During the 1991-92 season, Geneva Concerts began an educational outreach program which continues to grow. In recent seasons we have reached more than 1,000 school children annually. This program helps to build our future audience base by exposing our children to a wide variety of concert and dance performances and it assists the Arts-in-Education programs for Geneva and the surrounding school districts by providing high-quality performers for school programs.
Tara Butler, Ballet Jörgen's principcal ballerina who would danced the title role in Anastasia the followingevening at the Smith Opera House, directed a 90-minute Master Class for 23 Hobart and William Smith dance students. The class provided students ample opportunity for one-on-one interaction with one ofCanada's leading ballerinas.725 students and 65 staff whoattended the Koresh lec/dem at GHS this morning.
Photo courtesy of Spencer Tullis, The Finger Lakes Times.
Preston McBain, the Assistant to the Artistic Director for Ballet Jörgen, led a 90-minute master class for 13 community members at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. The target audience for the event was intermediate to advanced dancers from the Geneva area. As the photo below indicates, the 90-minute class was a rare opportunity for area students to interact with international artists and learn about dance technique in a first-hand way.
Four Geneva students were selected from this group to dance with the company in its performance of Anastasia the next evening at the Smith Opera House. The students participated in a special rehearsal led by Cristina Tucciarone (who danced the role of Tsaritsa Alexandra Fyorodovna in the ballet) on Saturday at the Opera House.
On Friday November 20 Burning River Brassperformed for all students and staff at the Geneva Middle School and the members of the Geneva High School Band. They played several selections and also did a brief explanation of each of the instruments, with a short demonstration of each.
On Saturday morning November 21, the twelve members of Burning River Brass held a clinic for student brass musicians at the Geneva High School Band Room. The clinic began listening to Burning River Brass play two pieces: Ave Maria by Anton Bruckner and Heroic Fanfare by Anthony DiLorenzo.
The musicians then split into five breakout sessions by instrument held in nearby classrooms:
On Thursday January 21, the Syracuse Symphony String Quartet gave two demonstration-performances at North Street School for all students and staff.One of the teachers at North Street wrote: "I think the students enjoyed the performances. It was great reinforcement to an orchestral unit they are studying now or have studied in the past. It is also good for them to have experience being an audience."
Student comments included:
Participation Summary: 374 students in grades 3 through 5 and 35 teachers and aides.
Outreach activities during the 2009-2010 concert seasonwere underwritten by a grant from the Wyckoff Family Foundation, and by additional support from the WilliamsFamily Foundation, the Rotary Club of Geneva, NY, and the members of Geneva Concerts. Thanks!
In September 2008, Geneva Concerts hosted a three-week residency of the Taylor 2 Dance Company in support of a performance by the Paul Taylor Dance Company on September 20, 2008. From September 8 Through September 26, Taylor 2 reached virtually all children in the Geneva School District and all children in the Romulus, NY Middle and High Schools. Taylor 2 offered lecture-demonstrations and/or taught classes throughout Geneva and surrounding communities. Our goal was to provide a unique and meaningful dance experience for every public school child in Geneva, reaching students through their gym classes, master classes, and performances.
Taylor 2 held movement workshops during gym classes for elementary students at both North Street and West Street Elementary Schools in Geneva and gave lecture-demonstrations movement classes and a master class for the students of Geneva Middle and High Schools. In addition, Taylor 2 spent a day at the Romulus Central School District, performing a lecture-demonstration for all students in grades 5 through 12 and a workshop for selected middle and high school students.
Photo courtesy of Spencer Tullis, The Finger Lakes Times.
Taylor 2 also taught community-based classes. At the Geneva YMCA, Taylor 2 led a movement class for a group of active seniors called "The Silver Sneakers."(See photo above.)Geneva Concerts also sponsored two Taylor 2 movement classes for young people at the Boys and Girls Club of Geneva.
At Hobart and William Smith Colleges, there were 17classes and workshops ranging from Beginning Modern Dance to Advanced Ballet, Jazz Dance, and Movement for Athletes. The highlight was an extended 9-class session with selected HWS Dance students to learn Paul Taylor technique and repertory that ended with a public showing by both Taylor 2 and the students. Additionally at Keuka College (Keuka Park, NY) Taylor 2 led Intro to Dance and Movement Classes.
The entire project involved 35 events at 11 different locations and reached more than 4,000 people. In all there were more than 2,900 contacts with youths under the age of 18 during the residency. Additionally, there were more than 600 individual contacts with college students during the residency.
The residency also provided space and substantial creative time for Taylor 2 to learn Paul Taylor's Post Meridian. During the residency Taylor 2 appeared on Channel 13 WHAM (ABC television affiliate) in Rochester, NY.
Photo courtesy of Spencer Tullis, The Finger Lakes Times.These activitieswere underwritten by major grants from the National Endoment for the Arts, The John Ben Snow Foundation, and the Wyckoff Family Foundation, and by additional support from the WilliamsFamily Foundation, the Rotary Club of Geneva, NY, and the members of Geneva Concerts. Thanks!
DIVA is an all-female concert jazz orchestra steeped based in New York City that plays contemporary, mainstream big band jazz composed and arranged both by band members and other renowned writers. DIVA performed a concert for all students and staff at GMS. Students were enthusiastic in their appreciation of the music they heard.
