Tuning Up: A bravura performance by Charleston youth musicians
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"Tuning Up" is a morning post series where The Hub delivers curated, quick-hit arts stories of interest to readers. Sometimes there will be one story, sometimes there will be several. Get in tune now, and have a masterpiece of a day. And now, in no particular order...
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March 3 in the Sottile Theatre, the award-winning Charleston County School of the Arts Sinfonietta performed with virtuoso violinist Francisco Fullana in a program of music by Holst, Shostakovich, Montgomery, and Fritz Kreisler. The performance culminated Fullana's week-long residency with the SOA Sinfonietta, a part of Chamber Music Charleston’s Youth Chamber Music Initiative. Oh, and it was funded in part by a South Carolina Arts Commission Term Arts Education Project grant. That grant category is currently open, closing March 28, to fund like projects. (Hint, hint.) Here's a sample of the finished product, because you simply must watch:Got arts news? Remember to submit it to The Hub! Got arts events? Listings are free on the only statewide arts calendar—Arts Daily!
This concert event is designed especially for persons with sensory sensitivities and their families. As a component of the SCP's educational and outreach programs, this inclusive concert gives audience members the ability to fully experience orchestral music without any of the constraints of a standard performance. During this 60-minute program, audience members are free to move about, dance, speak, sing, vocalize or move between the auditorium and the lobby if desired.
The SCP is also dedicated to accessible ticketing for this event, with prices ranging from $10-$20. Half-price student tickets are available in all sections.
The South Carolina Philharmonic is partnering with various organizations to present the Sensory Friendly Family Concert. Current partners are The Unumb Center for Neurodevelopment, the S.C. Commission for the Blind, Family Connections of S.C., Key Changes Therapy Services, Carolina Autism and Neurodevelopment Research Center, and Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services. The orchestra is passionate about working with these partners to provide resources to the families that attend the event, and to continue positioning the SCP to provide opportunities that welcome all audiences by removing barriers.
Education and Community Engagement Director Susan Cafferty dreamed of creating a concert program that would serve persons with sensory sensitivities and their families.
“This concert is something that I’m personally passionate about,” said Cafferty. “As a mother who struggles to find arts events that are welcoming to audiences with neurodiversity, I felt our orchestra was positioned to create something special in Columbia.”
Cafferty and the SCP staff have been working with the Koger Center to create a concert experience that sensory sensitive listeners and family members can enjoy without the constraints of a standard performance. The hope is that audiences will delight in the discovery of orchestral experiences that invite and welcome all to the world of classical music.
This 60-minute concert has been programmed by Music Director Morihiko Nakahara to feature an array of repertoire that will entertain families. Audiences will be welcome to move around the space freely, vocalize and provide special needs care. This concert is for all families and audiences. As the orchestra’s accessibility endeavors continue, the organization intends to work closely with the Koger Center to provide more opportunities that abolish barriers to attending live music performances.
Tickets may be purchased at scphilharmonic.com or by calling the Koger Center Box Office at 803.251.2222.
Last week, it announced DeAnndra Glenn as the inaugural director and education coordinator for the new Summerville Orchestra Youth Philharmonic (S.O. Youth Philharmonic) and education program, bringing "a wealth of teaching and performing experience to the position," according to a news release.
Glenn (right) has taught strings students of all ages in the Charleston area since 2005 and has performed with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, the North Charleston POPS! and with Mannheim Steamroller, Michael Bublé and Michael W. Smith among many others.
She was conductor of the Charleston County School District Honors Orchestra from 2005 to 2010, and served for seven years as a strings instructor for both the Charleston County School district summer SMAART (Students Mastering the Academic Arts) program and the West Ashley middle and high schools.
Glenn founded Charleston Violin Studio, and many of her violin and viola students have gained admission to the Charleston County School District School of the Arts, Rollings School of the Arts, the Lowcountry Region and South Carolina All-State Orchestras and the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra.
She holds a Bachelor of Music in violin performance from the University of Montana and a South Carolina teaching certification in instrumental music. She received her training in the Suzuki method and “Every Child Can!” from East Carolina University. She studied locally under the College of Charleston’s Lee-Chin Siow.
