In 1976, Nelly Berman immigrated to the United States from Odessa, the former Soviet Union, as a single mother and piano teacher with two children, $17 in her pocket, and a suitcase full of music scores. A gifted piano teacher, Nelly passionately loved classical music and wanted to teach children who love music to play on a professional level, regardless of their future careers. She dreamed that classical music in America would one day be as celebrated as much as sports, if not more so, as it was in her former homeland of Russia.
In 1995, Nelly founded the NBS Classical Music Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to provide merit-based scholarships to students as well as to bring high level classical music concerts and competitions to the community. The “Young Classical Virtuosos of Tomorrow” competition was her creation. The Nelly Berman School revived the competition this year in Nelly’s memory, and it is now hailed as “one of the top classical music competitions on the east coast” by the distinguished panel of judges, representing the Philadelphia and New York Philharmonic Orchestras, several prominent university music programs and schools, and international performing artists.
On Sunday, June 18th, the Nelly Berman School of Music and the NBS Classical Music Institute will present the Gold and Platinum winners of the “Young Classical Virtuosos of Tomorrow” International Music Competition in concert at the Perelman Theater of the Kimmel Center. Gold winners will perform in the 10:00 am concert, and Platinum winners will perform in the 3:00 pm concert featuring guest performer Derek Barnes, cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
To purchase tickets, please call the Kimmel Center box office at 215-875-7633 or visit their website at kimmelcenter.org. To learn more about the competition and the concert, visit nbsmusic.com.
Temple University’s Music Preparatory Division, or “Temple Music Prep” for short, is a program located in the heart of center city, Philadelphia, that provides high quality, non-credit music and dance instruction, and related activities to the Community on behalf of the Boyer College of Music and Dance, and Temple University at-large.
Jeff Russo was one of the two founding members of the rock band “Tonic”, perhaps best known for their number one hit in the 90s, “If You Could Only See”. Nowadays, Jeff is in demand as a TV and film composer, having scored music for hit shows like “Fargo”, “American Gothic”, and can currently be heard on the new FX Marvel series, “Legion”.
David Hart is the developer of the G4 Guitar Method, a method based on his two decades of teaching and opening schools throughout Australia. David’s G4 method not only teaches students the 7 essential skills of guitar playing – it also teaches teachers how to become entrepreneurs and open their own schools, as evidenced by the 50 franchises of the G4 Guitar method around the world.
Carol Jantsch became the first female tuba player to win a major symphony orchestra position while she was still a senior attending the University of Michigan back in 2006. In addition to her duties as principal tuba of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Carol has been active as a tuba soloist, appearing in recital and in concerto settings with orchestras and ensembles around the world, and now has started her own tuba cover band called “Tubular”.
Sara Davis Buechner has been hailed by The New York Times for her “intelligence, integrity and all-encompassing technical prowess”. As one of the leading keyboard artists of our time, Sara has an active repertoire of over 100 piano concertos and has appeared with prominent orchestras all over the world. Sara was recently appointed to the piano faculty at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance, in Philadelphia.
Steven Hackman is one of the most exciting hybrid classical and pop artists on the scene today. Steve has worked extensively with the hit classical crossover group, Time for Three, writing several of their unique arrangements, and is currently the Creative Director of FUSE at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the ‘Mash-Up’ series at the Colorado Music Festival, and founder and creative director of his own music brand :STEREO HIDEOUT:
