"Music, at its best, is some kind of honest portrayal of things that we all feel....It is harder to hate, to have this callousness toward other human beings. It adds up to people... getting along better."
Shelton Berg
In this letter, I would like to introduce to your our Executive Board members, give you an idea of our 2010/2011 season, and offer a short recap of last season.
We continue to change so as to build a base upon which to continue to grow. Two Piano Music is being discovered by more people in the US. After all, Elton John and Lady Gaga played a duo piano
version of their songs at the Grammys! it is our intention to be a pivotal part of that discovery in the Americas.
We are in the middle of fundraising; do support our work with whatever amount you feel comfortable with. Come to our concerts and events to be with people who love music. Bring your friends. Discover the music and the musicians. Send this newsletter to your circle. Sponsor specific events, or specific aspects of what we do. Commission a composition. Underwrite a performance. Become part of our family.
Gabriele Fiorentino
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CONTENT
| THE DRANOFF BOARD...meet us
2010/2011 SEASON...calendar
LOOKING BACK TO LAST SEASON...read more
TWO PIANO CONCERTS....read more
NEWS ...read more
LISTEN - to music read e
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 THE DRANOFF EXECUTIVE BOARD
 Gabriele
Fiorentino
Gabriele became involved with the Dranoff as a host to a duo in the 2001 competition, then joined the board and recently became the board president because she now has the time to dedicate to this "crazy passion for the music and the artists and all the people I have met since I encountered the Dranoff".
Gabriele was born and raised in
Duesseldorf, Germany. After
completing high school, she chose Miami as her home and the University of
Miami as her alma mater. Following work in the marketing department at Burger King Corporation, she moved to the
agency side at Beber Silverstein and Partners. Now, her focus is on business and investment opportunities both in
Germany and in the United States together with her husband Patrick Fiorentino.
For almost a
decade she was involved in many educational projects presenting arts in the
public school, and also served as
the German language coach for the Young Artist Program of the Florida Grand
Opera.
The Fiorentinos' children are both
in college. Outside of
music, Gabriele's interests include design and construction, reading, food and sailing.
 Maxine
Long
Our Vice President, a partner at the lawfirm Shutts & Bowen, tackles transnational disputes for companies and financial institutions in the U.S. and abroad, with clients including individuals, corporations, foreign and
national banks, and government entities. Her work with a local church
has also led to a side niche--counseling churches of various
denominations.
A graduate of Bryn Mawr, George Town University and the University of Miami, she joined Shutts & Bowen in 1980, following a
clerkship with U.S. District Judge C. Clyde Atkins.
Ms. Long is listed in Who's Who in
American Law, Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who in America, and
Who's Who in the World.
Maxine serves as Pro Bono Coordinator and personally volunteers more than 100 hours a year, including serving groups in the community as president and an elder of her church, and as counsel to the Presbytery of Tropical Florida.
Her connection to Dranoff? She went to college with one of the daughters of Loretta and Murray Dranoff, Carolyn. "I had reconnected with Loretta and Murray when they moved to Miami, and Loretta started inviting me to events after the Foundation was created. I joined the board after having
attended several Salon concerts and a competition."
 Ben
Quevedo
Our second Vice President Ben is a native Miamian and has held communications positions at the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security in Washington and at Air France Industries-Aero Maintenance Group in Paris and Miami.
Ben received his undergraduate degree from Tulane University,
a Master's Degree from George Washington University and currently is a candidate
for a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law.
Within the Dranoff, he has made the Piano Slam project his special focus. "I am concerned that today's students benefit from the
same well-rounded and culturally rich academic experience earlier
generations enjoyed. The reality is that in some school districts, funding
for art and music has already been completely eliminated. So it is imperative that
organizations such as ours continue to play an active role in
bringing arts programming to the schools. I have found that without exception, students are thrilled by the performances, and the administrations consider a visit from the Dranoff pianists as one of the highlights of the school year. It the greatest reward for the investment in time and funding!"
 Carol
Elkins
Board Secretary Carol Elkins was the Executive
Director of a national non-profit agency based in Chicago for 11 years, providing her with
a unique perspective that has been helpful in making the Dranoff grow from its infancy into THE premier
organization promoting the vast duo-piano repetoire, its artists, and the beauty
of this musical art form and to become the "gold
standard" of competitions.
Her deceased husband, Dr. Jerry Benson, was a avid collector of music, and a passionate pianist. Their home, with its two
"nested" grand pianos, has served as one of the "unofficial rehearsal
sites"
for countless visiting duos to practice when they are in town. There
have been occasions when such
rehearsals also included vocalists and other instrumentalists.
"Before I was two years old, I
was already hearing a sister playing the piano. It became
part of my inner being - a
source of serenity and strength. There is no greater joy or solace than listening to two pianos being
played by our wonderful teams!"
 Heather
Mann
Our Treasurer is a Senior Account Executive of Aon
Corporation, responsible for
leading the sales effort, deploying appropriate resources, and
overseeing
transition management for clients.
Special areas of expertise include developing creative risk
finance and insurance solutions for large global
corporate
clients and prospects. Mann is among the most respected
businesswomen in her industry
and has excelled at every challenge she has faced.
Heather
obtained her BA from The
Catholic University of America, 1991, and has been working in the risk assessment business since then. She is the Co-Chair of
Business Forums International Miami Chapter. She was named one of 50
"Movers & Shakers" by South Florida 2008 Business Leaders Magazine.
She and her husband Ted Ballard have two children, both in public school. It is because of the children that she first was exposed to duo pianism at one of our school performances. Having scouted non-profit organizations, Heather
found the right connection and cause
with the Dranoff.
 Dan
Barsky
Dan joins Dranoff with a passion to grow the music culture and scene
in South Florida. Barsky is currently an Asssociate with the prestigious law
firm of Shutts & Bowen in West Palm Beach. He has a J.D. from
University of Miami and a B.S. in Biological Chemistry and Economics from Bates
College.
Dan grew up in an environment supportive of musical performance; when he learned about our work, he expressed an interest in adding a cultural aspect to his community involvement by spearheading our expansion northward. He is also on the board of the Gulfstream Goodwill Industries, and a member of the Palm Beach Bar Association.
"I have been playing piano since very early in grade school and it is something that has continued to be a passion of mine since.
Dranoff is an organization
dedicated to preserving one of the most musically beautiful forms of chamber
music. Classical music, and
chamber music in particular, was very important to me growing up. It is a connection with our past,
transcending centuries, eras, and cultures...promoting the art, encouraging new talent, commissioning new
works, and educating the public - all further links in that chain which brings the
past into the present..."
In his ample spare time, he is a competitive sailor and formerly a competitive skier and also enjoys photography and golf (although, he claims, "I'm not any good at either")
 Frances
McLaney
Fran is an attorney with
experience in
private practice, with FDIC/Resolution Trust Corporation in both
Louisiana and
Texas Regional offices and also with FPL. Frances received her
J.D. from Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana and
a
Bachelor of Science from Spring Hill College and
Boston College. She is licensed to practice law in Florida, Louisiana,
Alabama
and Mississippi and is a member of the Florida Association for Women
Lawyers.
Her husband, John Rooney, shares her love for music,
something she discovered as a young girl. After moving to Miami, she
learned about the Dranoff from a collegue of John's and decided to find
out more about us. She
promptly joined us.
 Susanna
Tarjann
Susanna was born
in Los Angeles and raised in New York, and moved to Miami in
1968 with her husband Peter - for about a year or so. But 42 years
later, they still love Miami and are
happy to call it home.
Since her father, composer Jerome Moross, died in 1983, Susanna has been
managing and
promoting his music. Right now she is
in the midst of producing a full length documentary for his 100th
birthday in 2013.
"The
Dranoff has been an integral part of my life since 1994, when I first
met
Loretta Dranoff. We hosted a
team for the 1995 competition and except for 1997 we hosted
a team for every competition since. Every team
becomes family and stays with us when they come back to Miami for
concerts. It is truly not possible
to describe the joy of listening to the artists at the competition. Knowing that many of them will go on to
successful careers as duo pianists makes all the hard work worthwhile.
It
was a passion of
Loretta's, as well as mine, to develop a project to bring music to
children in
schools. Thanks to
the vision and determination of our Executive Director, Carlene Sawyer,
the Dranoff has continued this passion by bringing duo piano music to
thousands of school children in Miami over the past
five years. Piano Slam at the Adrienne Arsht Center for Performing Arts
is a culmination of these
efforts and another piece of the Dranoff mission that keeps me
involved."
 Jose
Vilanova
Jose
possesses vast experience in the music
industry and is a passionate philanthropic advocate who continuously
seeks to
better the artistic vein of South Florida.
As Adjunct Professor at
Florida
International University, Jose has been changing the lives of future
leaders in our community. He earned a JD from The Catholic University of
America, a M.A. from Duke
University, and a B.A. from Wheaton College.
