 |
Elton John Establishes a New Scholarship By JOHN MCMURTERY
Rarely are classical musicians greeted on stage with the kind of roar from the crowd usually afforded only to rock stars. But that's exactly what happened in mid-July when Elton John took the stage at Radio City Music Hall for five nights, accompanied by his band, the Brooklyn Youth Choir, and an orchestra comprising students and recent alumni from the Royal Academy of Music in London and The Juilliard School.
 |
| Sir Elton John and his band. (Photo by Kevin Mazur, Wire Image) |
|
The idea to use young performers for his Radio City concerts came from Sir Elton himself. "I am inspired by young people," he stated. "I am the sort of artist that gets inspiration from seeing and hearing young musicians, young artists, painters, and photographers. I like to hear what they have to say." He and the other performers donated proceeds from the opening-night performance to special scholarship funds at Juilliard and the Royal Academy. Assisting in this effort was soprano and Juilliard alumna Renée Fleming, who sang an encore with Elton at the first performance.Sir Elton's generosity will have a tangible impact on future Juilliard students. He explained: "The Elton John Scholarship in Music will be awarded annually to a gifted and deserving undergraduate or graduate student at Juilliard. This concert series will create much more than a pleasurable memory that fades with time: The Elton John Scholarship in Music established by [my fans'] generous contributions will benefit students at The Juilliard School for years to come." Juilliard's president, Joseph W. Polisi, acknowledging the significance of the event, added: "While many of Juilliard's own noted alumni have shared their talents to benefit the School and its students, it is rare for the School to be so generously recognized by a non-Juilliard artist of Elton John's stature."The show is slated to appear as a cable television show on the Bravo! Channel sometime later this year, as well as a possible airing on NBC. There are also plans to release the concert as a DVD.
 |
| Juilliard and Royal Academy of Music students join Elton John for a concert in Radio City Music Hall. (Photo by Kevin Mazur, Wire Image) |
|
The concerts presented different challenges from normal orchestral playing. The biggest difference is the amplification used for the orchestra. We spent significant amounts of time during rehearsals in sound checks, with each section (and sometimes each instrument) playing short segments alone to test levels. The experience of being amplified is a bit unnerving for those who aren't used to it. The microphone projects all extraneous noise. Since the sound engineers control the dynamic levels, the tendency to force the sound to try to hear oneself is counterproductive. We learned to relinquish control of our own dynamics to some extent, and concentrated instead on trying to make the most beautiful sounds we could, trusting the experienced sound engineers to work their magic.Elton amazed all of us with his stamina, performing a two-and-a-half-hour set without a break. Always the consummate entertainer, he interacted with the crowd between numbers and traversed the stage several times to shake hands and receive flowers from fans in the front rows. Elton was in top form, his playing and singing quite consistent from night to night. Some of my favorite moments in the show were the improvised introductions to several of the tunes, including the hits "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon."The week of concerts left a lasting impression on all involved. The opportunity to collaborate with our colleagues at the Royal Academy was a rare and rewarding experience. Sir Elton John, by donating to the Juilliard scholarship fund, has done his part to ensure that talented young musicians will get the education they deserve. President Polisi stated: "To have an artist of such stature use his artistry to have a real impact on his audience is something of extraordinary value, not only to everybody who is a beneficiary of that generosity, but also as a role model to all those young artists at Juilliard and the Royal Academy of Music."John McMurtery is a non-resident D.M.A. candidate in flute.
|
