Tag: newsfeed

In January, From the Top partnered with Hawaii Public Radio to bring our radio show and education programs to the island of Hawaii. It was the first time a program like ours has been recorded on the Big Island for national broadcast, and we were greeted with open arms and that famous Aloha spirit. During […]

In March, From the Top joined forces with Portland Ovations to tape a radio show at Merrill Auditorium (broadcasting this week), but that was just one part of our fabulous experience in Portland, Maine… Sharing the power and excitement of the arts with a broader community, especially students who might not otherwise have access, is […]

Last Friday, we gathered 3-5th grade students from our Boston Public School partners (Philbrick, Edison and Winthrop elementary schools) for a special concert at Boston’s Roland Hayes School of Music. The goal was to link the  elementary students who have participated in our three year program, Turn it Up!, funded by the Wallace Foundation, with […]

This guest post is from Jacob Shack of the Andover Lawrence Strings Program, a recipient of From the Top’s Margaret Stewart Lindsay Arts Leadership Award. “Pedro, what note is a fifth above a G?” “D?” “Right!” “Oh, I get it now. The musical alphabet ends at G!” This exchange characterizes a typical music theory class […]

This morning we were heartbroken to learn that one of our alumni, pianist Emily Stearns, lost her battle with acute leukemia. Emily touched all of us at From the Top with her passion, humor, quirkiness, and amazing musical talent. A native of Butte, Montana and a recipient of From the Top’s Jack Kent Cooke Young […]

The Menuhin Competition was held last week in Oslo, Norway and as usual From the Top alumni came out on top!  The Menuhin is an international competition open to violinists of all nationalities under the age of 22 and is one of the most prestigious music competitions in the world. In 2008 (the competition is […]

Kids teaching other kids—what could be more powerful? That’s exactly what happens every Wednesday afternoon at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA, when elementary and middle school students from the Lawrence Family Development and Education Fund Charter School and the Leonard School in Lawrence, MA arrive for free instrumental lessons, taught by Phillips Academy students through […]

We are pleased to announce the first recipients of the Margaret Stewart Lindsay Arts Leadership Awards, a new program that encourages high school and collegiate musicians to give back to their communities through the arts. Through this program, From the Top will provide grants and mentoring for three community projects this year. A shared grant […]

– by Lauren Chipman “Look at her hair!” “I think she’s in a rock band.” “Whoa….” I don’t look like your typical classical musician getting ready to work with a group of 4th grade violinists, but my appearance reflects who I am and what I do for a living. I lead a very eclectic life […]

Last week, From the Top alums Nathan Chan, 16 (Radio show #207) and Simone Porter, 13, (radio show #165 and From the Top at Carnegie Hall‘s Episode 206) performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of 17-year-old conductor Alexander Prior.  The concert was held at the Barbican in London and raised money for […]

Pianist Hilda Huang placed third in the Seventh International Würzburg J. S. Bach Competition (first and second prizes were not awarded). She played the “Goldberg” Variations in the final round of the contest, held in Bavaria, Germany in March. The competition is open to all musicians under age 36, but Hilda is just 14, and […]

Earlier this season, we featured From the Top alum William Harvey as the first profile in our 10th Anniversary Alumni Spotlight Series. In the fall, William told us he had accepted a position as a music teacher at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music and he would be moving to Kabul this spring. William has […]

15-year-old pianist Sahun “Sam” Hong, who appeared on From the Top last fall, won First Prize in the Lennox International Young Artists Competition on January 9th, playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Sam performed the concerto with the Richardson Symphony Orchestra on March 13th. Sam has also been busy with community outreach concerts. He performed […]

16-year-old cellist and budding actor Aaron Wolff, who appeared on From the Top last spring, has had a busy few weeks. “A Serious Man,” the Coen brothers film in which he plays the son of physics professor Larry Gopnik, was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. Aaron flew to […]

Hi everyone! I’m just winding down from a wonderful show we taped in Portland, Maine tonight in the beautiful Merrill Auditorium with Portland Ovations. The whole show was fantastic, but I wanted to share some of my favorite highlights with you. 17-year-old pianist Wil Bristol played a piece that called for him to use his […]

Pianist Patricio Molina, who was featured on From the Top’s TV show and is a recipient of our Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award, will perform in a series of concerts to raise money for the victims of the earthquake in Chile. A native of Chile, Patricio moved to the United States in 2004 to […]

Greetings from my flight back from Iowa City, where we had a taping last night at the Englert Theater. I must say I feel quite lucky to be on a plane right now! Some of my colleagues’ flights were cancelled due to a blizzard that’s about to hit the northeast. Assuming you are reading this […]

On this week’s broadcast of From the Top, we honor Honolulu piano teaching legend Ellen Masaki and Honokaa High School Jazz Band (Hawaii) Director Gary Washburn. Tell us about a music teacher that has made a difference in your life. We’ll feature some of our favorite entries  right here on our Green Room blog. Send […]

From the Top has named Jeffrey F. Rayport, Operating Partner at Castanea Partners in Boston, as Chairman of its Board of Directors. Rayport has been a member of From the Top’s board since its inception in 2003 and replaces its Founding Chairman Francis O. Hunnewell who passed in late January. “We feel very fortunate to […]

As a high school student in South Bend, Indiana, LaMont Barlow had to make a difficult decision. Would he follow his passion for classical music down a path that would lead to conservatory studies and a career in music? Or would he pursue his interest in science at a liberal arts college and ultimately become […]