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This month, a select group of students had the privilege of attending Mr. Odell's masterclass. To revisit the valuable insights shared during the session, simply watch the video replay below.

About Matthew Odell

The American pianist Matthew Odell began his studies at the age of 10 and has since won acclaim for performances of a wide range of repertoire as a solo recitalist, soloist with orchestra, and chamber musician.  He has been hailed as “excellent” by the New York Times and “brilliant ... playing with total commitment and real abandon” by Gramophone.  Highlights of past concert seasons include such diverse projects as Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles... with David Robertson and the Juilliard Orchestra for the reopening of Alice Tully Hall, a performance in the New York Philharmonic’s Stravinsky Festival, and a tour of concerts, lectures, and masterclasses in England, France, and Spain.  Recent concerts have featured the complete solo piano works of Olivier Messiaen, Pierre Boulez, Elliott Carter, John Adams, and Michel Merlet.  

In addition to performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, and the 92nd Street Y in New York, Mr. Odell has appeared at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and throughout Europe and Asia.

A passionate advocate of the music of our time, Mr. Odell frequently premieres works written for him.  He has worked with many prominent composers, including Pierre Boulez, John Corigliano, Ned Rorem, Mark Adamo, Michel Merlet, and Robert Aldridge. His debut album Connections: The Piano Music of Olivier Messiaen and his Students was recently released on Albany Records.

Mr. Odell currently teaches at The Juilliard School, where he received his doctoral degree. He has also studied at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Bob Jones University, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria and the Aspen Music School with teachers including Ann Schein, Margo Garrett, Marian Hahn, and Karl-Heinz Kämmerling.  For more information, visit www.matthewodell.com.

Exciting performance opportunities await us before the school year concludes!

🌷 Spring Recital at Forte Paramus

Date: March 16th (Saturday)

🎓 Year End Concert at Montclair State University

Date: June 14th (Friday)

To help ensure a seamless preparation process, we kindly ask you to register for the Spring Recital and Year End Concert using the links below. This will give everyone ample time to organize and practice for these performances. Additional details will be shared by the end of this month.

• Spring Recital Deadline: March 1st 

• Year End Concert Registration Deadline: April 1st 

Please note that registration indicates your intent to perform and is subject to the teacher's recommendation and assessment, based on the student's progress.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out via email or consult your teacher. We are looking forward to these performances! 🎶

The challenge for the month of March is "Experience a symphony composed in the 1800s" 

How to Participate in the Monthly Listening Challenge:

1. Pick up a listening information sheet from your teacher.
2. Listen to/watch the music that fits the month's criteria.
3. Fill out the listening information sheet.
4. Submit the completed sheet to your teacher.
5. We'll tally who completes each month's criteria at the end of the school year!

If you haven't started the listening challenge yet, it's not too late to catch-up! Here is the criteria we've had since the beginning of the school year:

• September: Any Mozart composition
• October: Classical artist
  • Violin (Janine Jansen, Ray Chen, Itzhak Perlman)
  • