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Educational Engagements
Passing the Torch, and the Passion
As our mission statement declares, Cactus Pear is committed to significantly contributing to the musical education of South Texas young people, not only during the summer festival but throughout the year. Exposing young people to this inspiring musical art form and the intimacy of listening to chamber music—or in making it themselves—has been a primary objective of the CPMF board and its founder since the beginning.
CPMF accomplishes this mission through our free Young Peoples' Concerts that occur during the festival season (see last summer's 2011 schedule below), through our Young Artist Program (YAP)—a full-scholarship fellowship now going into its ninth year that provides a group of young musicians two-weeks of intensive training with the festival professionals and opportunities for performance, and through Master Classes and our fun and educational Kinder Konzert series geared to children ages 3 to 10.
In 2008, Cactus Pear commissioned Colin Sorgi, a former and recent YAP fellow attending Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, to write a new composition for our 2008 ensemble of YAP fellows. What a memorable
moment to hear this new work of art by a former YAP fellow performed by our latest group of scholarship fellows. Take a listen to this one-minute excerpt from Colin's composition. This is what we mean by "passing the torch" and helping bring along the next generation of musicians.
This inspired the CPMF board to create another rich educational experience, CPMF's Young Composer Xtreme Competition. For more information, see below.
from CPMF 2008 festival performances by YAP fellows performing Colin Sorgi's "Huapango"
YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM: 9th Annual
APPLY TODAY!
Every year, between three and six young instrumentalists are chosen and awarded FULL-TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS for an intensive two-week program. The Young Artists form an ensemble to study and perform chamber music. The curriculum includes daily private instruction and chamber music coachings with Festival artists, lecture classes on aspects of music performance/careers, free admittance to all festival rehearsals & concerts for Fellows and family, and 8 community engagement performance opportunities including the final two San Antonio Festival concerts.
In 2011, FIVE young artists came out on top in their auditions to win YAP scholarships. We were very impressed with the high level of skill, preparedness, and seriousness that each of the musicians brought to their audition performances.
THE 2011 WINNERS WERE:
Rachel Roberts, violin
Nathan Dowling, viola
McKinley Glasser, cello
Mattie Kotzur, flute
Ellen Pavliska, piano
Ryan Zarmbinski -- first alternate, violin
The distinguished San Antonio Symphony First Violinist and San Antonio Opera's Concertmaster CRAIG SORGI is the YAP Education Director. Craig is also the Adjunct Professor of Violin at Trinity University.
Serious 14 through 18 year-old violin, viola, cello, bass, and flute students, and piano students between the ages of 14 and 20, who live in or near San Antonio, Texas, may apply. (Room and board not included, but home stays may be arranged if commuting is an impossibility.) Individuals as well as pre-formed groups will be considered for acceptance. Pianists MUST prepare the two short chamber music pieces available online (see link in left sidebar.)
Download our application from the sidebar to the left. Submissions must be in by April 6 for auditions April 14. It's never too early to apply.
YOUNG COMPOSER AWARD PROGRAM
The YOUNG COMPOSER AWARD is a competition that was started to work in conjunction with the YAP fellowship (see above). CPMF has opened the competition to young composers throughout the state of Texas, either as full-time residents or full-time students in Texas, with a cash prize of $750. Entrants have only SIX weeks to complete their pieces—after the announcement in April of the YAP winners and their specific instrumentation, thus making it a very Xtreme deadline. The 3-judge panel made up of professional composers announces their decision over the Memorial Day weekend.
The 2011 winner was HARLAN HODGES a 24-year old pianist/composer from West Texas currently studying at Texas Tech University with Dr. Peter Fischer as well as Dr. Mei-fang Lin. This young, up-and-coming composer won the First Prize award with his composition entitled Vision of a Mockingbird.
THE FIRST ANNUAL AWARD WINNER WAS
COLIN SORGI, who
received the winner's cash award for his unanimously selected composition Velocity.
YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONCERTS [YPCs]
These concerts are free and open to the public every summer! Three of the four festival concert programs are presented in shortened form by the festival artists who make the performances fun and educational for children. During our festival season, RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR GROUPS OF SIX OR MORE! Please call (210) 838-2218 for group reservations.
THE 2011 YPC SCHEDULE was . . .
July 6 • ZEPHYR WIND
@ First United Methodist Church, Boerne, 2 PM
. . . works by Mozart, Kodaly and Fibich
First United Methodist Church
205 James Street, Boerne
A violin COOKIE from Bear Moon Bakery is waiting for each child after the concert to decorate and take home as
a reminder of a great time compliments of Paula Hayward and Bear Moon Bakery.
July 8 • ORIENT EXPRESS
@ McKenna Event Center, New Braunfels, 3 PM
. . . selections from masters such as Brahms, Arensky, Glazunov and Dohnanyi
McKenna Event Center
801 W. San Antonio Street
New Braunfels, TX 78130
July 13 • BURIED TREASURES
@ St. Mary's Hall, San Antonio, 3 PM
. . . little known masterpieces by Puccini, Mahler, Bizet, Foot and Dohnanyi
St. Mary's Hall, Coates-Seeligson Theater/Chapel
9401 Starcrest Drive, San Antonio
YOUNG ARTISTS PROGRAM PERFORMANCES
When July arrives, inspire your students as they experience the joy of chamber music performed by a group of very talented young artists who have trained and studied with the Festival professionals! Our YAP student musicians perform in public throughout the 2 weeks of the festival.
2011 YAP SCHEDULE
Sunday, July 10 • 8:30, 9:30 and 11 AM services
First Presbyterian Church
404 North Alamo Street, San Antonio
Tuesday, July 12 • 2 - 3 PM
Army Retirement Residence, San Antonio
7400 Crestway Drive, San Antonio
Wednesday, July 13
9:30-Noon
YAP in residence at YOSA String Camp
Church of Reconciliation
campus
8900 Starcrest Drive, San Antonio
3 - 4 PM
The Meadows Retirement Community
730 Babcock Road, San Antonio
Friday, July 15 • 11 AM - Noon
Haven for Hope
1 Haven for Hope Way, San Antonio
Saturday, July 16 • 7:30 PM
Cactus Pear Music Festival concert
Sunday, July 17 • 9:30 and 11 AM services
Coker United Methodist Church
231 East North Loop Road, San Antonio
FREE COMMUNITY CONCERT 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2:30 - 4 pm
McNay Art Museum • Leeper Auditorium
6000 North New Braunfels
San Antonio, Texas 78209
FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED.
No admission before 3 pm.
You must mention you are there for the CPMF concert.
A SPECIAL GROUP
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