Ensemble's musicians hit pinnacle performance
Some of the members of the Vivaldi Strings ensemble are only 10 years old, but have already reached a lifelong musical goal. Next on the ensemble's list of accomplishments may be making an appeal to play for the president.
In short, the Vivaldi Strings ensemble represents a group of 31 overachievers ranging in age from 10 to 18. The age gap in the performers doesn't translate into a gap in ability. These young musicians are among the very best at what they do.
"Age is never an issue," said Julie Maura, director of the ensemble. "The students are just so excited to be playing with other students who love music as much as they do."
It goes beyond love for music. Many of the students have a brilliance that extends beyond the viola or piano. It's not unusual for ensemble members to skip grades in school and still be at the top of their class. Many members go on to be doctors.
Such intellectual ability can ostracize kids when it comes to school. But in Vivaldi Strings, they are surrounded by their equals.
"The group is very essential for these kids," Maura said. "It's very good for them to know there are other kids out there like them. They can understand and respect each other's unusual knowledge."
The ensemble demonstrated that unusual knowledge in a recent performance at the Suzuki Association of Americas conference. Only three to five ensembles are chosen from all of the applicants in North America and South America. In the audience were 500 of the top music instructors in the Western Hemisphere. The Vivaldi Strings ensemble played for 25 minutes, and did it without a conductor.
"If you were looking in the audience you would have no idea where the director of the group is," Maura said. "I refuse to conduct them."
The reason for that goes back to Maura's childhood when she wrote a winning essay about what being in a Suzuki music program provided students.
"I'm not grooming them to be soloists," Maura said. "I'm grooming them to be independent thinkers. It's their show. I don't want to take the glory for it."
Indeed, the performance was an event most of the group members had dreamed about since they were 4 years old. It's the highest honor any Suzuki ensemble can receive.
Next up is a performance July 28 at the oldest Suzuki program in the United States. Beyond that, Maura said she'll have to find even bigger goals for the ensemble to dream about.
"A lot of groups, when you get really advanced, the next thing is playing for the president or playing for the pope," Maura said. "I don't know how I'm going to make that happen yet."