Outreach

LK String Quartet, Harry Kinnan, and Dr. Sherry Lawrence		In October 2009, The Perlman Music Program/ Suncoast, with the support and cooperation of The Juilliard School, Columbia University’s Teacher College, Toby and Itzhak Perlman and the faculty of The Perlman Music Program, began offering education outreach programs for Sarasota and Manatee county schools. This board-initiated effort is led by long-time music educator and board member Barbara Staton. Cindy Balistreri, recently retired as the fine arts program specialist for the School Board of Sarasota County, is serving as PMP/Suncoast’s consultant for developing the curriculum-based programming that served a total of
four middle schools in both Sarasota and Manatee counties as well as six feeder elementary schools in the initial year. The second season presents the Vinca String Quartet in residence at 12 area schools, October 18 through 29, 2010, and January 5 through 13, 2011. Members of the Vinca String Quartet, including Laura Seay, the quartet's violist, a graduate of The Juilliard School and currently a graduate student at Teacher’s College, Columbia University, work in close collaboration with Cindy Balistreri to combine the latest methods and research in music education and curriculum development.

These professional chamber ensembles are comprised of PMP alumni who have demonstrated passion and skill as gifted teaching artists. This program is made possible through collaboration with Sarasota County and Manatee County schools. It is the goal of PMP/Suncoast for the Education Outreach Program to reach a minimum of 10 schools annually, equally serving both counties. Curriculum-based and tailored to the needs of each participating school, interactive performances are presented to 5th and 6th grade students. Residency visits to orchestra classrooms provide hands-on experiences for students and teachers with the PMP alumni teaching artists.

This program is supported 100 percent through ongoing generous support from PMP/Suncoast members and sponsors.

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PAST TEACHING ARTISTS INCLUDE:

JANUARY 2010: PMP Alumni Trio Megan Griffin, Laura Seay, Mimi Yu


OCTOBER 2009, MARCH 2010: LK String Quartet Sean Lee, Areta Zhulla, Laura Seay, Jordan Han
The LK String Quartet, revered by The New York Times as “fiery and propulsive, with striking unanimity” and by The New York Sun as “exceptional…the future of classical music, which looked hale and hearty” is quickly becoming recognized for their passionate performances and impeccable group dynamic. “The LK possesses an assurance that belies its members’ ages” (The Strad) and is “an extraordinary string quartet; by anyone’s standard they are outstanding.” (Itzhak Perlman)
		In 2008, The LK String Quartet presented “an incandescent account” (The Strad) and “a remarkable performance” (The New York Sun) of Bartok’s Third String Quartet at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City as part of Itzhak Perlman’s three-part chamber music series at the museum. The performance was received with rave reviews, and convinced many audience members who were new to the classical music scene that this music is “awesome” and “just as exciting as a rock concert!”

Deeply committed to bringing the joy of music to all people, the LK String Quartet is currently serving as the Chamber Ensemble in Residence at The 92nd Street Y in New York City. Through interactive performances, the LK String Quartet will work with and perform for over 3,000 1st-3rd graders in the New York City Public Schools during the 08-09 school year. The LK String Quartet also serves as chamber music faculty at the Chamber Music of the Rockies coaching high school students in an intensive two-week chamber music program. Previous appearances of the LK String Quartet included performances at the Metropolitan Museum, Lincoln Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Merkin Concert Hall, the Neue Galerie, and the Colony Club in New York City, as well as multiple performances in Princeton, NJ, Virginia Beach, VA, East Hampton, NY, Palm Springs, FL, Sarasota, FL, and Beaver Creek, CO. The LK String Quartet has collaborated in performance with Itzhak Perlman (September, 2007), Paul Katz (January, 2007) and with the Jupiter String Quartet (June, 2008).
The LK String Quartet met as teenagers at Itzhak Perlman’s summer music school in Shelter Island, NY. Playing together informally since 2002, the LK String Quartet formed as a professional string quartet in 2006 and have been performing concerts regularly since. The LK String Quartet has coached with chamber music giants Robert Mann, David Soyer, Donald Weilerstein, Paul Katz, Itzhak Perlman, and Merry Peckham. The LK String Quartet is committed to excitement and excellence in chamber music performance and study combined with a dedication to attracting new audiences to the world of classical music.