Tag: cooke

Backstage at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium, 8-year-old pianist Oscar Paz-Suaznabar has his head bent over a cell phone, launching angry birds at stubborn pigs, and From the Top alum Clifton Williams reaches over to show him a trick. Clifton has recently graduated college and moved to Los Angeles to build a career composing and […]

“…being an arts leader means teaching some of what you have learned as an arts student, so that the passion for learning about the arts is ignited and to show that education in the arts has a reason to continue.” After appearing on our now-famous Boston blizzard taping this past February, soprano and Jack Kent […]

“As a young artist and leader, I firmly believe that it is my responsibility to inspire and connect with the public through classical music.”  After appearing on Show 263 in Davis, California, with The Angeles Trio, 19-year-old violinist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Kristina Zlatereva created a powerful musical experience for students at the […]

“As a young artist and leader, I firmly believe that it is my responsibility to inspire and connect with the public through classical music.”  After appearing on Show 263 in Davis, California, with The Angeles Trio, 19-year-old violinist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Kristina Zlatereva created a powerful musical experience for students at the […]

9-year-old violinist Elizabeth Aoki charmed listeners when she appeared on Show 261 in Boston, Massachusetts. During a visit to Phoenix, Arizona with her mother, Elizabeth’s musical talent also won the hearts of residents living at the Freedom Plaza Retirement Community. She worked with a family friend to organize the event and played some violin favorites […]

“I imagine these experiences will be invaluable to my future, where I will continue to provide music for those who are willing to accept it.” Ever since he was young, composer, pianist, and From the Top Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award recipient Franz Zhao (Show 257) has seen the inspiring effect that music can have […]

Because these presentations took place…right after the holidays, I wanted to bring some happiness to these kids who have been through so much hardship. Furthermore, I wanted to introduce them to music that they normally would not be so exposed to.” Percussionist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Eric Segerstrom (Show 237) wanted to connect with children […]

Being an arts leader to me means inspiring that “spark” in others so they can realize what they are capable of. It’s about empowering people to go after something they normally wouldn’t, or showing them a piece of their full potential and how easy it is to accomplish their goals. – Carson Marshall When 17 […]

I learned that I can make an impact on kids’ lives regarding the arts, and realized how passionate I am about helping others. I would definitely do this again. Having lived with a nonverbal learning disorder since age 4, now 17 year-old violist Alexia DelGiudice, (Show 245) a From the Top Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist) fully […]

11-year-old pianist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Victoria Young (Show 235 in Oklahoma City) just returned from an exciting trip to Germany! The Cooke scholarship allowed Victoria and her mom BeeLee to travel overseas so Victoria could attend a masterclass with Professor Inge Rosar. Professor Rosar is the organizer of the International Bach Competition […]

16-year-old guitarist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist John Marcel Williams wanted to share his own learning and experiences with younger guitarists of a nearby community. He chose to visit the Pittsburgh Music Academy (PMA), where he gave a brief performance and ended with a Q&A session for those in attendance. There were about 20 […]

Violist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Marcus Rose is a 17-year-old musician from Louisiana with a warm and easy-going personality. To hear him play (and attendees of our November show in Baton Rouge did), it would be easy to believe his musical accomplishments have come without challenges. In reality, without the help of three […]

17-year-old percussionist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Marcelina Suchocka has appeared on two From the Top shows in the past (Show 206 in Texas and Show 220 in Iowa), and was the Grand Prize winner of From the Top and Carnegie Hall’s Big Break YouTube Contest! She and the runners-up of the Big Break […]

15-year-old violinist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Anna Lee (Shows 152 and 204), is making her debut with the New York Philharmonic this Saturday, April 2 at 2pm! The concert is part of the Young People’s Concert Series: The Ages of Music. More information and tickets here. If you go, be sure to stop […]

January means college auditions, so this post features a great article written by From the Top alum and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Ren Martin-Doike. Ren shares tips and hints for preparing for those college auditions, as well as interesting links and ideas for practicing. We hope you enjoy, and good luck if you’re auditioning […]

From the Top and Carnegie Hall are pleased to announce the results of the Big Break – our first online competition for America’s young classical musicians! Selected by popular vote, our Grand Prize Winner is 17-year-old percussionist Marcelina Suchocka from Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Suchocka is a student at Chicago’s Whitney M. Young Magnet High School […]

From the Top alum and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Clifton Williams will give a performance in Boston next week! You may remember this young pianist from Show 195 in Boston in March 2009, where he performed Suggestion Diabolique by Sergei Prokofiev. Next Monday Clifton will join the Berklee College of Music’s Reverance Gospel Ensemble and […]

14-year-old pianist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist, Hyung-Do Kim recently performed on our show in Gettysburg, PA. During the Arts Leadership orientation held the following morning, we learned that he and his sister, a violinist, have been performing regularly for the residents of Waterford Towers, a retirement center located in Edgewater, New Jersey, for […]

9 year-old pianist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Umi Garrett (who appeared on last week’s From the Top broadcast with the Boston Pops) joined the Desert Symphony on their Children’s Music Discovery Series to perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto no.23 in A Major. The concert was held on April 16, 2010 at the McCallum Theatre […]

Phuong-Nghi Pham, a 14-year-old pianist from Dorchester, MA and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award recipient, wrote a letter to Dr. Carol R. Johnson, Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools District, appealing for a spending increase on the city’s musical education programs for the following school-year budget. Phuong-Nghi shares her letter to Dr. Johnson below: Dear […]