throughout the week, and the professional musicians performed several school assemblies. Music students played a capstone concert at the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center at week’s end, followed by a performance of QuinTango for the general public. Additionally, MVCMS collaborated with The Yard to bring Tango professional, Analia Centurion, to the Vineyard to teach tango lessons two consecutive nights and perform with the musicians on stage. As we enter 2024 we are again planning our Artist in Residence program and continue to pursue new ways of assisting the Music Education program in the schools. We continue our overall mission of providing the Vineyard community with world-class chamber music concerts throughout the year and supporting music education, particularly in the public schools.
MV Chamber Music Society
The Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society is celebrating 35 years of continual support for music education in the public schools. In March, 2023 we will welcome QuinTango, a classical tango ensemble from the Washington D.C. area for our annual Artist-in-Residence program, originally funded by MVYouth through our “Access and Inspiration” project. Students will have private lessons, receive ensemble coaching, and perform with the Quintet at an all-island concert.
We continue to offer free instrument loans and demand continues to be strong. While private lessons were curtailed during the pandemic we will resume scholarship support at the beginning or 2023. We continue our support of students traveling to participate in the Cape Symphony Youth Orchestra (CSYO), who now travel twice a month to participate. We recently acquired a string bass for a talented new player at the high school, also participating in CSYO.
We are especially happy to see our “Access and Inspiration” goals coming to fruition as students continue playing into their high school years. Tayna Silva, a sophomore at the Regional High School was an instrument loan recipient thanks to MVYouth. She is now Concert Master for the CYSO. She told us, "The Chamber Music Society has been a huge part of my journey.... because I was able to use violins that were rich in sound which actually helped build my passion for the instrument." MVYouth has been a large part of our ability to innovate and sustain our support of strings playing for the children of Martha’s Vineyard.
MV Chamber Music Society
The Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society (MVCMS) has completed another successful year of support for youth strings players. We were able to offer a virtual Artist in Residence Program (AIR) in the spring of 2021 by the Rasa String Quartet. Contact with students included ensemble coaching, private lessons for 5th through 8th grade students and a virtual concert, recorded and distributed to school music personnel for use in classes.
This fall the strings program is growing! The programs are experiencing increased demand from second and third grade students blocked out of participation in the last school year. Instruments from the smallest 1/8th size to our full size are loaned out. New this year, and in addition to our regular education programs we are helping to support 18 students in 5th through 12th grades to participate in the Cape Symphony Youth Orchestra and younger youth ensemble. Students are participating in monthly rehearsals on the Cape and have regular visits from the youth ensemble conductor. We are seeking a cello instructor for the program and we have secured funding for an AIR in the spring.
In August MVCMS celebrated our long-time Artistic Director, Delores Stevens. MVCMS celebrated a first in November, sponsoring the Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra at the Performing Arts Center. We close out the year with a virtual concert from Diane Braun’s Music Street performers. We are anticipating an exciting 2022 with more music and continued support for strings education on MV.
MV Chamber Music Society
Our mission is to produce world-class chamber music concerts, promote and support classical music learning opportunities, especially in our schools, and create awareness of the value and significance of fine music. We believe that live music should be accessible to all; it expands creativity, enhances intelligence and enriches the spirit. In 2020, MVCMS loaned instruments to students, including all those purchased by MVYouth. Supporting the 2nd Grade Strings Project in Oak Bluffs School, we provided 18 violins so that two classes had lessons every week. When schools closed for the pandemic students kept their instruments to continue their studies at home. Our cello instruction, begun in 2018, continued with a new instructor with 10 students receiving lessons. Four new students received lessons in school and older students, 6th-12th grade were scheduled after school. These lessons continued into May online. Our plans for the Intensive String Ensemble, in spring, and Artist in Residence, in fall, were derailed when schools went virtual. String teachers continued their work online with students and were able to celebrate several solo performances by older students in the spring. However, group ensembles have not been possible. This fall we continued loaning instruments (and up-sizing) to students. Teaching continues individually online; group instruction remains difficult. Consequently, we have planned virtual skills groups and mini concerts to begin in January. MVCMS is dedicated to supporting music in schools and is adjusting accordingly.
MV Chamber Music Society
MV Chamber Music Society used the last of its funds in the fall of 2018 yet we have continued to expand our educational offerings for island students. The Artist-in-Residence program continues annually. Cellist, Andres Vera, continues to connect us with musicians and provide lessons and performances for island schools, most recently in October 2019. In January 2019 we launched Project Cello, bringing a professional cellist/instructor to the island providing the first private lessons to students. The first half year MVCMS provided the sessions free of cost, a benefit we believed would gather support and buy in from participating families. Since fall 2019 we have two visits per month. MVCMS provides free lessons for new cello students in school while sharing costs with families for after school lessons. Securing additional funding would allow offering lessons every week beginning in the fall of 2020. In September 2019 we partnered with Rebecca Laird, Oak Bluffs school strings teacher, to provide violins for every second grader in the Oak Bluffs school to take violin lessons weekly. This program is on-going. We encourage other schools to consider this option for introducing string playing. Finally, with the Elementary Strings Program, we are sponsoring an intensive visitation/residency, offering small group ensemble lessons to students over one day and a concert with students and professional musicians. The first program took place in December, at least one more planned for this school year. This totals three new programs introduced since MVYouth funding. We are so thankful.
