WCMS marks 10 years of Neighborhood Strings program with benefit concert at Mechanics Hall

WORCESTER — The Worcester Chamber Music Society will present a "Gala Benefit Concert" at Mechanics Hall June 9 featuring world renowned pianist Simone Dinnerstein and the world premiere of a composition by Milad Yousufi to celebrate the 10th anniversary of WCMS's award-winning Neighborhood Strings program.

Meanwhile, some students have now graduated from Neighborhood Strings and can reflect on what the program has meant to them.

 Worcester Chamber Music Society's Neighborhood Strings program offers free music lessons in violin, viola and cello to youths who are mostly from Main South and inner city/downtown while also fostering family involvement. Children can also be eligible to receive a stringed instrument to take home, honor, practice on, play and make music (and hopefully have fun) with. In the first year of Neighborhood Strings, 2012-13, 14 children received instruments as the first students in the program. In 2021-22, 85 students participated and ranged in age from about 7 to 18.

At a recent Neighborhood Strings concert, violinist Alisa St-Helene, who was a participant in the program for nine years beginning in Grade 4, said "I always loved the sound of music, especially orchestras, and I would hear the music at school, which made me want to join."

St-Helene said she enjoyed "The age range from elementary school through college mentors, all working in common. It feels like a family."

She will be attending Boston College, Carroll School of Management, studying marketing and would like to continue playing violin.

Isabella Galindo, who participated in the program grades 5-8 and 10-12, said the program "really helped with music classes in school because I learned to read music.  I think it helped me with admissions, because it was an outside activity that I had done for a long time."

Galindo will be attending Clark University in the fall, studying early childhood education. She said she  plans to continue playing violin at Clark.

Violist Yann Somasse, Neighborhood Strings grades 5-12, said the program "gave me something to look forward to after school, and kept me organized,"

Somasse will attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the fall, studying computer science/engineering.

He said he will continue to play viola at WPI. "I would also be interested in coming back to Neighborhood Strings as a mentor."

For 2021-22 Neighborhood Strings has been at three schools and at Main South Community Development Corp., where, new this season, it offers private music lessons and ensemble playing five days a week.

The Worcester Chamber Music Society presented its initial concert in 2006, and has presented world-class chamber concerts combined with neighborhood outreach through programs such as Neighborhood Strings.

The Gala Benefit Concert will be from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 9 at Mechanics Hall and feature performances  by Neighborhood Strings students, Worcester Chamber Music Society, and guest artist Simone Dinnerstein on piano.

Dinnerstein, who is based in New York City, was  educational artist-in-residence for Music Worcester's 160th anniversary season in 2018-19.  Pianist, composer, conductor, poet, singer, painter, calligrapher and Afghanistan refugee Milad Yousufi, also now from New York City, often accompanied Dinnerstein on her visits to Worcester schools, and has since visited Worcester schools separately.

Yousufi's "Solitude," commissioned by the Worcester Chamber Music Society, will receive its world premiere in a performance by Neighborhood Strings. The Worcester Chamber Music Society will perform the local premiere of Yousufi's "My Journey to America" with WCMS musicians Tracy Kraus, flute; Krista Buckland Reisner, violin; Peter Sulski, viola; Ariana Falk, cello; Randall Hodgkinson, piano; and Yousufi, composer and narrator.

Dinnerstein will perform  "Mad Rush" by Peter Glass.

The event will also include cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, music and a community awards presentation by Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty, "Fund-a-Need," and dessert.

Funds raised during the “Fund-a-Need” portion of the event will be used to support and expand Neighborhood Strings as it enters its 11th year.

Table seating is $150; Table of 8 – $1,100; Balcony – $75. Tickets and full information are available at https://worcesterchambermusic.org or by calling the WCMS office at (508) 926-8624.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: WCMS, Simone Dinnerstein celebrate Neighborhood Strings at Mechanics Hall