Music Academy of the West Instrumentalists to Launch Global Academy Fellowship Program Next Month

Ten young instrumentalists from the Music Academy of the West are about to inaugurate the New York Philharmonic Global Academy Fellowship Program January 3-13, 2015, when they travel to New York City to train and play alongside New York Philharmonic musicians. All ten instrumentalists are from the prestigious Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California, selected by audition to be the inaugural Zarin Mehta Fellows. At a time when there is more competition than ever to succeed in the music profession, these Fellows will be immersed in all aspects of an orchestral player's life, from audition to performance, learning invaluable career skills.

With a full schedule of events, described by New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert as providing "a window into the real life of the orchestral musician," the Fellows will learn directly from and collaborate with Philharmonic musicians. Fellows will rehearse and perform alongside Philharmonic musicians, conducted by Alan Gilbert, in selections from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake for the Philharmonic's subscription concerts on January 8-10 and 13; perform mock auditions on stage at Avery Fisher Hall; receive hands-on instruction through individual lessons and chamber music sessions coached by Philharmonic musicians, the latter culminating in a chamber music performance alongside Philharmonic musicians on January 11 for Philharmonic Patrons; and participate in the Philharmonic's educational programs, including a visit to a New York City school and a Very Young Composers session.

Upon arriving in New York on January 3, Fellows will attend that evening's New York Philharmonic concert with pianist Daniil Trifonov performing Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1, led by Juanjo Mena. The next day they will gather for a welcome brunch with Philharmonic President and Executive Director Matthew VanBesien and Philharmonic musicians, including twelve who are alumni of the Music Academy of the West. On January 5 Fellows will attend a seminar by Jennifer Johnson entitled "What Every Orchestral Musician Needs to Know About the Body." Ms. Johnson is principal second violin of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, second violin of the Atlantic String Quartet, and author of the book What Every Violinist Needs to Know About the Body. Further sessions will offer insights into the management of an orchestra. Fellows will meet Philharmonic administrators, meet with Orchestra Committees, explore the Philharmonic Archives, and meet with actor Alec Baldwin, the Philharmonic Radio Host and Board Member whose foundation generously supports the Fellowships.

Another aspect of the professional experience is the Fellows' interaction with each other. This is an important part of the Music Academy of the West experience, and during the New York program, the Fellows will undoubtedly form a network and musical relationships that will last a lifetime. The ten players cross all sections of the orchestra: strings, wind, brass, and percussion.

Meet the inaugural class of Zarin Mehta Fellows of the New York Philharmonic Global Academy Fellowship Program here in this short video. They were selected by audition from 68 Music Academy of the West instrumentalists, all full-scholarship participants during the summer of 2014. They are Douglas Aliano, 20 (double bass); Anthony Bellino, 22 (trumpet); Matthew Cohen, 25 (viola); Sean Krissman, 24 (clarinet); Simon Michal, 21 (violin); Charlie Rosmarin, 22 (percussion); Michael Severance, 24 (bassoon); William Shaub, 22 (violin); Genevieve Tabby, 23 (cello); and Jennifer Zhou, 21 (flute). They have studied in America's top music institutions, from the Cleveland Institute of Music and Colburn Conservatory to the Eastman School of Music and The Juilliard School, and they come from across the U.S., as well as the Czech Republic and China.

A new group of Music Academy Fellows will be selected to come to New York as Zarin Mehta Fellows each year during the four-year partnership between the Music Academy and the Philharmonic (announced last April). The partnership also calls for Philharmonic conductors and musicians to be in residence in Santa Barbara for portions of Music Academy Summer Festivals through 2017, performing and taking part in master classes, chamber music coaching sessions, private lessons, and lectures. In August 2015 the New York Philharmonic will make its debut at the Santa Barbara Bowl. In 2016 Alan Gilbert will return to rehearse and conduct the Academy Festival Orchestra. The orchestras will perform together in 2017 under the baton of Mr. Gilbert in Santa Barbara to commemorate the Music Academy of the West's 70th anniversary. The Music Academy's partnership with the New York Philharmonic has been made possible through the generosity of lead sponsors Linda and Michael Keston.

The Philharmonic and Music Academy of the West's partnership is the formalization of a long relationship between the Orchestra and the school; Philharmonic players such as former Principal Flute Jeanne Baxtresser, former Associate Principal Cello Alan Stepansky, and current Philharmonic trombonist David Finlayson are current or former Music Academy faculty members. The Philharmonic's former concertmaster of 34 years Glenn Dicterow joined the faculty in the summer of 2014, having been a visiting artist in previous seasons. Philharmonic Principal Viola Cynthia Phelps, a Music Academy alumna ('79 and '83) and Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, recently joined the faculty, having also been a visiting artist in previous seasons. Eleven other current New York Philharmonic musicians are alumni of the Music Academy: violinists Kuan Cheng Lu, Sharon Yamada, Duoming Ba, and Joo Young Oh; violist Dawn Hannay; cellist Qiang Tu; bassist Orin O'Brien; Principal Oboe Liang Wang; clarinetist Mark Nuccio; bassoonist Arlen Fast; and Associate Principal Trombone Colin Williams.

The Music Academy of the West is the first American partnership of the New York Philharmonic Global Academy, a series of long-term, immersive partnerships with select cultural and music education institutions in New York, the United States, and worldwide to offer intensive training of pre-professional musicians by Philharmonic members, often alongside regular performance residencies by the full Orchestra. The Global Academy Fellowship Program is a key component of the Global Academy, offering opportunities for Academy participants to travel to New York City to train and play with Philharmonic musicians in Avery Fisher Hall. The Fellowship Program has been made possible by gifts made in the name of Zarin Mehta, who served as Philharmonic President and Executive Director, 2000-2012. The Philharmonic has also created a four-year Global Academy partnership with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, which includes the establishment of the Shanghai Orchestra Academy (SOA), in partnership with the Shanghai Conservatory, and annual performance residencies by Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic in Shanghai. The program launched in September 2014. Students from the SOA will participate in the Global Academy Fellowship Program in New York in the 2015-16 season.

The Music Academy of the West is now accepting instrumental applications for summer 2015; the deadline is January 15. For more information, visit www.musicacademy.org. For more information about the New York Philharmonic Global Academy, visit www.nyphil.org.

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