Martha's Vineyard Chamber Music Society
The Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society (MVCMS) is experiencing great success with “Access and Inspiration”, the program funded by MVYouth. Our student instruments are loaned every October. This year, we loaned all 3/4 and full size violins, indicating students are playing longer and moving into larger instruments as they grow - a goal of the program.
For inspiration, we offered two highly successful Artist-in-Residencies which ran for a week each, March 25 to April 1, and November 4 to 12. In March, Andres Vera, cellist with The Quartet San Francisco made his third visit to the Vineyard. Accompanied by Joseph Christiansen, second violinist in the Quartet. Together they brought a youthful exuberance, masterful classical playing, and strong teaching skills. In November, the entire Quartet visited, working with the high school orchestra and helping students prepare solo pieces for festival auditions, performing for the high school music department, and at the Edgartown and Charter School. The Quartet coached and performed with “The Swedish Fish String Ensemble” at the Oak Bluffs School, a tremendous confidence building event for the students.
At this, the end of our funding, we feel sure of our ability to sustain the residency program. We secured additional funding through grants and generous patrons. Our work continues and we look forward to working with MVYouth again in the future.
MV Chamber Music Society
Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society (MVCMS) continued its’ support of island youth through the Access & Inspiration Program, loaning instruments and sponsoring two Artist-in-Residency weeks. There were unloaned instruments in the fall of 2016, but children grew throughout the year and all but full-size instruments were loaned, over 50 loans. This fall, with an additional teacher, all children interested in playing strings were accommodated by the program. This resulted in 60 instruments from MVCMS being loaned, 100% of ready inventory, and nearly one-third of all students playing instruments in the program 2nd-8th grade. Two Artist-in-Residency programs were provided in 2017. Andres Vera, cellist with the Quartet San Francisco (QSF) convened an April AIR which included elementary and high school students and the Vineyard Montessori School. A week of visits, lessons, and mentoring concluded with a capstone concert. A second AIR was held in October. Mr. Vera returned with lead violinist for QSF, Jeremy Cohen. The duo taught lessons, mentored teachers, coached the high school orchestra, provided all-school concerts at four of the six elementary schools and played a free concert at the West Tisbury Library. Evaluations from participants have been positive. The Quartet wishes to return in the spring of 2018 to continue building relationships with island students and MVCMS.
MV Chamber Music Society
Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society (MVCMS) received funding to purchase violins and violas and offer an Artist-in-Residency program for three years to Island youth. This gift increased the numbers of instruments available to young players and will support the public schools string program with visits from professional musicians aiming to inspire the youth of MV. MVCMS has supported Island youth for more than twenty-five years with free, loaned instruments and lesson scholarships. More than forty violins and cellos have been available to families that self identify as needing support. MVCMS also supports about fifteen students each year, receiving private instrument lessons, an important addition to in-school playing. Discontinued for many years, the public school strings program was reactivated with after-school lessons through MVCMS in the eighties. The successful program grew into the current schools program with continued support of MVCMS, promising “no barriers” to any student wishing to play. Today over one hundred sixty players in second through eighth grade participate. For the past four years, there has been a waiting list for students seeking access. This fall, led by the All-Island School Committee, the budget for strings teachers was increased from one and one half positions to two full time positions beginning in fall 2017. Thanks to the generosity of MVYouth, Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society has added twenty violins and violas, to our lending program for budding musicians, all of which are loaned out this fall. We are organizing our first Artist-in-Residency program for April 2017 and the popularity of the Island Strings program has led the MV Public Schools to increase teaching time for the Elementary Strings Program.
MV Chamber Music Society
PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT: Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society was awarded $29,300 to support their Access & Inspiration Strings Program. Funding will purchase 20 new violins and violas to be used in a free lending program that enables elementary strings students to borrow string instruments and graduate into larger instruments as they grow. An estimated 200 elementary school students participate in the strings program annually. The Chamber Music Society has 40 instruments in circulation now, all of which are currently in use.
Funding will additionally support three years of an Artists-in-Residence program intended to provide inspiration to strings students and promote interest in classical music with prospective students and families. Inspiring new musicians is seen as a critical step in expanding the Chamber Music Society’s educational programs. The Chamber Music Society has identified that classical music instruction supports children to develop: discipline, tenacity, confidence, focus, collaboration and self-expression.