Strings At Winona Lake Starts Third Season, Offers Two Free Concerts
Posted
Staff Report-
WINONA LAKE - Strings at Winona Lake will be in its third season, which begins Sunday through Aug. 1.
They also will perform two free concerts.
The camp consists of young and upcoming violin students that range in age from 4 to 18 years. Students hale from the Midwest and include local Suzuki violin students.
The music camp is sponsored by the Suzuki Music School of Winona Lake, which was introduced to the area in 2004 by Jean Stucky and Debbie Barker. The school grew from a group of eight violinists to 30 violin students. From the beginning, these young musicians have performed throughout area churches, community events, and with the world-renowned Magical Strings of Youth, Arlington Heights, Ill.
It is the director of the Magical Strings, Betty Haag-Kuhnke, who is the master-teacher of this camp. She first introduced her method of playing to the Arlington Heights, Ill., public schools before founding her own school of performing arts more than 30 years ago. She worked directly with Shinichi Suzuki in Matsumoto, Japan.
She had taught pedagogy at Stanford University, DePaul University and Northwestern University. Her workshop demonstrations have been presented in Germany, China, Portugal, Australia and throughout the United States.Additional faculty members are part of the Haag Suzuki Music School in Arlington Heights, Ill. Debbie Barker, director, and Ardis Faber, assistant director and Haag have worked to grow the camp from 40 to 60 string musicians.
In 2007, string quartet opportunities were added to further the experience of older students in string chamber literature. This year, string quartets and violin ensembles will be expanded to expose students to experience additional string chamber ensembles.
Students are presented with music reading classes, ensemble performances, daily solo recitals, personal practice times, and activities that are kid-friendly. The directors and faculty believe the development as a musician is important, but it is also important to present opportunities for relationships to be developed among the campers and parents. Music is social in nature - whether playing their instruments or playing together at the beach - developing relationships are important for all.
The students will be presenting two concerts. Both concerts are free and open to the public.
Strings at Winona Lake will perform at Winona Lake Free Methodist Church at 7:30 p.m. July 31.
Strings at Winona Lake Chamber groups will perform the music of Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, Bach Double Violin Concerto, Mozart, Handel-Halvorsen - Passacaglia for Cello and Violin, Italian Country Dances by Mille, Haydn String Quartet No. 6, and The Prayer - made famous by Celion Dion. Tom Zeman and Judie Meulink are pianists.
Come and enjoy an hour of string chamber music performed by the older students of the Strings at Winona Lake. Concert is free and open to the public. For more information about the camp, go to www.stringsatwinonalake.com
The second Strings at Winona Lake performance will be at Rodeheaver Auditorium Aug. 1 at 11 a.m.
Strings at Winona Lake and students of the Suzuki School of Music at Winona Lake are joining together to perform at Rodeheaver Auditorium to celebrate the Billy Sunday Festival.
In the spirit of Chatauqua and the era of Billy Sunday, the children will be performing works by Bach, Vivaldi, Corelli, in addition to some of Billy Sunday's favorite patriotic songs.
The concert is free and open to the public. For more information about the camp, go to www.stringsatwinonalake.com
