violin – Page 8 – LAUREN HALEY STUDIOS

Presentation at ACS Egham International School

March 22, 2016by Lauren Haley Studios

FullSizeRender-3 — Irina Walters and Lauren Haley

Hello, all!

I’m finally back from a wonderful trip abroad that ended with a lecture and performance at ACS Egham International School in Surrey, England.

I thoroughly enjoyed talking to HS International Baccalaureate students about what it takes to earn a conservatory degree in performance and what the pursuit of music teaches us about learning. It’s inspiring to see how Irina Walters’ music program at ACS has grown with spectacular guest artist and student performances.

While in London I also had the chance to meet up with Levine Andrade, my violin and viola teacher in England for the years I spent there. I was so excited to see my former teacher that I forgot to take a picture! But, needless to say, I am so grateful to both Levine and Irina for the profound impact their musical mentorship has had on my life.

22 LHS Students Win 27 Grade 1 Awards at Solo & Ensemble

February 26, 2016February 26, 2016by Lauren Haley Studios

The final award count for Solo & Ensemble is in and it’s wonderful to announce that 22 LHS students won Grade 1 marks, with 5 students competing in both the Solo and Ensemble categories and securing Grade 1 in both competitions. Every Solo & Ensemble contestant who performed in the 2016 LHS Student Showcase Recital on February 13th received a 1 for their solo grade. Well done, kids!

We’re super excited for Amanda, Ananya, Chris, Deepa, Nikita, Paige, Sharon, and Sophie, all of whom received Grade 1 marks on Class 1 (highest HS level) pieces. Sharon and Amanda are still in middle school (7th grade) !

Congratulations to Danae, Deepa, Sophie, Kayle, and Isaac for auditioning for both solo and ensemble competitions and securing Grade 1 marks in both categories!

Well done to Sneha for earning the current concertmaster spot of the Bowie Symphony, to William for maintaining the concertmaster spot in his orchestra at Elkins, to Amanda for maintaining her principal viola spot at Baines, and to Jacob for maintaining his principal viola chair at Quail Valley. We’re all so excited for Deepa, who will play first desk viola for Travis HS’s upcoming performance in Carnegie Hall over spring break!

MS and HS performers are graded on a scale from 1 (best) to 5, so without further ado, here’s the complete list of the LHS students who were awarded Grade 1:

Amanda

Ananya

Anisha

Ayushi

Chris

Danae

Deepa

Enara

Esosa

Isaac

Kayle

Maggie

Megan

Neha

Nikita

Paige

Sarah

Seline

Sharon

Sneha

Sophie

Taruni

Congratulations to everyone on your wonderful progress!

LHS Students Win Top Grades at 2016 Solo & Ensemble Contest

February 23, 2016February 26, 2016by Lauren Haley Studios

Special Congratulations to the 2016 Grade 1 Solo & Ensemble Performers!

*Edited 2/26 to include more winners*

MS & HS performers are graded on a scale from 1 (best) to 5, and the following students took home the Grade 1 marks:

Amanda*

Ananya*

Anisha

Ayushi

Chris*

Danae

Deepa*

Enara

Esosa

Isaac

Kayle

Maggie

Megan

Neha

Nikita*

Paige*

Sarah

Seline

Sharon*

Sneha

Sophie*

Taruni

*Denotes Grade 1 on a Class 1 piece (highest level of difficulty through HS).

Congratulations to Danae, Deepa, Sophie, Kayle, and Isaac for auditioning for both solo and ensemble competitions and securing Grade 1 marks in both categories!

Congratulations also to Sneha for earning the current concertmaster spot of the Bowie Symphony, to William for maintaining the concertmaster spot in his orchestra at Elkins, to Amanda for maintaining her principal viola spot at Baines, and to Jacob for maintaining his principal viola chair at Quail Valley. We’re all so excited for Deepa, who will play first desk viola for Travis HS’s upcoming performance in Carnegie Hall over spring break!

Congratulations to everyone on your wonderful progress!

Amanda_Medal — Amanda holds her new medal!

February Performances, Awards, and Workshops

February 16, 2016by Lauren Haley Studios

Congratulations to all of the performers of the Lauren Haley Studios February 2016 Student Showcase Recital at Virtuosi of Houston!

