Spring 2015

the Crowden Letter

Crowden Expands Chamber Music Training for Youth

This summer and fall, Crowden will launch new ensemble training opportunities for young musicians. The goal: to make chamber music, and the benefits of playing it, more accessible to Bay Area youth.

Playing chamber music requires more than just technical ability on an instrument. The music rewards close, effective collabora-

tion between players. In Crowden’s day school, beginning string students are immediately introduced to playing in small groups. They develop a specialized skill set that prepares them to play chamber music with one another, without a conductor. By the time they are technically ready to tackle the great repertoire, they also possess enhanced cooperative skills— how to listen and communicate respectfully, how to lead and to follow—that enable them to more immediately achieve a higher level of performance together. That kind of specialized group training is not always available to young musicians studying in private lessons, limiting their abilities to fully experience—or even

participate in—the art form. Typically, most private lesson students leap directly into playing chamber music (if they play it at all) once they reach the necessary technical skill level, without the opportunity to develop the needed collaborative skills. So Crowden’s artistic staff decided to fill the gap by offering a trajectory of after-school ensemble training, designed to help Crowden private lesson students develop the skills they’ll need to play chamber music, before they begin to play it.

“Since the core of Crowden’s music education is rooted in playing chamber music, we want to encourage all students who take private lessons to discover the joy and rewards

of playing music collaboratively at a high level,” explains Eugene Sor, a key planner of the expanded offerings.

Beginning this fall, Crowden will offer comprehensive ensemble training for children ages seven to fourteen. The new courses, Beginning Ensemble Skills, Preparatory String Ensemble, and Chamber Orchestra, will all be held after school on Tuesdays. Youth chamber ensembles for ages twelve to eighteen will also rehearse. Every Tuesday, the entire campus will fill with young musicians playing together in small groups, fostering a rich and robust

culture amongst like-minded students. The single day of programming will increase access by simplifying life for families with multiple children at different levels, and busy families will not need to change schedules as students progress from one course to the next.

“Our sequential program introduces musicians to ensemble playing through group classes with matching instruments, on through playing in small orchestras, and ultimately playing in small ensembles without a conductor where each musician holds his or her part independently within the group,” Eugene says.

This summer, Crowden introduces two new programs: Young Musicians Chamber Academy and Piano Partners. These new offerings are also designed to fill a gap, by serving students who are ‘in between’ Crowden’s popular Summer Strings day camp and our intensive Chamber Music Workshop.

With the new programming, Crowden deepens its longtime commitment to the art of chamber music. As Eugene summarizes, “These opportunities to work with other musicians are inspiring and exhilarating, and the resulting benefits and love of music last a lifetime.”

Crowden and the San Francisco Ballet’s Creative Collaboration

The San Francisco Ballet School recently premiered a new dance to music composed by Crowden’s Lauren Grace Bare, a longtime student in our John Adams Young Composers Program.

Crowden and the San Francisco Ballet School have been quietly exploring the creative potential of collaboration between our Young Composers and participants in the School’s Trainee Program. The Trainees, aged sixteen to nineteen, are the most advanced students at the school, and come from around the world. They

each must complete a choreography project; giving them the option of selecting new works by Crowden Young Composers, whose ages can range from seven to eighteen, seemed like a natural fit. Many of the Trainees have exercised that option.

For the past two years, both composers and Trainees have attended a colloquium by bassist and composer Shinji Eshima on composing for the ballet. Trainees observed a Crowden master class given by the Kronos Quartet that included an early version of Lauren's piece, and composers visited the Ballet for workshops of the dances created on their compositions.

This past May, the collaboration took another step forward when Bare was presented

in its world premiere at the Ballet School's Student Showcase at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater. Set to a string quartet composed by Lauren, Bare is a dance created by B E n JAMI n Fr EEMA n TLE, a gifted novice choregrapher recently promoted to the Ballet’s corps de ballet. In his San Francisco Chronicle review, critic Allan Ulrich complimented Bare as “notable for its lovely string quartet score.”

