The Nelly Berman School Presents "Young Classical Virtuosos of Tomorrow" Competitors in Concert

PHILADELPHIA, PA (March 2, 2017) – The Nelly Berman School invites you to a series of eight concerts presenting the competitors of the Young Classical Virtuosos of Tomorrow International Competition, in memorial of Nelly Berman. They will be held in March, April, and June at West Chester University, Radnor Middle School, St. Luke’s Church, and finally, Kimmel Center.

In January of 2017, the Young Classical Virtuosos of Tomorrow memorial competition drew 250 competitors from 12 states and even Moscow, Russia, and Milan, Italy. The competition welcomed students ages 7-25, including college and graduate students, competing in piano, strings, winds, brass, voice, and chamber music. The judges included the Dean of Instrumental Studies of the Manhattan School of Music, the Dean of the West Chester University College of Arts and Humanities, members of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, heads of music departments at Tulane University and Temple University, and international concert artists.

This high-level competition held two rounds; the first set of distinguished judges chose 90 competitors out of 250 to continue to the finals, and the second set of judges narrowed it down even further to 60 Platinum and Gold winners to perform at two concerts at the Kimmel Center on Sunday, June 18th and to divide $12,500 in prizes. The winners will also be invited to perform at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) fundraisers for heart disease research, date to be announced. After the first round of competition, Paul Arnold, a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra and one of the competition string judges, being impressed by the level of so many astounding competitors, remarked that “this competition turned out to be one of the top ones on the East Coast.”

The competition was held to commemorate Nelly Berman, the founder of the Nelly Berman School of Music and the Nelly Berman School Classical Music Institute (NBSCMI) 501 (c)(3). In 1976, Ms. Berman immigrated to the United States from Odessa, former Soviet Union, as a single mother and piano teacher with two children and $17 in her pocket. She dreamed of seeing music students push themselves as hard in their practicing to higher levels of artistic performance as athletes do when they train for Olympic Games and envisioned her school not as a training institution for professional musicians, but as a way to enrich young people’s lives – starting from the first note. Her school boasts a carefully selected faculty including extraordinary teachers who, under the leadership of Nelly Berman, have been able to inspire thousands of students to excel in musical expression for the past 35 years of the school’s existence.

Mrs. Berman had suffered from congenital heart disease since the age of three, when she contracted rheumatic fever while her family escaped Odessa on the last boat during World War II. Her whole life, she worked tirelessly to raise money for scholarships for hardworking and musically talented children to enable them to have a serious music education and the possibility to play in chamber groups. She provided great performing opportunities to Nelly Berman School students throughout her musical career and she passionately believed in competitions as a vehicle to push children to achieve more than they would have otherwise. She created the Young Classical Virtuosos of Tomorrow competition to include not only her school’s students, but college students, students of Philadelphia’s other teachers, and students from other states and countries. In the words of Nelly Berman, “this competition will be open to everybody who loves music and studies seriously, and by seriously, I mean practicing every day, not just 10-15 minutes, but 30 minutes, an hour, or much more.” She would have been thrilled to know that her dream of creating a significant music competition featuring so many outstanding students came true.

Nelly is survived by her husband, David Lefkovitz, her daughter, Elena Berman-Gantard, the current director of the Nelly Berman School of Music, her son, Dmitry Berman, her grandchildren, Armand Gantard, Emma Gantard, and Jacob Berman, and her niece, Faina Lushtak.

All concerts are open to the public. For tickets for the Kimmel Center concert, please visit kimmelcenter.org or call the Kimmel Center box office at 215-893-1999. For tickets for the West Chester University, Radnor Middle School, or St. Luke United Methodist Church concerts, please call the Nelly Berman School office at 610-896-5105 or email us at office@nbsmusic.com. Please help continue Nelly Berman’s legacy and make a tax-deductible donation to the Nelly Berman School Classical Music Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit.