THE ELISABETH MORROW SCHOOL STRING FESTIVAL

Elisabeth Morrow School

The 19th annual Elisabeth Morrow School Summer String Festival will run from August 11-15, 2014 at The Elisabeth Morrow School in Englewood, NJ for children ages four to thirteen. For five days in August, 250 young violinists, violists, cellists, harpists and bassists will rehearse and perform Bartok, Bach, Handel, and Mozart in an intensive and joyful music training program.

Over 300 students auditioned for the Festival last May, some from as far away as Paris and Korea. Among the accepted students, 110 are enrolled at The Elisabeth Morrow School. One-third of the children who were chosen by Gold to participate hail from underserved communities and will receive scholarships and financial aid funded by The Russell Berrie Foundation and private donations. A team of highly trained faculty and 83 returning String Festival alumni provide the students with individualized and in-depth training.

Amelia Gold, Music Director for The Elisabeth Morrow School Summer String Festival and The Elisabeth Morrow School, is a Juilliard graduate and accomplished violinist. She has accompanied Madonna, toured with the Juilliard Orchestra in France, and coached Meryl Streep for her role in Music of the Heart.

This year on Tuesday, August 12, at 2:15pm at the Elisabeth Morrow School, Mark Wood, a world-renowned rock-and-roll, electric, and classical violinist will present a workshop at the Festival featuring an interactive performance on his electrifying 7-string Viper electric violin. The students and their counselors will not only have the opportunity engage Wood in questions, and receive free autographs, but also to perform with him themselves. The community is invited to attend this electrifying performance.

A graduate of The Juilliard School, Emmy-award winning composer Mark Wood rose to fame as a performer. Wood was featured in The Winter Olympics and The Tour de France, and has collaborated with and appeared alongside music legends like Celine Dion, Kanye West, and Billy Joel. Wood’s music education program Electrify Your Strings (EYS) provides intensive rock and roll workshops for school music education departments that helps raise money for music education.

On Thursday, August 14 from 1:30-3pm the Festival will present an open dress rehearsal for the public. This exciting event will give the community a unique view into music education and the magic of watching 4-13 year old young musicians create extraordinary music together.

On Friday, August 15 at 2:00pm in the Peter Lawrence Gymkhana at The Elisabeth Morrow School, the Festival will present performances by all four orchestras concluding with Canon in D by Pachelbel in a “Gala Finale”. The performance will include the 250 Festival students joined by over 127 of their counselors and teachers.

About The Elisabeth Morrow School: 

The Elisabeth Morrow School (EMS) is an independent country day school serving children, age three through eighth grade, from more than 70 communities throughout New Jersey and New York. EMS provides an innovative 21st-century curriculum focusing on critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and character development. The school’s comprehensive secondary school placement process ensures graduates matriculate into premier day and boarding schools. Located on 14 wooded acres in Englewood, NJ, the EMS campus includes multiple technology and science labs, playgrounds, libraries, athletic facilities, nature trails and working gardens. Visit our website: www.elisabethmorrow.org.