Vermont News Guide | Page 25

Kinhaven Music School Announces Milestone

On a sunny afternoon on July 13 , Kinhaven Music School held a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of its Concert Hall . The nonprofit organization announced that it has raised $ 1 million toward its Capital Campaign , reaching an important milestone toward its $ 2 million goal . Fifty friends , donors , Kinhaven students and alumni , and board trustees attended the event . Windham County State Senator Allison Clarkson ( D – Woodstock ) also attended and spoke in support of the project , saying that it is an important development for the arts in Southern Vermont and to the local economy .

Kinhaven ’ s Capital Campaign will raise the funds to expand and renovate its Concert Hall , faculty and student housing , and dining hall , as well as grow its endowment to support operational expenses as well as financial aid . To date , Kinhaven has undertaken only two previous capital campaigns in its nearly 75-year history . The expansion of the Concert Hall , which was constructed in 1964 , will include additional practice spaces , seating for students and the public , improved safety and accessibility features , and upgraded amenities .

In March 2024 , Kinhaven announced a trailblazing new Semester Program , a residential fall semester program for high school students that will launch in 2025 . In collaboration with the esteemed Burr and Burton Academy , this program is the first semester-long high school music intensive in the nation .

Kinhaven ’ s summer programs continue through the end of August , with weekly performances by faculty and students that are free and open to the public and also available via livestream . kinhaven . org .

Project Serenade

Since the summer of 2020 , singers from the Opera Company of Middlebury ’ s Youth Opera Company have presented free concerts at senior residences and community centers around the state . The spark of the project began when Youth Opera Company founder Sarah Cullins was looking for a way to bring joy and music to seniors isolated by pandemic protocols while simultaneously offering her Youth Opera singers opportunities to perform and give back to the community . With restrictions on indoor visits at senior residences , Sarah began with a few singers and a microphone set up in residence parking lots or lawns to serenade the residents who congregated at their windows and balconies . And Project Serenade was born ! Since then , with funding from the Burlington City Arts Community Fund and donations from public concerts , Project Serenade has presented over 30 performances in Chittenden , Addison , Washington , and Lamoille counties .

The concerts feature singers and repertoire from past Youth Opera productions and include music in Italian , German , French , Spanish , and English , ending with selections from the golden age of musical theater that residents in senior communities often know and love .

For the participating singers , these concerts have been incredibly impactful . George Lane , a rising junior at Wheaton College and a graduate of U32 High School in Montpelier says , “ I ’ ve been participating in Project Serenade since the first program in 2020 and the impact it has had is remarkable . My confidence has improved , and speaking with the residents at our performances is the highlight of my summers .” For more , visit ocmvermont . org / youth-opera .

ALLEN SHAWN

JUDITH LOCHHEAD

GAIL NEWMAN

Presented in Partnership with Green Mountain Academy of Lifelong Learning and Northshire Bookstore

“ The Romantic Era ”

MMF Artistic Director Philip Setzer joins a panel of distinguished authors to discuss the Romantic Era , raising questions and seeking answers about what “ romantic ” and Romanticism meant in history both emotionally and intellectually .

Guest Panelists Judith Lochhead • Gail Newman

Philip Setzer • Allen Shawn

YOUNG ARTISTS CONCERT SHOSTAKOVICH , BRIDGE , PROKOFIEV , FAURÉ

Sunday , Aug 4 , 2024 5:00PM – 7:00PM SVAC Arkell Pavilion

Artists Brian Anderson , viola • Andrew Cannestra , piano Hannah Corbett , violin • Bree Fotheringham , violin Antonia Fuglsang , violin • Dylan Kinneavy , cello • Kenichi Kiyama , violin Ignacio García Núñez , cello • Maureen Sheehan , viola • Hang Zhong , piano

July 29 , 2024 Vermont News Guide 25