Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine April 2017 | Page 378

Jill deBroff
with the
St. Barths
Music Festival
shared with Mélange . . .
Overview of the Music
Festival
In 1984 my mother, professional
violinist/violist Frances deBROFF,
was already a life-long visitor
to this tiny island of Saint-
Barthelemy (St. Barths). She
and her friend Charles MAGRAS
laid out a plan to invite some
musicians onto the island - music
which had never been heard
live here before. And before
long, a small number of classical
musicians arrived on-island and it
has been growing ever since!
In 1993 the Festival spawned a
small chamber orchestra under
the baton of the American Ballet
Theater, conductor Akira Endo
(1938 - 2014). And everyone who
came wanted to stay for more,
including the 92nd Street Y (NYC)
and various celebrities including
Susan and Leonard NIMOY, Steve
MARTIN, David LETTERMAN and
James LEVINE.
We also have our own stars in our
musicians/actors/performers who
are from all over the world (such
as First Prima ballerina, Valentina
Kozlova, star of the Bolshoi and
American Ballet Theatre and
partner of Baryshnikov; 1990)
and who perform for all kinds of
audiences, studios and palaces.
We have commissioned suites
and pieces of music from all
corners of the music industry
(John ELLIS; a Jazz reed man
wrote a score to the French silent
movie “Voyage to the Moon”;
2017).
Our founder and directress,
Frances deBROFF, also founded
the island’s St. Barth Harmony
School, a Suzuki method music
school. “OUR MISSION: The
philosophy of Madame DeBROFF
has been to bring the finest
performing artists to the people
of the French West Indies, as
well as to teach music and music
appreciation to the children
of the islands. As the Festival
has grown, this philosophy has
remained intact.” In 2010 deBroff
was awarded the French medal
of honor, the Chevalier Medal,
for her cultural dedication to the
island.