Concerts and Events
The Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School 2012 Catherine Kramer Concert Series
Concerts are free, open to the public and held at Lighthouse International, unless indicated otherwise. For details and concert updates, call (212) 821-9660. Catherine Kramer was a longtime friend and volunteer of the Music School. This concert series is partially funded by the C.L.C. Kramer Foundation.
February 3,2012 • 7:00 p.m. • Evening of Jazz: Stars of Today and Tomorrow
Featuring Brazilian drummer, percussionist,composer and educator Vanderlei Pereira, leading his Brazilian jazz group Blindfold Test.
Joining Vanderlei are treasured Lighthouse artists:
- Frank Senior, soulful jazz vocalist
- Lynnette Tatum, versatile and engaging performer
- Matthew Whitaker, 10-year-old rising star
Stay tuned for the complete 2012 concert calendar!
Music School News
December 20, 2011: Students Raise Funds for Music School during 5th Annual Performathon
Students of all ages at the The Filomen M. D'Agostino Greenberg Music School showed their support and commitment to the Lighthouse through singing, playing and demonstrating their own fundraising skills. This year’s Performathon raised over $7,000 to support the school that they all enjoy and believe in.
The event was fun, demonstrated pride in accomplishment, and was sparkled with energy from beginning to end. From our youth and adult ensembles to individual performers, the students shared their love of music with each other and with the audience, which at times grew to 200 strong.
June 14, 2011: Students Close Out School Year with National Dance Institute Showcase
On June 11, 2011, students of Lighthouse International’s Comprehensive Music Program for Young People collaborated with the National Dance Institute (NDI) for “Starshine!,” a theatrical dance performance. The original play was conceived, directed and choreographed by the NDI staff.
Accompanied by NDI’s Youth Pride Singers and band, students performed dances as well their own improvised movements to examine scientific themes such as flying, defying gravity, space, and time. This strong partnership between the Lighthouse and NDI is in its fourth year and continues to enable students to appreciate and conceptualize music within the context of dance. This year’s performance reflects the immense growth in students’ progress, as they possess a deeper understanding of movement and the utilization of their bodies to tell a story through music.
June 8, 2011: Students Highlight Academic Year During Spring Concert
On June 4, students from the Comprehensive Music Program for Young People performed during the CMPYP Spring Showcase. The concert showcased their class work, progress and accomplishments throughout the academic year. Performances included two percussion ensembles, the youth instrumental ensemble, the general music class, and the youth chorus. Students also presented their work using music technology programs such as Lime Aloud and Sonar. Individual achievement awards were presented to several students who have made particular strides this year. A special award for musical ambassadorship was awarded to 10-year-old Matthew Whitaker for his many musical performances around the New York and New Jersey area.
May 21, 2011: CMPYP Showcases Individual Talents During Spring Concert
Students of the Comprehensive Music Program for Young People (CMPYP) performed individually on their respective instruments-- piano, flute, guitar, voice and drums-- before a friendly crowd of parents, friends, family, and Lighthouse staff during the CMPYP Spring Instrumental Recital. Performers from ages 7-19 played a diverse style of music ranging from Bach minuets to a sophisticated Brahms Rhapsody for solo piano. One student accompanied another in a rendition of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King and another young girl sang “O Mio Babbino Caro” from the opera La Bohème. The energy increased when the percussion and guitar students launched into jazz, fusion, and rock. The recital demonstrated the individual talents of each student, their accomplishments and their courage to perform in front of 100+ audience members.
May 20, 2011: Music School Hosts Guest Artist Recital
Opera singer, Nancy Loesch, and pianist, Kenneth Merrill, performed to an enthusiastic crowd of Music School students, faculty and guests at Lighthouse International’s Guest Artist Recital. Highlights of the program included Nancy singing songs by Joaquín Rodrigo, Sigmund Romberg and contemporary composer, Gerald Ginsburg, who was in the audience to applaud her outstanding performance. Thank you to Nancy for a wonderful evening of music and for her past efforts in providing study recordings for the Lighthouse Vocal Ensemble.
April 22, 2011: Music School Dazzles at 15th Annual Lighthouse at the Met Concert
Forty musicians from the Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School of Lighthouse International performed in front of a packed crowd at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on April 15 for the 15th Annual Lighthouse at the Met Concert.
The concert – “Musical Postcards from the Met: Travels through the Permanent Collection" – featured a digital display of art and music (along with a verbal description) from four continents. The audience was transported to all corners and cultures of the globe, as the Lighthouse Vocal Ensemble, instrumental and vocal soloists performed songs from Asia, Europe, South America and the United States.
“Lighthouse International and the Metropolitan Museum of Art have had a wonderful relationship for over 15 years bringing together the magnificent art of the museum and the art of the Lighthouse International school of music,” said Mark G. Ackermann, President and CEO of Lighthouse International.
The 15th Annual Lighthouse at the Met Concert offered people with vision loss an opportunity to experience visual art through music and verbal description. “Coupling music and art together gives people a total experience of what it feels like to be an artist,” said Dr. Leslie Jones, Executive Director of the Music School. “It was a very exciting night for all of us.”
March 19, 2011: Music School Hosts Dance Training Workshop
Gabriella Mendonca & Dr. Jenny Seham
Andrew Zhang & Andrew Sakaguchi
Gabriella Mendonca & Dr. Jenny Seham
The Filomen M. D'Agostino Greenberg Music School at Lighthouse International held a Teacher Training Workshop led by Dr. Jenny Seham, a Master Teacher at the National Dance Institute.
Dance instructors and administrators from all over New York worked with students from the Lighthouse Music School in order to learn how to better instruct students with a vision loss. The teachers witnessed children and teenagers from the Music School, like Gabriela Mendonca and Andrew Zhang, execute rigorous dance exercises. “Their abilities shine far brighter than their disabilities,” said one teacher.
Participants at the workout spoke excitedly about bringing the teaching methods they learned at the Lighthouse back to their classrooms. More importantly, though, they learned that children with visual impairments have no limitations when it comes to artistic expression. “I came in looking for one thing,” said a teacher, “and came out with something really great. This was even better than what I expected.”
Photos by Angel Gardner
March 14, 2011: Broadway Star, Mana Allen, Teaches Acting Class to Lighthouse Musicians
Dennis Sparacino, Voice Student, and Mana Allen
Acting coach and Broadway star, Mana Allen, visited Lighthouse International on March 14, 2011 to teach an acting master class with the Lighthouse Metropolitan Museum of Art Vocal Soloists. Each year, the Vocal Soloists perform at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Ms. Allen worked with the Vocal Soloists to prepare them for their upcoming performance at the Met, which takes place on April 15, 2011. Ms. Allen is currently an acting instructor at Collaborative Arts Project (CAP21). She has performed in various Broadway musicals, such as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Evita” and Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along.”
Music School News Archive
