Local High School String Quartet to Join the Pros

HARTFORD –When the nationally touring Classic Seger- Bob Seger’s Greatest Hits Live show brings it's tribute production to The Bushnell Theatre on Thursday, June 22, the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts High School String Quartet will join the professional musicians on stage to lend some local talent to this homage to the Detroit rocker.

Here's the rundown:
The show: Combining their decades of touring and recording experience, the band’s crack musicians re-create classic hits like “Night Moves,” “Turn the Page,” “Old Time Rock and Roll,” and “Against the Wind,” in a full concert experience. Classic Seger’s musical mastery and stellar showmanship have made them North America’s favorite Bob Seger tribute for more than a decade.

Classic Seger consists of nine seasoned musicians who grew up listening to Detroit Rock ‘N’ Roll music. Each performance captures the passion and the hard driving rock spirit that can only be found at a Bob Seger concert.

The string quartet: Greater Hartford Academy students Shamyra Glenn, Moon Wilensky, Zsian Fulton and Jariana Mojica will join the bands for the songs "Fire Lake," "We've Got Tonight" and "Turn the Page."

Quartet members have received superior ratings at state and regional solo and ensemble festivals.

How the "Bob Seger" connection was started: The producers of Classic Seger approached Hartford Academy Orchestra Director Tina Hadari looking for a talented ensemble of high school students which could hold their own with a rock band in front of an audience. The show commonly reaches out to local high school orchestras, making donations to their school music programs in exchange for student participation.

The details: Classic Seger: Bob Seger’s Greatest Hits Live performs at The Bushnell on Thursday, June 22 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $29.50 - $55, plus fees, and may purchased by phone at 860.987.5900, at the Theatre Box Office or online at www.bushnell.org. The show is appropriate for all ages and is fully seated.

The quartet’s Seger fans: All quartet members are Bob Seger fans.
Wilensky's favorite Seger tune is "The Real Love" and Glenn favors "Night Moves."
Fulton loves "Turn the Page" and Mojica's favorite is "Still the Same."

Here's some additional information about the quartet members:

Wilensky, 15, has been playing the violin for seven years. Before enrolling at the Greater Hartford Academy of Arts, she began her music education in elementary school where she performed with the school’s orchestra.

“Being able to see a sheet of music and turn that into something beautiful feels incredible.”

When it comes to performing with her orchestra, Moon describes the collective feeling as “kind of nerve-wrecking but when we perform for our other classmates, its really exciting to show them what we’ve learned and what we’re working on.”

Wilensky is interested in psychology and hopes to become a therapist after high school.

Glenn, 15, has been playing the violin for nine years. To expand her musical knowledge, she had a summer internship studying jazz with the Artist Collective in Hartford.

Glenn describes herself as a quiet person but when it comes to music, she shines.

“Music is my form of expression. When I play, I feel confident and people can hear me. It brings me peace.”

As a member of the Greater Hartford Academy of Arts, Glenn enjoys the wide range of genres she gets to perform with her orchestra.

After high school, Glenn plans to explore her musical background in Music Production while also double majoring in Bio Chemistry.

“Music is my passion and I want to be able to do both.”

Fulton, 15, has been playing the viola for nine years. To explore his musical talents, he is currently learning how to play the piano and guitar.

Fulton is drawn to the mysteriousness of the viola.

“I enjoy that not a lot of people know about the viola. I like being the out-bringer of that instrument.” When it comes to performing with his orchestra, he enjoys the collaborative effort from his peers.

After high school, Zsian plans to pursue music in every way possible. From starting a band to releasing solo music to joining an orchestra, “I want to do something dedicated to music.”

Mojica, 15, has been playing the cello for nine years. She began her music education at Ana Grace Academy of Arts where she also learned the violin.

“Honestly, I love how the cello makes me feel. Just playing music and seeing people enjoy the music I play - it just gives me some type of feeling.”

At the Greater Hartford Academy of Arts, Jariana enjoys attending a school with other artists, “Everybody appreciates any art we do and performing at my school feels like a breath of fresh air because everybody understands the dedication and time we put in.”

Jariana plans to study pre-law at the University of Connecticut. She hopes to continue to study and perform music with an orchestra.

CALENDAR: Classic Seger: Bob Seger’s Greatest Hits Live performs at The Bushnell on Thursday, June 22 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $29.50 - $55, plus fees, and may purchased by phone at 860.987.5900, at the Theatre Box Office or online at www.bushnell.org. The Box Office is open Monday – Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM and two hours before shows. The Belding Theater is located at 166 Capitol Ave, Hartford, CT 06106. The show is appropriate for all ages.

QUARTET PHOTO TAGS: (From left to right) Zsian Fulton, viola, Jariana Mojica, cello, Shamyra Glenn, violin and Moon Wilensky, violin. Photo taken by Tina Hadari.

And here's some information about Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts Orchestra Director Tina Lee Hadari:
Honored by the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame for her work in the performing arts, violinist and educator Tina Lee Hadari has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in diverse venues such as Weill Recital Hall and the Vienna Konzerthaus to New Haven’s Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen to K-12 classrooms all over the country. As a member of the Vinca Quartet, an ensemble hailed by the New York Times as “stunning” and “musicians worth keeping an eye on,” and a prizewinner of the Fischoff, Plowman, and Borciani Chamber Music competitions, she has toured both the U.S. and abroad to critical acclaim.

Committed to bringing communities together through her artistry, she is the Founder and former Executive Artistic Director of Music Haven, a nationally-awarded community-based arts organization that anchors a string quartet to the lowest-income neighborhoods of New Haven to provide tuition-free, intensive musical instruction for “at promise” youth.
Most recently she served as the National Program Director of ArtistYear, where she created and implemented a comprehensive professional development curriculum for teaching artist Fellows and led the program strategy for all service locations.
As the Director of Music, Arts, and Citizenship for the Brass City Charter School in Waterbury, CT, she also built a K-8 Citizen Artist curriculum to enhance the school’s El-Sistema inspired daily music program.

Tina has also served on the faculties of the 92nd Street Y, Choir Academy of Harlem, Opus 118, Apple Hill Chamber Music Center, Point Counterpoint Chamber Music, and the Neighborhood Music School. She holds a B.M. from New England Conservatory, a B.A. from Tufts University, a Master’s degree from the Yale School of Music, and a Doctoral degree from the University of Colorado. She has served on the board of Musaid, an organization dedicated to expanding the capacity of music organizations in developing countries, and regularly mentors emerging teaching artists at the Yale School of Music.