Evelyn Lam and Lauren Haley pose with violinists Catherine and Elizabeth, who performed movements from two Seitz concerti this Saturday!

Sharon and Ms. Haley after Sharon’s successful performance of Massenet’s Meditation from *Thais*

As Solo & Ensemble competitions gear up, we have our first Grade 1/Level 1 winner! Congratulations to Nikita, who received the top mark of a Grade 1 on a Level 1 piece (the highest HS level) for her Solo & Ensemble performance by memory on February 6th! Nikita will advance to the Texas State Solo-Ensemble Contest in Austin this May. Watch this page for more good news as student auditions from FBISD begin on February 19th and 20th!

By popular demand, LHS announces a group workshop day on Saturday, February 27th, with classes beginning at 1pm. This round’s topics will include advanced bow techniques (Ready, Set, Spiccato!), Spring Into Scales (2- and 3-octave), Vroom Vroom Vibrato, and peg tuning. For those new to violin, we’ll be hosting a Pepperoni Pizza party! Contact Ms. Haley directly to RSVP as these small group classes fill quickly.

Nikita, Maggie, Ms. Haley, Isaac, and Amanda following one of the January Advanced Vibrato Technique Workshops. All four students performed in the February 2016 Student Showcase Recital as well!

Ms. Haley is excited to direct students and parents to the Eastman School of Music website, where families can read about the success of the Eastman alumni and faculty who won Grammy awards this week!

Eastman Faculty and Alumni Win 2016 GRAMMY Awards

February Student Showcase Recital

February 8, 2016by Lauren Haley Studios

Lauren Haley Studios invites you and yours to the February 2016 Student Showcase Recital on Saturday, February 13th at 5:30pm. We are delighted to have the honor of performing at the Virtuosi of Houston Studio in Memorial City Mall. Featuring works of Rachmaninoff and Elgar, the program will conclude with a special performance by Evelyn Lam and Lauren Haley. All are invited to stay for a reception in celebration of student achievements!

LaurenHaleyStudios_December2015Recital_PictureTime

Congratulations, Evelyn!

January 13, 2016by Lauren Haley Studios

1397138_10156318500025705_5937145511814184127_o — *Evelyn Lam performs at Carnegie Hall (2015)*

Lauren Haley Studios is thrilled to announce that LHS Collaborative Pianist Evelyn Lam has been selected as Teaching Assistant to Professor Natalya Antonova at the Eastman School of Music! Ms. Lam is pursuing her doctoral performance degree after completing both her B.M. and M.M. in Piano Performance at Eastman. Evelyn takes on this new teaching avenue in addition to her current teaching position (undergraduate piano class) at Eastman.

Ms. Lam will be available for a limited number of piano coaching sessions in Sugar Land and The Woodlands from February 8th – 13th. Interested LHS families must have their piano teacher’s permission before requesting a coaching spot. Arrangements for lessons with Ms. Lam can be made through Ms. Haley.

Ms. Lam and Ms. Haley are excited to invite you to their performance at the LHS Winter Recital on Saturday, February 13th at 5:30pm.

About Evelyn:

Born in Hong Kong, Evelyn Wing-Yan Lam started learning the piano at the age of 7. Her principal mentors include Natalya Antonova, Maxim Mogilevsky, and Wai Cheng. She also worked with Sergei Krivonos, Thomas Schumacher, Jean Barr, Elinor Freer, Sylvie Beaudette, and Ksenia Nosikova. In 2007, Evelyn achieved the Licentiate Diploma in piano performance with distinction from the Trinity College of Music, London. In 2009, Evelyn was admitted to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester NY, where she received a Bachelor degree in Piano Performance in 2013 and a Master of Music degree in 2015.

Before coming to the States in 2009, Evelyn won numerous prizes in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festivals, including 2 champions, three 2nd prizes, and other honors in the piano solo and duos division. In 2001, Evelyn participated in the 65th Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition (Hong Kong Region), winning the fifth prize in the category of aged 10 below. She also achieved the Outstanding Award in the Mozart Piano Competition in 2003. In 2010, she received the Honors Chamber Award from the Eastman School of Music. In 2013, she received the Henry Cobos Endowed Piano Prize from the Eastman School of Music, for her exceptional achievement in the study and performance of piano. In the summer of 2014, Evelyn participated in the piano program at the Chautauqua Institution, where she was one of the 6 six finalists in the piano competition. She also received the second prize in the American Protégé International Competition in 2015, making her debut at the Weill Recital Hall at the Carnegie Hall in November 2015.Evelyn has also performed as a soloist with the Hong Kong Children Symphony Orchestra since 2008. She performed Beethoven Piano Concerto No.3, and Piano Concerto No.5 “Emperor”. In August 2010, she toured with the orchestra to China, performing the Yellow River Piano Concerto, conducted by Dr Yip Wai-Hong.

An active soloist and collaborative pianist, Evelyn has performed in many recitals near Rochester, New York. She often gives outreach recitals in schools, senior homes, churches, and the George Eastman House. In 2015, Evelyn was appointed Collaborative Pianist for Lauren Haley Studios in Houston, Texas, where she performs with and mentors young musicians.

Evelyn is currently pursuing the Doctor of Musical Art in Piano Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music, where she studies with Natalya Antonova and serves as the studio assistant. She is also a recipient of the graduate teaching assistantship, teaching the undergraduate piano classes.

Vibrato Workshops

January 11, 2016January 11, 2016by Lauren Haley Studios

Hello, all!

In preparation for exciting spring auditions, the studio will be hosting January Vibrato Workshops on Saturday, January 30th, beginning at 1pm. Each workshop is one hour long and will cover both arm and hand (“wrist”) vibrato . In keeping classes small and effective, space is extremely limited. Students will be assigned to a class with others of a similar playing level. Tuition is $30 per student. Join us to expand technique and meet new friends! Reserve your spot by contacting Ms. Haley directly.

Lauren Haley Studios Welcomes 2016!

January 5, 2016January 9, 2016by Lauren Haley Studios

Hello, 2016!

Good news is everywhere for LHS students as we start 2016 off firmly on the right foot. To begin, we celebrate the success of LHS students on their orchestra final exams in December. Congratulations to Amanda, Ananya, Anisha, Asher, Ayushi, Danae, Danielle, Deepa, Enara, Esosa, Hamsini, Jacob, Kayle, Maggie, Megan, Neha, Paige, Seline, Sharon, Susanna, Sneha, Taruni, and Vasudha for all receiving an “A” for their final exam grade! As long as that list is, I’m sure it’s far from complete — kiddos with an A, let me know by email and I’ll update our LHS Honors list!

An extra congratulations goes to Deepa, our Travis HS sophomore violist, who played first desk in her school’s highest orchestra for their December concert. She looks forward to going to Carnegie Hall with her orchestra this coming semester! Congratulations to all of our studio principal players, including (but not limited to — send me those programs, guys!) Danielle, Jacob, Paige, Seline, Sharon, Sophie, and William. Way to go, leaders!

Now that our happy December recital is over, it’s time to get excited about our February performances! Save the date for Saturday, February 13th at 5:30pm at the Virtuosi of Houston Studio. Following student performances, Ms. Haley and Ms. Lam will perform works of Brahms and Rachmaninoff.

Ms. Haley announces a special performance and lecture at ACS Egham International School in Surrey, England on March 15th, 2016. Lessons will be back to their usual schedule the following week!

LHS ambassadors Catherine and Lizzie will attend the 2016 Southeast Texas Suzuki Association Workshop on Saturday, February 6th to perform, play in ensembles, and participate in master classes. All the best, Catherine and Lizzie!

Our studio keeps growing! Please welcome our newest students — Aliza (8), Jacob (6), Jeannie (8), Katelynn (14), and Zoya (5). Many thanks to current studio members for being wonderful with scheduling so we can keep the studio waiting list moving! As we begin 2016, let’s celebrate that our family of LHS students has grown to 60 young violinists and violists!

Many thanks to Albertine Wang for the beautiful recital pictures. Here’s a preview of more to come, with Charlize starring in the first and all of our December performers smiling for the many cameras in the second!

Lauren Haley Studios wishes you a happy 2016!

Celebrating our December Performers!

December 16, 2015December 16, 2015by Lauren Haley Studios

LaurenHaleyStudios_December2015Recital_Anjana — Anjana captures everyone’s smiles

Debuts were had, nerves were conquered, and the room was filled to the brim with happy parents and excited kids. With many thanks to our photographer Albertine Wang, here are the evening’s favorite moments!