Our thanks to the following individuals for invaluable help in this project: Shelby Gans who started it all; Patrick Armand, Bruce Sansom, Wendy Van Dyck, and Andrea Yannone from the San Francisco Ballet; Matthew Cmiel, Timothy Der, Doris Fukawa, Arkadi Serper, and Michel Taddei from Crowden.

The "Bare" dancers with composer lauren grace Bare and choregrapher Benjamin Freemantle (center). photo by lance Bare.

Tour Québec 2015

In April, Crowden School seventh and eighth graders embarked on a music tour to Québec, Canada.

The Crowden School music tour is a biennial event and always a highlight of our students’ time together. We returned from this year’s tour to Canada full of wonderful memories of concerts, workshops, broadened cultural horizons, scenic vistas, and snow!

Here’s a snapshot of how our impressive young musicians spent their week in Québec:

• A public concert in Montréal’s gorgeous and acoustically delightful Basilique notreDame.

Island Youth Symphony in Dollard-desOrmeaux, complete with a public welcome by the town Mayor.

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• A side-by-side performance with the West

Legacy Society

It’s been more than a decade since the creation of Crowden’s first “Legacy Society”—an informal group of longtime supporters who met several times for receptions and concerts after Anne Crowden passed away in 2004. In 2011, a more official group of the same name was established to bring together loyal supporters whose generosity and foresight inspired them to include Crowden as a beneficiary in their estate plans. One of those members is Ch A r LE n E Br E n DLE r, a current Crowden School teacher who worked with Anne Crowden beginning in 1984. here is what she says about her experience with Crowden and the importance of the Legacy Society:

Anne Crowden had a vision that became the purposeful school we call ‘Crowden’ today. Those

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• Masterclasses and workshops with artists from such prestigious organizations as McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, Les Violons du roy, and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal.

• Walking tours of Old Montréal and Old Québec, complemented by visits to the

of us working at Crowden have become stewards of her creation, continuing to transmit a love of music and connection with others, especially through the rapport of chamber music. I have been privileged to serve this vision as a longtime Music History faculty member starting with Anne’s second year of the school. This has been rewarding, and my heart is warmed each time I see or hear returning alumni play, or talk about how Crowden shaped their lives. Happily, endowing this winning educational formula is easily supported through the Legacy Society.

Whether you are a Crowden School alum, a

Biodome, the Musée de la Civilisation, backstage at the Maison Symphonique de Montréal, and the beautiful and impressive waterfall at Montmorency.

• Meals showcasing Québecois specialties, including student favorite maple syrup,

• rehearsals, impromptu soccer games, climbing on snow drifts, souvenir shopping.

It was an exhilerating trip!

teacher, or a friend in the wider community, you can have a real impact through your legacy gift—and when you demonstrate your support for Crowden’s future, others will follow your generous example.

For more information about Crowden’s Legacy Society, contact Development Director Kerri Gawryn at kgawryn@crowden.org or 510.559.6910 ext 120.

The Quebec tour group. Thanks to eighth grade student Sofie Kanayama for sharing this photo!

Charlene Brendler. photo by geoffrey Biddle

Alumni Take Center Stage to Draw Support

In May, a benefit at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Getty featured an illuminating q&a between Doris Fukawa and alumnus composer S AMUEL C A r L A DAMS (tcs ’00), who joins the Chicago Symphony Orchestra this fall for three years as a Mead Composer-inresidence. Earlier, Crowden presented its first

annual Winter Benefit recital, featuring Berlin

Philharmonic First Concertmaster nOA h

B E n DI x-B ALGLEY (tcs ’97). Fellow Berlinbased alumnus D AVID M C C A rrOLL (tcs ’99) joined noah for a surprise guest appearance, treating audiences to a preview of next year’s Benefit recital, which he will headline.

