WORDS FROM THE DIRECTOR

The Hartt Community Division, like many schools, is closely watching developments concerning the outbreak of Swine Influenza.  The University of Hartford, the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the National Center for Disease Control are providing coordinated information about the issue. 

If it happens that Community Division students demonstrate an elevated rate of illness and absenteeism, I will not hesitate to cancel classes and rehearsals.  So far there is no indication that such an action will be necessary.

According to the best advice from our public health officials, student and families can protect themselves by being aware of the following:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you sneeze or cough.  Alcohol-based cleaners are also effective. (I have asked our dance faculty to clean dance studio balance bars after every class)
• Try to avoid contact with sick people.
• If you get sick, limit contact with others to avoid infecting them.

For more information about Swine Flu, visit www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

Dr. Mark George, Director
The Hartt School Community Division

Sing, Play & Dance to Stamp Out Hunger!
The HCD Practice-A-Thon Begins May 1st! 

Sing, Play and Dance at the Hartt Community Division
and help Stamp Out Hunger in Hartford

The Hartt Community Division Practice-A-Thon
May 1-10, 2009

Get your sponsor worksheet and practice log today!
Available at all Community Division offices and online at www.hcd.hartford.edu

Download the INFORMATION, SPONSOR WORKSHEET & PRACTICE LOG!

News from the HCD Dance Department

Student Health:

In light of the recent news items regarding swine flu.  We would like to remind parents that if your child is sick do not bring them to class.  If your child was not in school because they were sick, do not bring them to dance class in the evening, even if they feel better.  Please ask your child to wash their hands BEFORE and AFTER taking any dance classes.  Remind your child NOT to share water bottles, etc. 

Please assist us in keeping our children healthy & happy.

Rehearsals for Spring Festival*
The following students are needed to attend rehearsals to begin their dance for Spring Festival:

Thursday, April 30th:
7pm - 7:45pm
These students also need to see Mandy re Costume Measurements

Chastity Ayala, Ellen Hanlon, Meghan Healey, Molly Miller, Catherine Peterson, Sarah Purple, Camilla Rich, Anewschka Robles, Samantha St. Albans and Hillary Tracy

7:45pm - 8:30pm

Emily Goodman & Xavier Nunez

Saturday, May 2nd:
2pm - 3pm

Ellen Hanlon, Meghan Healey, Molly Miller, Catherine Peterson, Sarah Purple, Camilla Rich, Anewschka Robles, Samantha St. Albans and Hillary Tracy

3pm - 4pm

Emily Goodman & Xavier Nunez

May 2nd – Join the Dance Department Family

Please join our Family of the Dance Department on Saturday, May 2nd at 3pm for a very informal meeting. Coffee & Cookies will be served.

Topics up for discussion include:

• A Student-Mentor program for the Spring Festival
• International Summer Ballet Academy welcome group
• A atudent created slide show and purpose for forming our family.
  
  Please RSVP to the receptionist at either the Hartford or Simsbury location.
  Meeting will be held at the Handel Performing Arts Center.
  Children may come to watch rehearsals in progress while the grown-ups chat.

Hartt Dances
The College Division presents Hartt Dances, featuring the 2nd Act from Giselle and other works.

Friday May 1st at 7:30pm
Saturday May 2nd at 7:30pm
Sunday May 3rd at 3pm

Performances will be held at Lincoln Theatre on the University of Hartford campus.

Tickets are $20 with discounts for seniors & students
Call the Lincoln Theatre Box Office at (860) 768-4228

Calendar
June 8th – June 14th  - Spring Festival Production Week.

Sign up now for the People's Bank Summer Music Concert Series
Thursdays In June

This year marks the 4th year of collaboration between the Hartt Community Division & People’s United Bank.  The Summer Concert Series will be held every Thursday in June from 7-8pm at the West Hartford Branch of People’s Bank, right in West Hartford Center.  Performances will be held outside, weather permitting. 

Students & Teachers:   Please contact Noah Glynn at glynn@hartford.edu
or via phone (860)768-5546 if you are interested in performing.

Suzuki Guitar Ensemble performance in June 2005

Piano Department Announcements

Prize winners at the recent Hartt Community Division Piano Honors Recitals were:

Watson Morrison Scholarship - Awarded to the student in grades 6-8 deemed the best performer in the Piano Honors auditions. ($250)

Ethan Wu, student of Sima Brodsky

Evelyn Bonar Storrs Scholarships - Awarded to the students in grades 9-11 deemed the top two performers in the Piano Honors Auditions

I. Mary Pan, student of Maggie Francis (One Hour Lessons)
II.Felicia Pan, student of Lan-Ya Huang (one-half hours lessons)

Jeffrey Quinn Morrison Memorial Prize - Awarded to the student in grade 12 deemed the best performer in the Piano Honors Audition. (A Gift)

Gerry Song, student of Paul Rutman

Special Judges Prize – Given and awarded by the judges, for an exceptional performance deserving of recognition ($150 scholarship)

Tim Tsai, student of Maggie Francis

In the Renee B. Fisher Piano Competition held in New Haven on Sunday April 19, two Hartt Community Division students won prizes:

Anna Pan (student of Maggie Francis) won First prize as well as the prize for the best performance of the commissioned work
Ethan Wu (student of Sima Brodsky) was awarded an Honorable Mention

Congratulations to all of these excellent young pianists!

