NEWSLETTER - Music Conservatory of Westchester

FALL 2015
NEWSLETTER
216 Central Avenue . White Plains . NY . 10606
914.761.3900 musicconservatory.org
New Scholarship Opportunities
at the Conservatory
Expanding on our long-standing “all ages”
approach, the Music Conservatory has
launched a new scholarship opportunity for
adult students who want to fulfill their dreams
of playing music but for whom cost is a barrier.
The new scholarships, which became available
this fall, are named after two long-time board
members and adult students – Mary L. Bianco
and Robert Heath. Understanding the high
cost of living in Westchester, the Conservatory
is offering these scholarships on a sliding scale
of up to 25 percent of tuition.
216 Central Avenue
White Plains, NY 10606
www.musicconservatory.org
Board of Trustees
Rodd Berro, President
Robert Heath, Chairman
Joel Breitkopf, Vice President
Paul Farfel, Treasurer
Nancy Goodman, Secretary
Mayo G. Bartlett
Gary E. Bashian
Caroline G. Bauman
Mary Lynn Bianco
John Bottomley
Thomas A. Cratty
Anthony Gallinari
Alexander Johnson
Alan E. Katz
Laurence Keiser
Marianna Kennedy
Tony Smith
Jennifer Weiss
Jean Newton, Executive Director
Sarah Wetherbee, Dean of Students & Faculty
Special thanks to our institutional supporters to date who have contributed
$10,000 or more for the 2015/2016 fiscal year.
ArtsWestchester, ASCAP Foundation, Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation,
Entergy, Charles A. Frueauff Foundation, Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation,
Kresge Foundation, The MOCA Foundation, New York State Council on the
Arts, Smart Family Foundation, Ernst C. Stiefel Foundation, UJA-Music For
Youth Foundation, Westchester Community Foundation
“We want all individuals to
learn and enjoy the pleasure of
creating music.”-Mary Bianco
“This scholarship is for adults who toyed with playing the guitar or piano or other musical
instrument when they were a youngster and now want to come back to it or simply take a
fresh look at the fun of playing,” comments Mary Bianco, an adult learner herself. “Come and
indulge in your love of music!” On a personal note, Robert Heath offered, “I took piano lessons
from the age of six until I was 18. Although I continued my interest in music, I didn’t have time
to practice the piano. Thirty years later, I was taking my son for lessons at the Conservatory
and realized that I could start taking piano lessons again. I have taken lessons now for 24 years
from some amazing teachers.”
To find out more, call the Conservatory at 914-761-3900,
or email [email protected]
www.musicconservatory.org
www.musicconservatory.org
#FOLLOW US!
@musicmatters914
Look Like a $100 Bucks!
THANK YOU
The Conservatory is offering our families a one-time $100 discount off their
Spring 2016 invoice when they refer a friend or family member to take a full
semester of private lessons this spring.
As a hearty welcome to the new students, we’ll take $100 off their tuition as
well! It’s our way of giving back and saying thanks for being a part of our
Conservatory community.
#musicconservatory
Please note this offer is only for new student referrals.
For additional information, please contact us at [email protected].
for helping me
be me
THANK YOU
for helping me
start my music
career
Music Therapy Institute
receives a generous grant from
The ASCAP Foundation
THANK YOU
for regenerating
my passion
THANK YOU
for helping me
heal through
music
for standing by our students and faculty and
The Institute’s partnership with the Foundation began six years ago. Since that time, they have provided a generous
grant to support music therapy programs in Eastchester UFSD – enabling over 100 students with special learning
needs to receive quality music education annually. Former ASCAP CEO John LoFrumento, along with his wife Barbara,
provide funding, and we are so grateful to them and the Foundation for their continued support and encouragement . If
you would like more information on The ASCAP Foundation please go to: www.ascapfoundation.org
A Music Master
believing in my
abilities
Thank you
Lisa Sandagata, the Music Therapy Institute’s Director of Outreach,
will receive the ASCAP Foundation Award on Dec. 9 at New
York City’s Jazz at Lincoln Center along with Dr. Walter Moran,
Superintendent, and Noreen Urso, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent
of Pupil Personnel of Eastchester UFSD.
“Music speaks what cannot be expressed,
soothes the mind and gives it rest,
heals the heart and makes it whole,
flows from heaven to the soul.”
THANK YOU
This summer, Deputy County
Executive Kevin J. Plunket and Ron
Tocci, Westchester’s Director of the
Veterans Service Agency presented
the Conservatory with a Proclamation
recognizing its “Healing Our Heroes”
program. Pictured left to right: Dr.
Tina Brescia, program director, Kevin
Plunket, Ron Tocci, Jean Newton,
Conservatory Executive Director and
Joel Brietkopf, Conservatory trustee
and founder of the program.
Alex Tiratsuyan, Honors piano student of Svetlana Gorokhovich, was
one of only three students selected to play in a Steinway master class
at Purchase College on October 2nd, presented by the renowned
sibling concert pianists The Five Browns, all Juilliard graduates
who specialize in multi-piano repertoire. Alex gave a masterful
performance of Frederic Chopin’s Etude Op. 10, No. 10 in A-flat major
and received coaching from Melody Brown.
“Alex’s performance was a highlight of the evening. I was impressed
not only by his performance but his ability to quickly incorporate
the wonderful feedback in a meaningful way. We found Alex to be
a very mature and polished pianist,” said Michael Cabe, Marketing
Implementation Manager, Steinway & Sons
Mary Lynn Marx Bianco
Honors Irena Portenko
A generous gift from Mary Bianco, Music
Conservatory Trustee, has enabled faculty
member Irena Portenko’s students to
participate in a series of harpsichord
master classes taught by Executive
Director Jean Newton, giving them the
opportunity to experience the music of
Bach and his contemporaries on the
original instrument. “The students are
very excited. They are working on touch,
technique, understanding the style and
preparing assignments that teach them
critical listening and creativity,” said Ms.
Portenko.
Irena and her students are extremely
grateful that Mary’s generosity and Jean’s
skills and methods allow the students
to expand their horizons in their general
knowledge and performance practice.
The students will perform their pieces on
the harpsichord in Ms. Portenko’s class
recital this winter. Thank you so much
Mary Bianco!
supporting the Music Conservatory of Westchester. But even more than
that, thank you for trusting and believing in us. When you give to the
Conservatory, you become a part of a community of people who care
passionately about the future of music. Your act of kindness allows our
scholarship students, young and old, to be anything they want to be
through music education.
You help us provide our music therapy students with encouragement,
guidance, and the opportunity to grow through music. With your care for
our Healing Our Heroes program, veterans who have served our country
rediscover themselves through the power of music.
Your important gift helps in the up-keep of our instruments and building,
allowing students, families, and our community to enter a warm and
inviting school filled with endless musical opportunities. We can’t
achieve this without you!
Why We Support the Conservatory
“On Aug. 25, I celebrated my 45-year anniversary
with Akzo Nobel (and its preceding companies.).
For more than 20 years, I have not only been deeply
involved in Logistics and Safety, but I have proudly
spearheaded many of our projects involving
interaction with the community. I learned about the
Music Conservatory years ago, and our interest has
been reignited by the Healing Our Heroes program.
Music can be the instrument that brings peace of
mind to a person who is seeking a way to find selfsatisfaction. If our support of the Conservatory and
the effort made there can help heal the soul of one
person, then we have made a wonderful gesture.”
-Larry Coleman,
AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry LLC