Jose is a classically trained pianist and singer, has played
piano recitals in Miami, Chicago, Tanglewood and Jerusalem; toured
internationally with the Wheaton College Men's Glee Club and has sung
with the
Miami Lyric Opera.
He has returned to the Dranoff after working for
Loretta Dranoff in the mid-nineties. When he found out we were looking
to expand our board, he chuckled about the "full circle". "What is so
great about the Dranoff is that the artistry and musicality is of such
quality that one never has to apologize."
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2010/2011 SEASON
Just so that you can pencil in the dates
OCTOBER 23
Percussion and Two Pianos, Duo Stephanie & Saar (New York) with the New World Symphony, Lincoln Theater, Miami Beach.
NOVEMBER 4
"New Music for Hammer & Strings" with Duo Seo & Kato (Japan) with the Bergonzi Quartet, 4141 Buliding, Design District, Miami. VIP reception following.
FEBRUARY 16
"Mostly Schubert" with Duo d'Accord (Germany) and Frank Levy. The first half of the concert will present the duo Lucia Huang and Sebastian Euler, the second half Frank Levy, University of Miami Gusmann Hall, Coral Gables. VIP reception following.
MAY 4
"Piano Slam Vol 3", Adrienne Arsht Center for Performing Arts, Miami. VIP reception following.
For the Dranoff 100 members: there will be 4-6 Salon concerts. Please look for your email updates. If you are not a Dranoff 100 member but are interested, you can find out more on our website
| Specific dates, times and places will be available soon.
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OUR 24th SEASON 2009/2010
IN the past
season over 2,200 attended Dranoff's public performances
and over 10,000 children participated in the Foundation's music and
education
programs.
The
Dranoff Season began with "Classical Dranoff - Down with ArtSouth" in November 2009 with German
duo Richard and Valentin Humburger playing for students in Homestead
schools. The students
created visual works based on a Dranoff recording that were submitted to an art competition and juried
by a panel
of professional artists affiliated with ArtSouth.
The program ended with a concert "2
Pianos & Pictures at an Exhibition" on December 12, 2009 in the
Sanctuary
at ArtSouth, featuring Duo Scarbo. Board Chair of ArtSouth, Stanley
Levine,
reported for the fourth year that it was one of the largest audiences
the
Sanctuary had ever had "And for Classical Music!"
Duo
Scarbo followed their community concert with a marvelous concert
of Spanish classical music to a standing room only audience on Miami
Beach at
the Bass Museum.
"Two Pianos and the Music of Italy"
brought the internationally acclaimed Piano Duo Trivella from Italy to
Coral Gables to perform at the University of
Miami's Gusman Hall on February 11, 2010 for an audience of over 400
patrons.
New arrangements of works by Donizetti, Sollima and Piazzolla were
followed by the premiere of a
gorgeous new arrangement of Sgambati's Piano Quintet No. 2 with South
Florida's
most famous string quartet - the Bergonzi. The arrangement
was
done specially for this event by Dr. Valentin Bogdan of the University
of
Miami.
In
March, PIANO SLAM: Volume 2 - Dranoff's County wide
education program - began with Dranoff live piano
performances in
12 Dade County Public Middle and High schools by 2003 Competition
winners, Duo
Antithesis. The students were then
invited to enter an original poem inspired by this music in the PIANO
SLAM
poetry competition. We received
over 1,700 poems.
Grants from the
Children's Trust expanded the program to high schools, the Adrienne
Arsht
Center for the Performing Arts made PIANO SLAM its 'Signature Community
Outreach Program' tripling the number of live school performances, and a substantial sponsorship from Computer Associates along with monumental
collaborations of
the Dade County Public Schools put PIANO SLAM online for all public middle and high schools. Please visit the PIANO SLAM
page at this CA link
(Scroll to see the videos).
PIANO
SLAM culminated with a Classical/ Rap/ Poetry concert in the Knight Hall
at the
Adrienne Arsht Performing Arts Center on May 12. The 16 winning students,
piano duo Susan & Sarah Wang, the artists Lela Lombardo and
Summer Hill Seven plus DJ Brassking performed for almost 1500 Dade
County students, family members and
general audience. Prizes included cash and laptop computers
donated by Lenovo and presented by George Kafkarkou of CA Internet
Security
-PIANO SLAM's signature corporate
sponsor.
Finally,
the Dranoff hosted four private Salon concerts to allow lovers of music
to
mingle and meet others who enjoy music in the homes of supporters of the
foundation.