Crowden alumni who pursue careers as professional musicians nearly universally stay close to their Crowden roots, returning to mentor current students, to serve on our faculty and board, and to celebrate momentous anniversaries. For years Crowden’s Sundays @ Four chamber music series has presented notable alumni emerging artists, most recently cellist J AY C AMPBELL (tcs ’03) and, next season, K A r LA D O n E h EW ’s (tcs ’99) Catalyst Quartet. And this year, Crowden’s two major fundraisers presented patrons with the most compelling proof of our educational model’s value and impact—our alumni.

Winter Benefit Recital

sponsors

Sallie & Edward Arens

Shelby & Frederick Gans

Meyer Sound

patrons

Jay & Leslie Ifshin

Edna Lee Warnecke & James Marks

Jacob Pak & Soo hyang Kang

benefactors

Carl haber & Elizabeth McCoy

Earl & rosalinda rupp

Benefit at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Gordon Getty

We are grateful to Mr. & Mrs. Getty and the following individuals for generosity in support of this fundraiser:

sponsors

Shelby & Frederick Gans

Meyer Sound

Amy & Eddie Orton

host committee

Sallie & Edward Arens

James Marks & Edna Lee Warnecke

benefactors

Angela & Willie Archie

Patrick Golden & Susan Overhauser

DJ Grubb & The Grubb Co.

Jacob Pak & Soo hyang Kang

Earl & rosalinda rupp

Our alumni are lending hands and bows to help Crowden raise much-needed funds for programs and scholarships.

Announcing the Christine C. Chu Cello Scholarship

In memory and honor of late Crowden School

alumna Christine Chu, the Chu family has established the Christine C. Chu Cello Scholarship.

Christine attended the Crowden School 1986-1988 for fourth and fifth grades. She started cello at age four, and began studying with Milly rosner at age seven. her first orchestral solo was with the Berkeley Youth Orchestra at age eight, and her first professional orchestral debut with the South Bay Orchestra at age twelve. At twelve, Christine joined the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and accepted a music scholarship to San Domenico’s Virtuoso Program, where she graduated with the Veritas award. She received a bm in cello performance and a ba in American Culture from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, an mm in cello performance from Manhattan School of Music, an Artist Diploma from SUnY Purchase, and a Masters in Music Education from Lehman College. her mentors included Julia Lichten, Peter Wiley, David Ge-

ber, and Erling Blondal Bengtsson. Christine performed with the Westchester Philharmonic, Brooklyn Philharmonic, haddonfield Symphony, new World Symphony, Tanglewood Music Festival Orchestra, national repertory Orchestra, national Orchestra Institute, Aspen Festival Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Philadelphia Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Christine performed with Corbin Dances, Musicora Ensemble, was a founding member and artistic director of the Artemis Chamber Ensemble, and performed at Carnegie hall. Throughout her career, she won many competitions and received multiple awards.

Christine was a dedicated teacher, on faculty at various schools, including nY Ossining School District as music teacher and Middle School orchestra director, and maintained a private cello and piano studio. She has worked with students with special needs including blindness, muscular dystrophy, Asperger’s syndrome, and Alzheimer’s disease.

This endowed scholarship fund will provide support for students entering into the Crowden School through a one-time commitment, and may be applied to a selected cellist or cellists.

photos courtesy of the Chu family.

p HOTOS ( TO p TO BOTTOM , l EFT TO R ig HT ):

David McCarroll and Noah Bendix-Balgley backstage before the Benefit Recital; Carl Samuel Adams and Doris Fukawa in conversation at the getty's; Noah greets enthusiastic fans, including Crowden trustee Jacob pak, after his recital; Doris Fukawa with Crowden patrons Maurice Kanbar and Shelby g ans; Crowden alum Owen Dalby ( tcs '98), who is the newly appointed second violinist of Stanford's St. lawrence String Quartet, with David Davis ( tcs '86), and community programs alum Raymond Archie, who traveled from New York especially to support Crowden at the getty fundraiser.

photos of Noah's Winter Benefit Recital by lenny gonzalez; photos of the getty party by Drew Altizer photography.

