Symphonic Shorts

FPO Members Raise $5000 for Charity

985sympho3.gifThis summer, musicians of the FPO gave a 4-concert series of free performances to benefit local charitable groups. Organized by Richard Hancock, Susan Moyer, and Hank Skolnick, concerts took place at Coral Gables Congregational Church, Lutheran Ministry in Christ in Coral Springs, and 1st Congregational Church of United Church of Christ in Ft. Lauderdale. Most of the concerts drew audiences of over 150 people.


As Skolnick explained, these concerts give FPO musicians a chance to give something back to the community. The intimate settings gave them a chance to introduce themselves on a personal level and to let the community see that the musicians are the same people that live next door, give their kids music lessons, volunteer in local schools, and shop in neighborhood stores, not just formally attired people sitting on a distant stage. And the variety of music programmed made it fun for the musicians, too. The repertoire varied from Mozart quartets to Quartet for Paper Bags by Larry Spizack (really!) to violin solos by Sarasate to a Miami premier of a piece by Donald Waxman.

Musicians participating in these concerts included: violinists Huifang Chen, Joan Faigin, Tony Huang, Mei-Mei Luo, and Tina Raimondi; violists Deena Shapiro and Steve Svensson; Cellists Iris Van Eck, Susan Moyer, and Steven Sigurdson; flutists Lea Kibler and Jeanne Tarrant; clarinetist Richard Hancock; bassoonist Hank Skolnick; hornist Thomas Hadley; and percussionists Keith Aleo and John Tafoya.

Organizations that received the proceeds were the Red Cross (for victims of the Florida firestorms), Habitat for Humanity, the Lippman Family Center (which assists children at risk), and the Feed the Poor Program. Over $5000 was raised.

The musicians hope to continue this series of concerts during the year. We will keep you posted of future concerts, and you can also receive information from committee chairperson Susan Dirgins-Friend at:

FPMA

PO Box 4491

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33338

(954) 915-8722

Or visit their website at:

Http://members.aol.com/lourdesm12/p3index.htm

NEA GRANTS

The Florida Grand Opera, the Miami City Ballet, and the New World Symphony have each received $50,000 grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Opera will use the money for outreach programs and a computer upgrade; the Ballet will create a new piece to music of Richard Adler and choreographed by Jimmy Gamonet De Los Heros and Peter Anastos; and the Symphony will use the money for development of technological upgrades for orchestra operations.

New Boca Pops Members

The following musicians have been appointed to the violin section as a result of auditions:

Sania Derevianko, Orlando Forte, and Georgetta Miller.

Congratulations!

News & Announcements

Alberto Ibarguen, chairman of the FPO Governing Council, has been named Publisher of the Miami Herald...following on the success of the FPO’s Beethoven by the Beach Festival, Broward county will be featuring the Broadway touring production of Beauty and the Beast, Miami City Ballet’s Nutcracker, and Florida Grand Opera’s Magic Flute production in promoting tourism packages this season...
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