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CONCERTS
| It is our mission to broaden interest in this ensemble music form, therefore we include in this calendar not only to Dranoff artists. Of course, we focus on the careers of Dranoff winners, even if they perform as soloists.
CanadaAugust 2, 5 - Quebec, Valentina Lisitsa. Lanaudiere website
SwitzerlandAugust 14 - Luzern, Valentina Lisitsa, Chopin recital. Luzern Piano Konzertsaal. Valentina's website HollandAugust 3, 5, 6, 7 in various cities in Holland: Pianoduo Van Veen performing Milhaud, Satie, Poulenc as part of the Hortusfestival. Hortusfestival websiteAugust 23 - Utrecht, Canto Ostinato with Carillon, Sandra & Jeroen Van Veen August 28 - Amsterdam, Jeroen Van Veen September 5 - Eindhoven, Jeroen Van Veen & DJ September 17 - Leiden, Jeroen Van Veen September 24 - 26 Culemborg, Jeroen Van Veen October 10 - Amsterdam, Canto Ostinato, Jeroen Van Veen Please go to Jeroen Van Veen websiteJapanAugust 24 - Tokyo, Asahi Center, Duo Deu'or August 29 - Iwate, Ichinoseki Center, Duo Deu'or September 12 - Tokyo, Sugamo recording concert, Duo Deu'or September 18 - Osaka,Sarada Hall, Duo Deu'or September 23 - Fukushima, Mahora, Duo Deu'or September 25 - Kyoto, Barock Saal, Duo Deu'or October 7 - Tokyo, Tsuda Hall, Duo Deu'or October 15 - Mie, Prefecture Fine Arts Center, Duo Deu'or October 17 - Kyoto, Asny Hall, Duo Deu'or Ocober 22 - Miyazaki, Nobeoka Sogo Bunka Center, Duo Deu'or Please go to Duo Deu'or websiteSouth AfricaSeptember 5 - Tshwane, Unisa Academy, ZK Matthews Great Hall, Cara Hesse & Laura Pauna. Unisa Academy website
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NEWS
Susan and Sarah Wang - winners in the 2008 competition - are preparing for the next ARD International competition in the subcategory Duo Piano. It takes place in November. Wish them great luck. (They are on Facebook as 'Susan and Sarah Piano Duo', if you want to do this personally)
They also just celebrated their 27th birthday. Happy birthday!
The brothers Francisco and Vincenzo di Stefano (winners 2005) are also preparing for the ARD. Wish them great luck as well!
Here is the link to the ARD Competition Website.
Maarten Van Veen presents the 2010 Hortus festival, themed "MISIA, the Muse" around the relationship of Coco Chanel, Igor Stravinsky and Misia Sert. Hortus Festival link
Luben Dimitrov and Aglika Genova live and
teach in Hannover. Here is an article about the new "Piano Duo Master Study
Programme" 2010/11 in the Hanover State University of Music and Drama
(Germany)
Simultaneously to the first significant competition wins,
achieved by their students at the Hanover University of Music and Drama,
Aglika and Liuben have decisively conceptualized the newly established
"Piano Duo Master Study Programme" 2010/11 and adjusted it up to the
last detail with the Keyboard Department. As first piano training center
in history worldwide the Hanover University of Music integrates the
education of Piano Duo playing into the "Keyboard Master Study
Programme" together with the Piano Solo, the Organ and the Historic
Keyboard Instruments. Herewith the Hanover University sets a clear
sample for the soloistic-concertante approach and the high requirements
to this piano genre. Please read more on their website
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LISTEN
Lucia Huang and Sebastion Euler's - Duo d'Accord - new CD is called "Schoenere Welten", music by Franz Schubert for 4 hands. Here is a link to Franz Schubert, Rondo A-Dur D 951 . Their website: Duo d'Accord
Stephanie Ho and Saar Ahuvia are the piano duo Stephanie & Saar. Their new CD is called Visions after Olivier Messiaen's Visions de l'Amen; its centerpiece is the Amen de Desir. The other works by Schubert, Debussy, Janacek and Stravinsky are all special sound worlds. various listening options
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Piano Slam Vol 2
Video of the concert on
May 12th, 2010 at
Adrienne Arsht Center Miami
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About The Dranoff
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The Dranoff was founded in 1987 with the mission to advance two piano music and its artists. Since then, we have contributed 11 new compositions to the literature, and have been a career stepping stone for dozens of piano duos worldwide.
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|  A Concert ShortDuo Daniele & Davide Trivella |
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