Member News
Kathryn Rosenbach, NEPTA member, will present "Exploring the Sonata" in two concerts on Sunday, April 21 4 pm First Baptist Church 3 Winn St., Woburn. Also Sunday April 28 4 pm St. John's United Methodist Church
80 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown.
The Program includes Sonata K. 576 by Mozart, Sonata Op. 31 No. 2 by Beethoven, Sonata No. 5 "The Kiss of Peace" by D. Goolkasian Rahbee, and Sonata No. 2 by G. Bacewicz. Admission: $10 Adults, $5 Children and Seniors. Please bring a donation for the Food Pantry. *** NEPTA member Sarah Takagi will give a solo faculty recital on Sunday, May 267 pm Jordan Hall She will play her own original Improvisations along with Sonata #38 by Haydn, 32 Variations by Beethoven, 3 Waltzes by Chopin, and 4 Preludes by Debussy. Free admission.
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 The March Student Masterclass was a fascinating excursion into the land of Beethoven, Schumann and Liszt, whose lives overlapped by 16 years yet whose work showed such unique genius. Our guest instructor Gila Goldstein has gained great international acclaim as a concert artist and professor. She brilliantly explored the challenges of the repertoire and guided the students to wonderful discoveries. Stellar performances were given by Peter Wang, student of Natalia Harlap, Yuji Sato, student of Niva Fried, and Kevin Ren, student of Nilly Shilo. Sincere thanks to Professor Goldstein, to the students and to their teachers. Special thanks to Janet Ainsworth for so wonderfully chairing this event. Our next Speaker Series event will take place on Monday April 22, as Brian Chung, performer, educator, conference speaker and music industry executive, presents "Systematic Steps to Improvisation from Classical to Jazz" at the First Parish of Watertown. Please arrive by 9 am to shop at the NEPTA Music Sale!
Warm regards,
Colleen Campbell
President
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"On Sunday, March 17 at the Intermediate II Recitals (postponed from February 10 because of the blizzard) decisions were made for the Wanda Paik Awards," reports Janice P. Zaganjori, Chair of the Award. "The following students were chosen. All four demonstrated maturity, poise and musical expression:
Peter Wang, and David Kotler, students of Natalia Harlap
Amir Siraj, student of Helena Vesterman
Sophia Zhang, student of Yelena Zadova-Kanter
Congratulations to Students and Teachers!"
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MILDRED FREIBERG MIDDLE SCHOOL COMPETITION WINNERS
Congratulations to the winners of the Mildred Freiberg Competition, held on Saturday, March 23, at Steinert Hall in Boston: First Prize: Avik Sarkar, student of Niva Fried
Second Prize: Victor Li, student of Helena Vesterman
Third Prize: Kara Chuang, student of Nilly Shilo
Honorable Mention: Peter Wang, student of Natalia Harlap
Very sincere thanks to Ranko Konishi-Houston who chaired the competition and spent countless hours before and during the event to make it run flawlessly! Thanks also to Bert Yocom who assisted at the competition. All of the students played at an extremely high level and showed great promise as future musicians.  | |
Ranko Konishi-Houston with judges David Hagan, Veronica Jochum and Boaz Sharon
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RUTH DAVIDSON AND ALICE HAMLET HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITION WINNERS
Congratulations to the following winners of the NEPTA Ruth Davidson and Alice Hamlet High School Competitions held on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at M. Steinert & Sons in Boston and adjudicated by Max Levinson, Alexander Korsantia and David Deveau.
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Judges David Deveau, Alexander Korsantia and Max Levinson
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Ruth Davidson (Grade 9-11)
First Prize: Angelique Scully, student of Tanya Schwartzman
Second Prize: Michelle Chen, student of Nilly Shilo
Third Prize: Kevin Ren, student of Nilly Shilo
Honorable Mention: Shu Jing Lian, student of Naydene Bowder
Honorable Mention: Daniel Shaar, student of Natalia Harlap
Rivera Contemporary Award: Michelle Chen
Alice Hamlet (Senior)
Second Prize: Natsuko Yamagata, student of Margaret Denton
Third Prize: Raagini Rameshwar, student of Janet Ainsworth
Rivera Contemporary Award: Raagini Rameshwar
Margaret Bachelder Romantic Award: Natsuko Yamagata
Special thanks to Diana Tetzlaff, Chair, for many months of planning and expertly chairing both of the High School Competitions. Thanks also to Bert Yocom who volunteered tirelessly as the High School Competitions Assistant.
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UPDATE ON STUDENT RECITALS
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Ensemble Recital at Steinert Hall
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The student recitals have been extremely successful this year. A special thank you to Intermediate II Recitals Chair Lyubov Shlain, and Assistants Selma Ramic and Natalia Harlap for calling all of the participants to reschedule on the day of the blizzard. Their calm professionalism truly saved the day! Many thanks to all of the organizers of the NEPTA Recitals and Competitions. These are extraordinary opportunities for our teachers and their students!
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ANNUAL LUNCHEON
Come one, come all to the festive Annual NEPTA Luncheon on Monday, May 20 at 12 pm immediately following the Awards Recital. The Talk Restaurant, just a short walk from First Parish in Watertown Square, will be our congenial hosts, and they have once again reserved the entire dining room exclusively for NEPTA members and guests. Please download the sign-up form to see the tantalizing menu options. Reserve a place by mailing your check to Nina Grimaldi soon. Nina recommends "Bring a friend! People love to be invited." Join us in celebrating another wonderful year of NEPTA. |
Do you or your significant other have a special skill you would like to market? Look no further! We are looking for special advertisers in the 2013-2014 NEPTA Program Booklet! Lawyers, decorators, builders, specialty shop owners, therapists, web designers, we all employ these wonderful services, why not support our own NEPTA family businesses and in turn bring in advertising revenue for our booklet? For rates and details, please download the form. For more information, contact Nina Grimaldi at dalcroze@gmail.com or call 857.753.8994. Deadline for ad-copy is June 1, 2013.
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NEPTA DUES AND SCHOLARSHIP CONTRIBUTIONS
NEPTA members can renew their dues online for the 2013-2014 season at www.nepta.info through the secure PayPal site or download the registration form and mail with a check to Lindsey Robb, our NEPTA Treasurer. The deadline to be included in the printed directory is May 31, 2013. Now that most of you have completed your 2012 taxes, it's not too early to think of donations and write-offs for next year. Please consider donating to the NEPTA Scholarship Fund and support our organizational efforts as you renew your dues. It is through this generous spirit that NEPTA has been able to provide aid to many students, either in recognition of their talents or by facilitating the financial commitment that some families are unable to afford.
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MUSIC SALE
 The NEPTA music sale is back by popular demand! Hundred of books have been donated to NEPTA and will be on sale at bargain prices at the April 22 Speaker Series presentation in Watertown starting at 9 am. If you are looking for a particular piece of music, Ruth Ross encourages you to contact her beforehand and she will put it aside for you to be purchased at the meeting. Proceeds from the sale go directly to the NEPTA Scholarship Fund.
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FACEBOOK PAGE
 Visit us at www.facebook.com/NEPTApiano to view a multitude of pianistic news and opportunities in the Boston area. Post your own up-to-the-minute concert listings and see the latest news from your NEPTA friends! YouTube videos of your concert performances are especially welcome.
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PARKING IN WATERTOWN
 The best parking options near the First Parish of Watertown are the blue meters in the lot below the First Parish property. Arrive early for the best spaces. |
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