Crowden Launches new Membership Program this Fall

greater access to our concerts, fundraisers, and guest lectures, as well as opportunities for deeper involvement. Each membership level is accompanied by unique rewards, including season tickets to one or more of our concert series, opportunities to sponsor Crowden events, private performances by Crowden ensembles, and behind-the-scenes tours and lectures with tcs Music Director Eugene Sor and Crowden Executive and Artistic Director Doris Fukawa.

levels will receive mailed copies of the fall and spring Crowden Letters, newly upgraded and in full color. Members at the $100 Associate level and above will receive acknowledgement in both editions. Existing members will also have the option to upgrade their member status to a higher level if they would like to receive more benefits within their membership year.

To show our deep appreciation, we are launching a new membership program this fall, designed to honor Crowden donors for their loyalty and support.

The program will offer benefits that give

Also, beginning this fall, the biannual Crowden Letter will be mailed exclusively as a membership benefit.

To continue to enjoy this publication, Crowden patrons can make a $50 minimum donation to become a member. Members at all

Our hope with this new program is that Crowden supporters at all levels will enjoy their member benefits and feel a greater engagement with our mission and our organization. We are thrilled to invite you all to join this new program and to further experience first-hand the immense value of your support.

here at Crowden, we recognize the integral role our donors, family, alumni and individual supporters play in maintaining a mission as diverse and distinguished as ours.

With your support, music changes everything. photo by geoffrey Biddle.

Attention readers:

• Our 100% new and improved website launches this summer! Get the latest news, personalized calendars, online enrollment, and custom content just for Crowden alumni all in one place: www.crowden.org

• Beginning this fall, the Crowden Letter will be mailed exclusively to Crowden members. Members at the $50 level and higher will receive our upgraded, full-color print publication in the mail. The Crowden Letter will remain available to non-members online only. Please find details on the opposite page.

Crowden

Board of Trustees

officers

Earl rupp, Chair

Fred Konkel, Vice Chair

Zachary Griffin, Treasurer

Anne nesbet, Secretary members

Angela Archie, Sallie Arens, noreen Axelson, Joan Balter, Kate Berenson, Timothy Der, Tracy Dooley, Courtney Duffy, Cary Koh, John Lowitz, Bennett Markel, Jacob Pak, Sangam

Prasad, Brian Samson, and Doris Fukawa, ex officio

music advisory board

John Adams, Bonnie hampton, Gary Karr, Michael Morgan, Sir Simon rattle

advisory board

Patrick Golden, John McCarthy, helen Meyer, Deborah O’Grady

founder

Anne Crowden (1928–2004)

honorary president

Lord Menuhin (1916–1999)

founding president

Colin hampton (1911–1996)

Administration

Doris Fukawa, Executive and Artistic Director

Marion Atherton, Associate Director, Community Programs Director

Michel Taddei, Director of Artistic Administration

Debra Mauro, Director of Finance

Maria Danielson, Staff Accountant

Kerri Gawryn, Director of Development

Lucas McGranahan, Development Associate and Grants Manager

Stacy neale, Development Assistant

Jennifer Strauss, Director of Publications and P.R.

Juan rodriguez, Building and Grounds Supervisor

Jorge Mendoza, Building and Grounds Assistant

Eugene Sor, Assistant Artistic Director, Director of tcs Music

William Betts, Community Programs Assistant

Brad Johnson, tcs Principal

heidi Mattson, tcs Assistant Principal Monica Frame, tcs Counselor

Lauren Eigenbrode, Admissions and Alumni Relations Manager

Janet Ceja-Orozco, tcs Secretary

Crowden Letter

Jennifer Strauss, editor, writer, graphic designer

Kerri Gawryn, Michel Taddei, writers

Drew Altizer Photography, Lance Bare, Geoffrey Biddle, Lenny Gonzalez, Sofie Kanayama, photography

Cover photo by Drew Altizer Photography. Page 8 photo by Geoffrey Biddle.