We just finished our 24th performance Season presenting Dranoff artists and music in concert. I am so proud and inspired by the artistic standards and originality of the duos as they performed in splendid programs on their own, in ensembles and across artistic lives. We want to thank you for all your support in this past season and hope you will share our growth as we prepare for the Dranoff's 25th year.
The 2010/2011 performance season began with a collaboration between Dranoff and the New World Symphony in a 2 piano and percussion concert "Land and Sky" at the Lincoln Theater in October 2010. Over 500 people attended this very contemporary and improvisational concert by Dranoff 2008 Laureates, Stephanie Ho & Saar Ahuvia.
In November 2010 the Dranoff partnered with DACRA and Fratelli Lyon to present "New Designs for Hammers and Strings", a Contemporary Classical concert in Miami's Design District. Duo Seo & Kato came from Tokyo to play with the Bergonzi String Quartet. Audience members were thrilled to hear Zimmerman, Jerome Moross, and Arvo Part in the beautiful evening performance.
Duo Seo & Kato also performed a free concert for DASH students during the school's lunch time.
Also in November, our wonderful Russian laureates from 2001, Svetlana Smolina and Maxim Mogilevsky, performed to an enthusiastic audience in Coral Gables at the Steinway Piano Gallery.
The new year brought new collaborations to the Dranoff. Marketorum, a marketing and branding firm, became part of Dranoff's strategic business plan. Its co-founder, Fabbrizio Busso-Campana, has joined the Executive Board. The Betsty Hotel in South Beach has become the official hotel of the Dranoff International Two Piano Competition.
January began the Foundation's Piano Slam Volume 3 youth education performance and poetry competition project. We brought the Kennedy Center educator Glenis Redmond to Miami implement a professional development workshop for Dade County Public School teachers in preparation for the in-school piano performances and poetry workshops.
In February, the Foundation presented Dranoff colleagues in a concert at the University of Miami Gusman Hall: Lucia Huang and Sebastian Euler - Duo D'Accord - are competition Gold Medalists (2001) and had been on the jury in 2005 together with Frank Levy, who is renowned for his Schubert interpretations. This concert, "Mostly Schubert, All Romance" concert brought them back together to make beautiful music. The concert was co-hosted by the German Consul General to honor Dranoff's German artists Duo D'Accord.
In March, our champion partner, the Miami HEAT invited Dranoff artists Duo De Stefano from Italy, and Natalia and Olga Tatievskay from Russia to be part of the HEAT's Family Fest.
Later that month, middle and high schools across Dade County began enjoying live concerts by the duos, followed by poetry workshops by poets engaged by Mitchell Kaplan of Books & Books. Access to the Piano Slam page with tutorials, poetry readings and a piano performance of the key composition was available online to all schools on www.dadeschools.net : Urban Pulse by composer Marcel Bergman, who performed the piece together with his wife Elizabeth; Mac Arthur genius fellow Edwidge Dandicat gave a writing tutorial; Miami Heat player James Jones and Dj Irie read their favorite poetry.
Until the deadline mid-April, 1,200 students from 61 schools entered poems inspired by the Dranoff musical performances. The final jurors are among Miami's most prominent writers: John Dufresne, Carolina Hospital and Jen Karetnick. They selected 16 winners, who then worked with professional poets under the direction of renowned theater producer/director Teo Castellanos to prepare for the final performance.
The Classical/Hip Hop/Spoken Word/Dance mash up took place at the Knight Concert Hall at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts on May 4. An audience of seventeen hundred students, families and general members reacted with great excitement and amazement as Dranoff laureates Stephanie Ho and Saar Ahuvia joined with hip hop DJ Brimstone 127, renowned lyric poet Adrian Castro and the dancers from the Thomas Armour Youth Ballet to showcase the young poets' performances. Cash and computers were awarded to all the student winners.
Music cannot happen without investment. We are very proud of having received our first National Endowment of the Arts grant for Piano Slam Volume 3. And I want to thank members of the Miami Salon Group for their contribution which allowed us to work with director Teo Castellanos. The Batchelor Foundation supported the internet presence. The incredible individuals and organizations supporting the Dranoff are listed on the side bar.
Next Season is the Dranoff Foundation's 25th Performance Season. We all will be working hard to realize the 12th Dranoff International Two Piano Competition. We cannot do it alone; we need your help and financial support in any amount. Please be part of this journey!
Gabriele Fiorentino