After the concert, six members of the DIVA participated in clinics and workshops for 42 student musicians at GMS. Students were able to learn new techniques and engage the musicians in informal discussion. To learnmore about this outreach, read the story World-Renowned Jazz Group Hits High Note In Geneva that appeared in the Finger Lakes Times.
These activitieswere underwritten by grants from the Wyckoff Family Foundation, the WilliamsFamily Foundation, and by contributions from the supporters of Geneva Concerts. Thanks!
At GHS Philadanco's outreach program had two components. The first was a a lecture-demonstration (see photo to the left) for the entire high school and staff that included audience participation.
The second part of the program was a master class for approximately 30 pre-selected high school students interested in dance. Students were able to work closely with members of the dance company and literally get "hands on" experience.After the outreach session students, members of Philadanco spent some additional time talking with students.
The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet performed assembly concerts at bothNorth Street and West Street Schools, the latter shown in the photo below. Studentsfrom grades two through five attended.
Each of the musicians made a very effective presentation on the history of theirinstrument, and how the sound is made.
The beauty of the classical music excerpts by composers such as J.S. Bach gave thestudents a chance to experience the inspiration of great classical music. The wonderfulsound these musicians achieved on their instruments, including two trumpets, Frenchhorn, trombone, and tuba, captured the interest of the students.
At each school a student was selected to "conduct" the quintet. The principal trumpetplayer, George Coble, gave them instructions on a variety of hand motions, high, low,sharp pointing action, and smooth hand motion, etc. Each motion would signal themusicians to play in a different style, volume, etc. It was exciting for the student selectedand fun for those watching.
These activities were underwritten by grants from the Wyckoff Family Foundation, the WilliamsFamily Foundation, and by contributions from the supporters of Geneva Concerts. Thanks!
Photo courtesy of Lauren Long, The Finger Lakes Times.
Cantus and the Geneva High School Varsity Singers just before their combined performance of "Oolichan" at the Smith Opera House. Photo courtesy of Joan McClure.
With a French horn (not a woodwind!), the vibrations are made by buzzing the lips. This was illustrated by playing an actual cow's horn and then an 18 foot garden hose (!) with a funnel on the end. Once the hosewas coiled, it looked remarkably like a French horn.
The music selections were inspiring excerpts from classical music repertoire, and special arrangements that demonstrated the special sound of each instrument. Included were: a Mozart rondo (with "Pop Goes the Weasel" slipped in), an Irish jig, an arrangement of the Beatles' "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", a rendition of "Happy Birthday" in five styles (straight, rag, waltz, dirge, and march), among others. Approximately 550 students and 60 staff enjoyed the events and were engaged during the entire event.
Mr. Vizzutti rehearsed his composition with the GHS band during their regular band rehearsal periodand played the solo trumpet part. Approximately 70 students in the GHS band were involved in the band rehearsal.
"American Jazz Suite" will be featured during the GHS Band's Spring Concert. During the practice session, Mr. Vizzutti discussed the solo trumpet part with the student who will play it later at the Spring Concert.
With his easy manner, he quickly developed a rapport with the members of the band.
Later, approximately 40 students from both the middle and high school bands, as well as a few students from other schools and several adults attended an after-school brass clinic with Mr. Vizzutti.
Using a few simple breathing exercises, he worked on getting the students play with a more "full" and sustained sound.
To learn more about this outreach, read the story Playing with the Best that appeared in the Finger Lakes Times.
The outreach activities for entire 2006–2007 seasonwere underwritten by grants from the Wyckoff Family Foundation, the WilliamsFamily Foundation, and by contributions from the supporters of Geneva Concerts. Thanks!
Garth Fagan Dance is one of the premiere modern dance companies in the world. The Company performs nationally and internationally each year, receiving the highest critical acclaim for its groundbreaking work. The company reaches audiences across all cultural, racial, and socioeconomic boundaries.
Geneva Concerts was able to schedule a week-long residency with the company during mid-February . The length of the residency allowed for a richer series of interactions between students and the artists. The dancers worked with 14 individual elementary school classes over a period of four days. This was followed by a full company lecture-demonstration for all high school students and faculty. As the photos indicate, students were able to work closely with dancers throughout the residency
One teacher commented: "My students loved the Garth Fagan Dance workshop. Not only did they enjoy seeing professional dancers, but were thrilled that they were able to participate, move, and dance with them. They thought it was fantastic. The workshop was very valuable."
A Geneva High School student wrote: "The performance was cool. It was pretty valuable because we got to experience a different dance style."Another student commented: "I thought the dancers were amazing and talented. I greatly admire their skill and dedication."
The residency ended with a lecture-demonstration at Geneva High School and a Master Class for dance students at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
In total approximately 1225 students werereached during the residency.
These activitieswere underwritten by a major grant from were underwritten by a major grant from the Wyckoff Family Foundation, with additional support from the Department of Dance at Hobart and William Smith Colleges,and contributions from the supporters of Geneva Concerts. Thanks!
This series is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Williams Family Foundation, by a continuing subscription from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, by a grant from the Wyckoff Family Foundation, and by the friends of Geneva Concerts. For additional information contact info@genevaconcerts.org. 
