BACH AND BEETHOVEN ALIVE ON HENRY STREET

Four Piano Concerto Performs at Henry Street School of Music 75th Anniversary Celebration

BUENA PARK, CA (June 24, 2002)—This is our response to violence: to make music more beautifully, more passionately, more devotedly than ever before." Caroline Stoessinger, director of the Henry Street School of Music, began the evening's 75th Anniversary concert with the Leonard Bernstein quote—a quote not only adopted by the music school itself, but also hauntingly appropriate in light of the tragic events of September 11. The gala event, held in the Abroms Arts Center's Playhouse in Manhattan, honored Betty Allen, Skitch Henderson, Mrs. Avery Fisher, Tung Kwong-Kwong, and Me Si-Hun for their invaluable understanding, support, and contribution to music education and music performance.

The concert also celebrated the school's new Yamaha pianos. Frank & Camille's of Long Island, NY and Yamaha provided pianos for the school, replacing its current instruments with new ones. Out of the 15 total pianos provided to the school, four of them were used in the performance, three U1 upright pianos and one CFIIIS concert grand piano, for the evening's musical performances. "People are over the moon," says Stoessinger, who became director of the school in March 2000 -- about the new Yamaha pianos. "They are very sturdy, durable and wonderful."

Andy Deng's Concertina Performance

Julia Dusman, Ami Hakino, Luna Uehana, and Ariel Halevy were among the Henry Street faculty who performed on the Yamaha pianos. Andy Deng, age five; Vivien Deng, age nine; and Alex Rodriguez, age ten, were among the school's student piano performers. "We believe every student has talent – and we are committed to developing that talent, "states Stoessinger. Pamela Watson also played the piano in accompaniment to the Henry Street Children's Chorus. Piano pieces included Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata," Haydn's "Concertina for 2 Pianos and Strings," and Bach's "Concerto for Four Pianos and Strings." The music emanated through the aesthetically stunning aqua and gold auditorium.

The evening's crescendo came with the performance of Bach's "Concerto for Four Pianos and Strings." Originally written for the harpsichord, the concerto, like droves of other Bach's works over the centuries, has been adapted for piano by the likes of such piano artists as Glenn Gould.