South High ensembles to perform in Young Musicians concert at Tilles Center

The Island Now
Great Neck South High School musicians Soyoung Park, Christiana Claus, Susan Fendt, Andersen Gu, Eli Goldberger, Samuel Levine, and Benjamin T. Rossen are congratulated by Principal Dr. Christopher Gitz, English Department Chair Dr. David Manuel, Vocal Music Instructor Dr. Jeanine Robinson, and Music Department Chair Michael Schwartz. (Photo courtesy of Great Neck Public Schools)
Great Neck South High School musicians Soyoung Park, Christiana Claus, Susan Fendt, Andersen Gu, Eli Goldberger, Samuel Levine, and Benjamin T. Rossen are congratulated by Principal Dr. Christopher Gitz, English Department Chair Dr. David Manuel, Vocal Music Instructor Dr. Jeanine Robinson, and Music Department Chair Michael Schwartz. (Photo courtesy of Great Neck Public Schools)

Three chamber music ensembles from the Great Neck South High School chamber music program have been selected as winners of the Long Island regional high school chamber music competition, part of the 2018 Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Young Musicians Program.

These students have been invited to perform in the 2nd Annual Long Island Regional Young Musicians Concert on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 11:00 a.m. at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post.

The three chamber ensembles include:

Susan Fendt, a soprano, Eli Goldberger, who plays  clarinet, and Soyoung Park, a piano player performing Schubert’s Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, “The Shepherd on the Rock”, D. 965.

Samuel Levine and Christiana Claus, who both play the flute, and Benjamin T. Rossen on piano performing Doppler’s Andante et Rondo, Op. 25 for Two Flutes and Piano.

Andersen Gu, an alto saxophone player, and Benjamin T. Rossen, who plays piano, performing Rossen’s original composition, Rossen – A Conversation with Piano and Alto Saxophone. This composition is a national finalist in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Composition Competition and has won both the New York State and the Eastern Division levels of the competition.

The Young Musicians Program is a competition for advanced high school musicians offered by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. High school student chamber music ensembles are invited to submit applications with audio or video recordings through their school music department to be considered for participation. Only eight ensembles from Long Island were selected to perform in this year’s concert.

The Long Island regional competition was introduced by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center last year. Ensembles from the Long Island Regional Concert are eligible for an invitation to the Young Musicians Concert at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. Last year, the only ensemble from Long Island selected to move onto the Alice Tully Hall performance came from Great Neck South High School.

The South High chamber music program is coordinated by Michael Schwartz, performing arts department chair/instrumental teacher, and Dr. Janine Robinson, vocal teacher. The performing arts department thanks Dr. David Manuel, English department chair, for his assistance teaching the German diction for the Schubert – Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, “The Shepherd on the Rock”, D. 965.

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