Salt Lake's Gifted Music School Quartet To Appear On NPR'S From The Top

The Bear Quartet of The Gifted Music School in Salt Lake City, Utah will appear on an upcoming episode of From the Top, the hit NPR radio program featuring America's best young classical musicians. The show will air on Classical 89, Saturday April 27 at 11 AM and by podcast at fromthetop.org beginning April 22. The broadcast features performances and interviews with outstanding young musicians and Guest Host Peter Dugan. The show was taped at the Hollywood Scoring Studio in Los Angeles on February 24, as part of a three-day From the Top residency, comprised of creative music making, career development, and community engagement, designed to enrich both personal and artistic growth for thirteen young musicians from throughout the country.

The Bear Quartet is comprised of violinists: Rachel Call, 16, and Ellen Hayashi, 15, (sophomore at American International School of Utah) from Salt Lake City; violist Abby Smith, 17, from Herriman (junior at Herriman High School/ Mountain Heights Academy); and cellist Benson Marshall, 17, from Lehi (junior at Lumen Scholar Institute). The quartet is coached by Eugene Watanabe, Anne Francis Bayless, and Rainer Eudikis. The Gifted Music School is a non profit educational institution in Salt Lake City committed to defining the standard for high level music education. GMS currently serves 582 students every single week and provides 1075 hours of lessons and/or classes every month. It is recognized nationally for exceptional music education. On the broadcast, the Bear Quartet performs I. Adagio - Allegro Vivace from String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13 by Felix Mendelssohn. The Bear Quartet's performance on From the Top is sponsored by ACMP (Associated Chamber Music Players).

Also featured on the broadcast:
15-year-old pianist Josephine Chan from San Francisco, California performing L'Isle joyeuse by Claude Debussy and Sonata No.3 in A minor, Op.28, by Sergei Prokofiev; 17-year-old violinist Enrique Rodrigues from Fair Lawn, New Jersey performing Sonata in N*E*R*D minor, Op.27, No.3 "Ballade" by Eugène Ysaÿe;17-year-old saxophone player Edward Chen from Plano, Texas performing Andante and III. Presto from Divertimento for Alto Saxophone and Piano by Roger Boutry with Peter Dugan, piano; 16-year-old cellist Shengyu Meng from Arcadia, California performing "Capriccio" by Lukas Foss with Peter Dugan, piano.

Broadcast on more than 220 stations nationwide to an audience of nearly half a million listeners, From the Top is the most popular weekly one-hour music program on public radio. Young performers share their passion for classical music, and speak about their non-musical lives, from career goals and family traditions to hidden talents, school, and community life. From the Top appeals to diverse audiences, but is especially suited for ages 7 and up.

Guest host Peter Dugan appeared on From the Top in 2007 at the age of 18. Over the last 11 years, he's appeared as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician across North America and abroad. Equally at home in classical, jazz, and pop idioms, Peter has performed in duos and trios with artists ranging from Itzhak Perlman and Joshua Bell to Jesse Colin Young and Glenn Close. His debut last year with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony was described by the Los Angeles Times as "stunning." He is a founding creator and the pianist for Operation Superpower, a superhero opera program for children. He has previously appeared as a guest host and co-host on this season of From the Top.

Support for this episode of From the Top is provided by The Volgenau Foundation. The Bear Quartet's appearance is supported by Associated Chamber Music Players (ACMP)
About From the Top Based in Boston, From the Top is an independent non-profit organization that supports, develops, and shares the artistic voices and stories of young classically-trained musicians. Its national platform and leadership programs amplify the hope, passion, and discipline of today's extraordinary young musicians.

From the Top provides young musicians with live performance opportunities in premier concert venues across the country; national exposure to over a half million listeners on its weekly NPR show; leadership and community engagement preparation; and nearly $3 million in scholarships since 2005.

From the Top's programs are made possible in part by an award from the National Endowment of the Arts, a grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, and partnerships with radio stations nationwide.

Learn more at www.fromthetop.org.

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