Results of the HCD Vocal Honors 2009 
Congratulations to these vocalists!

HCD Vocal Honors Students 2009
The following students were chosen to participate in the Honors Recital on Saturday, June 6, 2009 at  7:30 p.m. – The Berkman Recital Hall, The Hartt School, University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT.   The entire HCD Community – faculty, staff, students, and friends – are invited to attend the recital.

Senior Division:
Emily Ide, Chelsea Kane, Jarod Karanian, Miri Kassow, Krystal Sobaskie and Kate Zulauf (Seniors)  Kiyomi Andrada and Sarah Petersen (Grade 11) Michael Hornig and Taylor Link (Grade 10)

Junior Division:
Katherine McLellan (Grade 9)  Hannah Shushtari and Caroline O’Neill (Grade 8) and Alisha Kapur (Grade 7)

Our adjudicators this year were Dr. Michael Kutner from The Hartt School voice faculty and Elizabeth Saunders, professional opera and concert singer, and faculty member of the Greater Hartford Academy of Performing Arts.

The Honors students will have the opportunity to work with each judge in a master class setting. The Master class for the Junior Division (grades 6 – 9)  will be held on Wednesday, May 13 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. in Room 410 at The Hartt School.  The Master Class for the Senior Division (grades 10 – 12) will be held on Saturday, May 9 from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Room 410 at The Hartt School. 

Honors Awards will be given at the Honors Recital on June 6.   The Honors students are from the studios of: Nancy Andersen, Amy Champagne, Jack Pott, Susan Mardinly and Myrna Reynolds.

Congratulations to these students and their teachers!

Lin Georgis, Meredith Keen, and Ian Sunde were selected by audition to perform on the Seniors Honor Recital on Sunday April 5th.

Lin Georgis is a senior at Choate Rosemary Hall and is Principal Cellist of the Choate Rosemary Hall Chamber Orchestra.

Meredith Keen  is Principal Cellist if the Connecticut Youth Symphony.  Meredith was also selected to perform for the Piano Honors Recital.

Ian Sunde, student of Melinda Daetsch, is a freshman at Conard High School in West Hartford and is a member of the I Giovanni Solisti Chamber Orchestra in West Hartford and is Co- Principal Violist for the Opus 89 String Orchestra.  Ian is a member of the 4 Bowmen String Quartet.

Congratulations to these students!

HCD Faculty in Concert! 
Viola Recital on May 20th in Berkman

Michael Wheeler, HCD Viola Faculty & Assistant Principal Violist with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra will present a recital at Hartt on Wednesday, May 20th.  The recital will include guest artist Ron Krentzman, who is Assistant Principal Clarinetist with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, HCD Clarinet Faculty Member and Adjust Professor for the Hartt School.  Mr. Wheeler & Mr. Krentzman will be accompanied by Ruriko Kagiyama Wheeler, HCD Piano Faculty Member. 

The recital will be held at 7:30pm on Wednesday, May 20th in the Berkman Recital Hall at the Hartt School.  Works by Beethoven, Hindemith, Rebecca Clark & Paganini will be performed.

Admission is FREE. 

Simsbury Public Library Concert Series Continues! 
Next Concert: TOMORROW May 1st

The Simsbury Public Library Concert Series continues with another concert on Friday, May 1st.  The concert will be held at 12:30pm, and is FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

This concert will feature HCD Faculty members:

 
Renaldo Guadalupe Alamo, Guitar

Mark George (HCD DIRECTOR), Piano
Jessica Meyer, Violin
Michael Wheeler, Viola
David Gibson, Cello
Ruth Bergman, Violin
Liz Fay, Violin


Susan Robison, Cello

Also performing will be Anna Griffis, Viola, a recent Hartt graduate
in violin performance, and the winner of the 2008 Van Rooy Competition.

