“The Utah Symphony just returned from Haiti, where they worked with more than 100 Haitian youth musicians,” reports Glen Mills last Wednesday (4/5) at television station good4utah.com (Salt Lake City, UT). “The kids were overjoyed with the opportunity to play with some of the best. Seventeen Utah Symphony musicians paid their way to Haiti to form the first Haitian National Orchestral Institute. The musicians conducted one-on-one lessons, sectionals and rehearsals with the youth musicians. The music education service project was organized by BLUME Haiti. The organization’s mission is to ‘build a strong group of young leaders who will create a brighter future for Haiti.’ The week-long institute culminated with a youth orchestra concert conducted by Utah Symphony Music Director Thierry Fischer.” A photo gallery is included, plus video in which Utah Symphony Principal Second Violin Claude Halter and Associate Principal Viola Roberta Zalkind discuss their experiences in Haiti. Says Halter, “There is a great need, obviously. We are not just teaching students, but also teachers. They don’t have the access to the kind of one-on-one interaction that we have…. There are plans to come back.” In a separate video, Principal Flute Mercedes Smith speaks about the Haiti visit.
Posted April 12, 2017