Glenn and S.O. staff will work with area school music instructors to identify and audition students for participation. Auditions will be held on Monday, Sept. 19, 6-7 p.m., at Alston Middle School, 500 Bryan St., Summerville. Additional information is available at www.summervilleorchestra.org/youth.
The S.O. Youth Philharmonic is being made possible through a $10,000 
A Summerville Orchestra string quarter performs. Provided photo.[/caption]
Additionally, a new partnership the orchestra announced will bring music and art together in a new series featuring the Summerville Orchestra (S.O.) String Quartet at the Public Works Arts Center (PWAC).
Titled “A Musical SPARK,” the first of four free Saturday concert/art experiences, or PWAC Strolls, will be held on Sept. 24 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the PWAC at 135 W. Richardson Ave. This performance will include selections from Tchaikovsky’s “Children’s Album,” the music of PIXAR and more – music inspired by and about our youth – to highlight the featured SPARK exhibition concurrently on display at PWAC.
Registration for the launch event is required and is open here on a first-come, first-served basis. S.O.’s PWAC Stroll events will also be held in December, February and May.
“Following the overwhelming community support for our Encore Series, we have sought ways to expand the reach of our free performances,” said Andrew Price, S.O.’s executive director. “This collaboration with the Public Works Arts Center allows us to not only increase the number of free concerts, but to expand our offerings to include an interactive, multi-sensory arts experience for attendees.”
Reservations will be available on the S.O.’s website beginning approximately two weeks before each PWAC Stroll event. To maximize the number of participants who can participate in this immersive arts experience, there will be three 30-minute attendance slots for this first PWAC Stroll, and registrants will be invited to select one 30-minute window for participation.
There will be a cash- or check-only bar with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase for $5 – state-issued ID required.
Additional PWAC Series dates and programs for the 2022/2023 season include the following:
Nakahara and South Carolina Philharmonic musicians perform to a sold-out concert at the Columbia Fireflies' Segra Park July 3, 2021. Provided photo.[/caption]
The Stephen G. Morrison Visionary Award is an annual recognition of a Columbian who reflects many of the values and qualities of those generously given by One Columbia’s former leader in support of the growth and vitality of his City of Columbia. Morrison, who passed away in 2013, co-chaired the One Columbia Arts and Culture Board of Directors for three years..
A native of Kagoshima, Japan, Nakahara holds degrees from Andrews University and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Known for his charismatic presence on and off the podium, innovative and audience-friendly programming skills, and thoughtful interpretations of both standard and contemporary repertoire, Nakahara was featured in the League of American Orchestra’s prestigious Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview in March 2005. Equally at home in a wide variety of musical styles and concert formats, Nakahara has collaborated with Chris Botti, Béla Fleck & the Flecktones, Edgar Meyer, Brandi Carlile, Pink Martini and Sergio Mendes to name a few.
The 2021-2022 season marks Morihiko Nakahara’s 14th season as Music Director of the South Carolina Philharmonic, and he also serves as Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and recently concluded a 17 year tenure as the Resident Conductor with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra.
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to receive this award, on behalf of the entire team of musicians, administrative staff, board members, tech crew, and our loyal audience members near and far,” said Morihiko Nakahara. “The Covid-19 pandemic taught us to be patient and nimble, but the level of trust that our orchestra's stakeholders and constituents have for each other and the passion with which they embody their roles have allowed us to be bold and ambitious during this time. This honor is especially meaningful for me on a personal level, because in the few years I knew and interacted with Steve Morrison, I was always inspired and energized by his tireless advocacy for the arts in Columbia and for equal access to arts education and enrichment in every community. Steve's vision is our mission, and I am blessed to continue working in Columbia's vibrant arts community for all people.”
The recipient of the Steve Morrison Visionary Award honors the best combination of vision and leadership, applied to arts and history and the entire cultural foundation of the City, and the value they bring to Columbia.
“Over the 14 years that Morihiko Nakahara has shared his pioneering vision as music director and conductor for the South Carolina Philharmonic, he has served as an ambassador for culture and music, as well as advocate for the growth of our city’s fine arts and humanities environment,” said Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin. “Morihiko truly embodies the traits recognized by The Stephen G. Morrison Visionary Award, through his commitment to furthering the artistic vitality of Columbia.”
An event is being organized to present Mr. Nakahara with the award and is expected to be held in mid-January 2022.