2009 Simsbury Chamber Music Festival
Performances on Tuesdays in May!

We would like to take this opportunity to announce this year's lineup for the Simsbury Chamber Music Festival. All concerts will take place at the First Church of Christ located at 689 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT. For directions, and more festival information, please go to our website: http://www.simsburychambermusicfestival.com/

This year's performers will include:

May 5 - The Preludio Saxophone Quartet
Hartt School Students



May 12 - The Alturas Duo with Italian flute virtuoso Sergio Pallottelli
HCD Faculty Members Carlos Boltes & Scott Hill (Alturas Duo)


May 19 - The Kelet Duo
HCD Faculty Members Hungarian violinist Katalin Viszmeg
and Taiwanese pianist Pi- Hsun Shih

May 26 - Clarinetist Thomas Labadorf and the Ligeti Ensemble

HCD Summer Programs for Children

The Community Division is offering a number of week-long music camps this summer.  The programs are an affordable and convenient way for students to stay connected to the performing arts.  A summary follows. There are also other half-day programs available.

Complete details are available on our website using the links below.

Summer Music Programs:  http://hcd.hartford.edu/Programs/Summer.htm

Summer Dance Programs:  http://hcd.hartford.edu/dance/SummerDance.html

If you have questions about any of these programs contact us
at our main office at 860-768-4451 or harttcomm@hartford.edu
or
our Dance Department at 860-768-6000 dancedesk@hartford.edu.

HCD Ensemble Rehearsal Schedules

Please check your ensemble’s web calendar for any last-minute changes or cancellations:  http://hcd.hartford.edu/music/instrumental_ensembles.htm

HCD Email Newsletter Quiz

This week’s question:     If you see “Opus 34” on a piece of music it means:
a)         Work 34
b)         Dance 34
c)         ¾ Time

Last week’s question:     One of the following composers wrote over four hundred waltzes, including The Blue Danube:
a)         Franz Lehar
b)         Richard Strauss
c)         Johann Strauss, Sr.
d)         Johann Strauss, Jr.

Correct Answer:    d)            Johann Strauss, Jr.

Quiz Winner:    Carolyn Rosiene, Mother of Joel Rosiene, cello, Carmen Irons & Mother of Katie Rosiene, violin, Liz Keller

This week’s prize:    A Hartt Community Division T-Shirt

To submit your answers: Reply to jburnham@hartford.edu with the subject “Quiz Answer”.  Answers must be received before 12 noon on the Tuesday after the Newsletter is sent.  If more than one person answers correctly, the winner will be chosen randomly, using the tried-and-true “pick a name out of a hat” method. Please also note your connection to the Hartt Community Division (teacher/program) when you submit your answer.

FYI and About our Newsletter

This Hartt Community Division Newsletter is distributed via e-mail to all faculty, staff, and families of the Community Division, who request the newsletter, every Thursday afternoon from September through June.  It is also posted in the lobby of the Community Division Office and on our website: www.hcd.hartford.edu   

Mark George, Director (george@hartford.edu ) – new program ideas, fundraising, general issues and concerns.

Alana Seddon, Associate Director (aseddon@hartford.edu ) – new program ideas, school-wide issues and concerns, current programming ideas or issues, and operational concerns.

Dawn Zumbroski, Registrar (zumbroski@hartford.edu ) -- registration issues, billing concerns and payments.

Jill Burnham, Administrative Secretary (jburnham@hartford.edu ) -- new student referrals and registration.

Judy Chestnut, Budget Administrator (chestnut@hartford.edu ) -- budget and payroll issues.

Jill Vasbinder, Assistant Director of Dance and Off-Campus Programs (jvasbinde@hartford.edu ) -- responsible for managing administrative details for the Simsbury Branch and the Dance Department.

Amanda Kilpatrick, Dance Administrator (kilpatric@hartford.edu ) -- dance department

Emmett Drake, Scheduling Coordinator (hcdevents@hartford.edu ) -- recital programs and room scheduling

Noah Glynn, Events & Programs Coordinator (glynn@hartford.edu ) – managing ensembles and coordinating special events

Cindy Mickens, Jessica Rudman, Eva O’Brien (harttcomm@hartford.edu ) - part-time receptionists at the main campus

Cindy Graham, Isabelle Phillips, Cierra Berry and Gretchen Schrader (simsmore@hartford.edu ) – part-time receptionists at the Simsbury location

Krista Rescsanski, Jennifer Fuller and Danielle Edson (dancedesk@hartford.edu ) – part-time receptionists at the Hartford Dance Center

To submit an article, email jburnham@hartford.edu no later than the Wednesday of the week you would like it to appear.  We encourage our faculty, students and staff to submit articles.  Articles will appear once.  The staff of the Hartt Community Division reserves the right to edit articles for content, grammar and length.

Please visit our website at http://www.hartford.edu/hartt/community
To pay your bills online: http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/bursar/payment.html
To find out about Hartt news, activities, and events, please read the News from the Dean, which is published every other week: http://www.hartford.edu/hartth/Hartt_News/NewsfromtheDean.htm

TO UNSUBSCRIBE:  If you do not want to receive the Hartt Community Division’s Email Newsletter, please email jburnham@hartford.edu with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body or subject of the email.