AT CARAMOOR ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

 For young musicians, the pursuit of greatness is all consuming. Grueling hours are spent in practice rooms with the hopes of getting into top conservatories and winning prizes at competitions. Yearning for a brilliant performance trumps the need for sleep, and thus young musicians often subsist on coffee, chocolate, and a manic love of their instrument. Dreams are big and competition is great. When a fantastic opportunity presents itself, feelings of exhilaration—and terror—set in, creating a tidal wave of emotion that is matched only by the rush of a great performance.

One such opportunity for emerging musicians is Caramoor’s Evnin Rising Stars program, led by Artistic Director Pamela Frank. Ms. Frank searches for talented young musicians and places them in ensembles for an intense week of rehearsals, coaching sessions, and performances.

In 2010, Distinguished Artists Ralph Kirshbaum and Atar Arad acted as mentors to the Rising Stars, helping them to interpret their music and connect with one another.

The air was abuzz with excitement as the stars arrived for a week of intense learning and playing. Upon his arrival this past October, the 20-year-old violinist Ben Beilman commented:

“In a way, these artist programs are like a traveling party – you meet some people in one place and then a few weeks later you’ll meet up with them in a different city. I played with Narek Hakahnazaryan, Cindy Wu, and Phil Kramp at Marlboro this summer and now we’ll be at Caramoor together for the Rising Stars program. I’m constantly rekindling friendships with musicians who I met previously at one program or another.” 

HONORING JUDY EVNIN

Caramoor’s premiere mentoring program, the Rising Stars, has been named the Evnin Rising Stars in honor of Judy Evnin, Chairman Emerita, in recognition of her dedication to Caramoor. Ms. Evnin, who served as Caramoor’s Chairman of the Board for eight years, until stepping down in April , joined the board in 1994.

“Since she joined Caramoor’s board some 17 years ago, Judy has been unfailingly supportive of the Rising Stars, not only as a major donor, but also as an organizer and emotional center of the program,” noted Caramoor’s Chief Executive and General Director, Michael Barrett. “She has always hosted events, generously opening her home to these young artists, and she has always shown an ongoing interest in them, following their careers even beyond the Rising Stars program.”

Now in its 19th year, the Evnin Rising Stars program is led by Artistic Director Pamela Frank, who works with two Distinguished Artists to mentor and coach a group of eight to ten young musicians in an annual weeklong series of workshops. The program, which culminates in a performance in the Music Room, helps these talented young musicians establish themselves in the world of classical music performance, ultimately building reputations and making connections with audiences around the world.