Over the years, our school has developed a strong relationship with ‘From the Top,’ a nationally-acclaimed NPR radio show featuring performances by talented young musicians. Every school year, musicians from From the Top volunteer their time to visit our school and work with Conservatory Lab students. Before February break, we welcomed four musicians – Henry Ayanna (violin), Anna Larsen (piano/composition), Christopher Laven (double bass), and Andrew Byun (cello) – who came to Conservatory Lab to give us a sneak peek at the music they would play on the radio the following day, and to listen to our own Bernstein and Dudamel Orchestras.
Before and after their performances, the guests led informative talks about their musical pieces and fielded questions about their own experiences as musicians. Conservatory Lab students were especially curious about the guests’ musical tastes and personal history. They were fascinated to hear that most of the From the Top musicians started learning their instruments around the same age that they did at Conservatory Lab! Many of the guests also shared that, in addition to their passion for classical music, they enjoy listening to music like hip hop, jazz, and pop.
Following the performances of “In the Hall of the Mountain King” and “Farandole” by Bernstein and Dudamel, respectively, the From the Top guests complimented the advanced technical and artistic prowess demonstrated by the students at Conservatory Lab. In their remaining time at the school, the guests continued to work with our students in small sectional groups, taking the opportunity to do more in-depth, hands-on work with one another.
Thank you again to all of of our guests and congratulations on your From the Top Radio performances!