Fox Lane Students Perform in Chamber Music Society Regionals

Two Fox Lane High School small orchestra ensembles recently performed at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Third Annual Young Musicians Westchester - Hudson Valley - Connecticut Regional. Fox Lane was one of only four high schools in the region invited to perform at this prestigious event.

Jordan Brown and Cami Bly performed Boccherini’s first movement of “Sonata” in C major for two celli. Daniel Agnello, Rachel Akinla and Hannah Laskaris performed the final movement of Dvorak’s “Terzetto,” a trio for two violins and viola.

This was music teacher Janine Bergamini’s third year attending with small ensembles.

“Each school is allowed to submit three ensembles to apply,” Bergamini said. “For each ensemble, I select a level-appropriate piece, and the students prepare and work in coaching. The group must submit a video recording and then they are assessed against the other ensembles in the region.”

Only the most select ensembles are invited to perform at regionals.

“They cannot play arrangements,” Bergamini added. “Which means they cannot play pieces that have parts reduced or made less difficult.”

Students worked hard to prepare for the experience.

“Playing in small ensembles is collaborative, however, all students need to treat their part as a solo in preparation,” Bergamini said. “If one student is unprepared, it affects the success of the entire group. Small ensemble chamber music is so important in developing advanced skills in orchestral study. I feel it is essential for a rich string education.”

The preparation they had done in advance helped ease students’ nerves as they went into the performance.

“After practicing and spending a lot of time together as a trio, we felt good to have an audience that could hear and appreciate our wonderful music,” said Daniel Agnello, who is a violinist.

Cami Bly, who played cello in the duet, agreed with Daniel.

“Going into it, I didn't feel very nervous,” Cami said. “I felt excited to play in front of an audience, especially because this was one of the first live chamber performances I have been able to participate in since the pandemic.”

World class Chamber Music Society artists coached each ensemble. The trio worked with violinist Sam Lee. The duet worked with cellist James Jeonghwan Kim.

“My favorite part of the experience was being coached by a world-class cellist,” Cami said. “It is not every day that students get that opportunity and I felt honored that I was able to have that experience. Working with the coach was so cool because he talked about nuances that completely changed my view on the piece and allowed me to play on a much higher level.”

Cami’s duet partner, Jordan Brown, agreed.

“My favorite part of the experience was getting coached by a world-class musician,” Jordan said. “Our coach, Mr. Kim, was able to spot some areas and really improved our playing. This gave me a different perspective on chamber music.”

Violinist Rachel Aklina, who played in the trio, said it was a powerful bonding experience for her group.

“My favorite part of the experience was getting to play a piece with my trio-mates that was both challenging and conquerable,” Rachel said. “Working as a group towards a common goal is extremely rewarding, especially when we see how far we've come since the beginning. Although we were all nervous before the performance, being able to face it together definitely brought us closer. And all the work we put in felt worth it when we celebrated together after the performance. The orchestra program at Fox Lane is truly one of a kind and offers so many opportunities for students who want to push further in their passion for music.”

The ensembles that performed at the regional concert are also eligible for an invitation to perform at the Young Musicians Concert at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center later this spring.

“I am very proud of these students,” Bergamini said. “They showed great maturity in being dedicated to practice and responsive to critiques in coaching sessions. Both ensembles played their best performances under pressure.”