Top 14 From the Top Moments of 2014
To everyone who supported From the Top this past year, we want to express our thanks by sharing some of our favorite moments from 2014.
Let’s take it From the Top.
1. In May, violinist Yuki Beppu, who performed most recently on Show 292, appeared on Good Morning America to reenact her viral rendition of a Lady Gaga mashup! At the end, she received a special surprise from the show hosts.
2. In October, in conjunction with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, we celebrated $2 million in scholarships given to extraordinary young musicians with financial need. This coincided with the recording of Show 296 in Washington, DC’s Lisner Auditorium, presented by the Washington Performing Arts Society and sponsored by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. In celebration of the 15-year partnership between From the Top and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, see this moving video of recent scholarship awardees telling what the award has meant to each of them.
3. In May, we hosted our annual From the Top Gala at MIT’s Media Lab, where we celebrated the stories, talents, and character of our young musicians. We welcomed guests from all across the country and enjoyed spectacular performances from From the Top alums and Host Christopher O’Riley. Thanks to our wonderful donors, the event raised over $400,000. Here’s one delightful moment with pianist Mayuki Miyashita. Read more here.
4. In late April, we traveled to the Seattle area for Shows 288 and 289. While there, we stopped over at Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle and Martin Blank’s “Fluent Steps” at The Museum of Glass in Tacoma to film Jeremy Tai’s arrangement of Joe Hisaishi’s “The Path of the Wind” from Hiyao Miyazaki’s film, “My Neighbor Totoro.” Performers were 15-year-old Jeremy Tai, 17-year-old Minku Lee, 16-year-old Catherine Kim, and 17-year-old Irene Jeong. Check out this video and be transfixed.
5. Also in April, alums Tessa Lark, Charles Yang and Jonathan Miron “rehearsed” backstage at the Corbett Auditorium for Show 286.
6. Thanks to the support of the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust, we traveled to Rowan County, Kentucky, where our young musicians created extensive education and outreach programs, serving hundreds of students in several communities. Watch the video to learn more.
7. In March, flutist Sir James Galway appeared on Show 284 at the Eastman School of Music. Check out this great footage of him playing with and coaching young violinist Pierce Wang.
8. In the summer, we traveled to the majestic mountains of Aspen, Colorado, for the Aspen Music Festival. While there, we not only recorded Show 294, but also gathered many of our esteemed alumni together for a reunion. Read about it in this special blog post.
9. Another wonderful part of our trip to Aspen
was participating in the filming of the documentary, “What Would Beethoven Do?” Read about it in this special blog post.
10. One of the best moments of Show 296 in
Washington, DC, was the performance by the Washington Performing Arts’ Children of the Gospel Choir. Listen to their inspirational performance here.
11. In the fall, From the Top’s Center for the Development of Arts Leaders in Boston kicked off a year of outreach activities at the Boston Children’s Museum. Our young musicians grew their arts leadership skills by taking their talents outside the concert hall and directly to young children and families. Read about our partnership with this wonderful organization in this special blog post.
12. “Music Has the Power to _____.” See how members of the National Youth Orchestra of the USA, the largest ensemble we’ve ever had on our show (!), each complete this sentence at Show 296‘s arts leadership orientation. Read more about it in this special blog post.
13. In December, we launched a brand new, mobile-friendly, spruced up www.fromthetop.org with new features like segmented radio shows, biography pages for most of our musicians, and more.
14. Our young musicians said thanks.
Thank you to all our fans for your support!
Here’s to a joyous, inspirational, and music-filled 2015.
