Posts in month: September, 2009

White Plains, NY (September 30, 2009) – The Music Conservatory of Westchester’s annual
faculty concert series Live on Central is always impressive, but this year they’re taking it up a
notch. The Conservatory has a special series planned in honor of its 80th anniversary milestone
starting off with “Time Travel through Music,” featuring June Hyun, violin, and Barbara
Podgurski, piano, on Friday, November 13 at 7 p.m. in the Conservatory’s Helen Demetrios &
Michael Stadther Recital Hall. Read more »

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Alyssa Reit’s arts troupe, Singing Harp, has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the Westchester Community Foundation (WCF) to bring fairy tale theater to the public. The grant, sponsored by the Westchester Library System (WLS) will be administered by WLS Youth Services Department and will present the company in free performances of Grimm’s fairy tales at participating libraries between August 2009 and April 2010. In addition, pre-performance workshops for both adults and children will be offered at libraries where facilities permit, and all performances include a post-performance question and answer period. The program is made possible thanks to the Rudyard and Emanuella Reimss Fund in the WCF.

As part of this series, a performance of The Golden Bird, will take place at the Bronxville Library on Sunday, October 4th, at 3:00pm, with workshops at 2:00pm. The Will Branch of the Yonkers Public Library will host the following show, The Frog Prince, on Saturday, October 10th, at 3:30 pm, with workshops at 2:30pm. Libraries in Croton-on-Hudson, Katonah, Mount Kisco, New Rochelle, Ossining, Peekskill, Somers, and Tarrytown are also presenting performances. Read more »

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By Roberta Hershenson

THE sounds of a rock band blasted through a downstairs studio on Central Avenue here, while upstairs teenagers rehearsed for a production of “Guys and Dolls.” These days, you are as likely to hear jazz or a Broadway tune as an aria at the Music Conservatory of Westchester, but that does not mean the school has forgotten its Bach, Mozart and Beethoven.

“Classical music will always be one of our main areas of focus,” said Carol Shiffman, the conservatory’s new executive director, who is grounded in the classical arts. “The heart of what we do here is private instruction one to three times a week. A knowledge of music theory will help in any field.”

Ms. Shiffman said she was chosen from a pool of 80 applicants to succeed Aaron Flagg, who left in June after five years at the helm to become dean of the Hartt School at the University of Hartford. She arrived at an encouraging time for the conservatory, a nonprofit institution founded in 1929 by a group of musicians including the cellist Pablo Casals. Read more »

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Rye’s own Carol Shiffman was recently named Executive Director of the Music Conservatory of Westchester, a non-profit community school of
the arts, capping a personal odyssey that has taken her from New York City to the West Coast and back east again. Most recently Dean of the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, Shiffman was tapped over the summer to lead the White Plains-based conservatory into its 80th year.
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The Board of Trustees and Carol Shiffman, Executive Director, of the Music Conservatory of Westchester invite you
Saturday October 3, 2009 at 1 p.m. to celebrate the kick-off of our 80th Anniversary Year! Reception and music by MCW students followed by MCW faculty performance and special guests! A press conference will be held to announce 80th Anniversary Year Highlights as wellas our 2009 Conservatory Faculty Teaching Awards and Faculty Recognition Wall.

Michael Stadther & Helen Demetrios Recital Hall
Music Conservatory of Westchester
216 Central Avenue, White Plains, NY 10606

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