Inspiring Closure to Another Musical Year

Inspiring Closure to Another Musical Year at Gifted Music School

The past few months have provided festive closure to a musical year at Gifted Music School, with three live, in-person events, the first such gatherings since the pandemic. These were lovely ways to complete the 2021-22 academic year!

On Saturday, May 21st the Suzuki program coordinated a “Concert on the Commons”, and the conservatory reinstated its annual ChamberPalooza after a two-year hiatus due to covid restrictions. 

The Concert on the Commons was the first gathering since before the pandemic where Suzuki music students joined to perform a “play-down”, starting with advanced Suzuki repertoire and working down through the Suzuki books, gathering more and more students in community. The preparatory chamber groups (representing a new chamber music program this year) opened the concert. The event was scheduled to be performed outdoors at Holladay City Hall Pavilion, but due to chilly weather, the coordinators (Eugene Watanabe, Debroah Moench, Katherine Baird and Kristina Turner) pivoted nimbly to an intimate indoor space, the Little Cottonwood Room. All team members collaborated elegantly with each other, pulling off a pretty seamless concert featuring violin, viola, cello and string double bass!

After the Concert on the Commons, the coordinators and chamber groups moved along to the Alliance Theater at Trolley Square for GMS’ annual (on hiatus due to covid) ChamberPalooza! This dynamic event included a delicious Thai food buffet along with beverages and desserts, with piano duos and the preparatory chamber groups providing background music for dining and schmoozing. At 7:00 the GMS conservatory seniors were awarded their diplomas and given a warm and uplifting farewell by Dean Justin Morgan and Artistic Director Eugene Watanabe. Following that, the conservatory chamber music groups gave inspiring and truly impressive performances of works such as Flutes in the Garden by Gary Schocker, the second movement from Dmitri Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73, and a magnetic performance of the Allegro assai from String Quartet No. 6 in F Minor, Op. 80  by Felix Mendelssohn, to name just a few. Dr. LeeAnn Morgan, the conservatory chamber music coordinator,  was a key figure in planning the performances for ChamberPalooza, and the event was incredibly enjoyable. Attendance was high, and the audience and performers alike clearly enjoyed the festivities. 

On Tuesday, May 24th, Gifted Music School hosted its fundraising Spring Gala in Salt Lake City. Music students from GRIT as well as the conservatory, presented beautiful performances to a sold-out audience that enjoyed delicious food in the special environment which had touches of GMS branding color with green lights. This event celebrated GMS’s efforts to bring music education to all members of the Salt Lake City area community, and inspired unparalleled giving. Gallery

Congratulations to Gifted Music School for a successful year, in spite of fluctuating covid levels and transitions in and out of remote learning. These events reflect students’ growth and musical development over this year and the supportive community that is GMS.

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