Isabella Florendo, 10 performs with Ambler Symphony Orchestra

Isabella taught herself to play Bach’s Minuet in G on a toy keyboard, a $1 find from a garage sale. Her delighted parents recognized her fascination with music, and decided she should start regular, weekly piano lessons. When the Florendos’ train on their regular commute was late, they decided to take a walk in Haverford. They ended up at the Nelly Berman School of Music, and the rest is history. Isabella was 6 at the time.

At 7, she desired to learn such a vast amount of music, she started taking two one-hour lessons a week. She also started to teach herself Russian, the native language of her teacher, the late Nelly Berman, founder of the Nelly Berman School of Music. With books and tapes from the Luddington library she learned to speak and write 150 Russian words.

It is rare when a young child devotes an unlimited amount of time to their instrument. When asked how many hours Isabella practices on weekends, her mother simply shrugged her shoulders and replied that Isabella is there the whole day.

At nine, Isabella heard an advanced violin student play at an NBS performance class. The violinist played with soul and passion and ignited a familiar curiosity in Isabella. She told her parents she wanted to take violin lessons in addition to her piano. Isabella currently takes three hours of piano lessons and two hours of violin lessons each week. Before performing her piece at a concert or performance class, Isabella always holds her sheet music on her lap for one last review. Isabella is young, but her playing belies expectations.

Isabella also enjoys science, history, math and running. One day she shocked her parents when she started running at her school’s track, and didn’t stop until she had run ten miles. At the age of seven she declared, that she wanted to be a neurosurgeon, but after her first beloved teacher, Nelly Berman passed away from a congenital heart disease, she changed her mind. Now she plans to be a heart surgeon. Today, Nelly’s daughter, Elena Berman-Gantard runs NBS, and she is sure Isabella’s musical achievement will make her a great doctor, and music will always be a part of Isabella’s life.

If you would like to support students like Isabella and make a difference in the lives of unique children, consider making a tax deductible donation to NBSCMI, a 501 (c) (3). For more information please contact the NBS office.

The Nelly Berman School is holding rolling scholarship auditions for string and wind students who qualify under its mission of both merit and financial need. For information and guidelines for the scholarship recipients, please email office@nbsmusic.com. The NBS supports talented and hard working students through the NBS Classical Music Institute, a 501 (C)(3) non-profit corporation. Scholarship students' achievements include winning major local and national competitions.

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office@nbsmusic.com

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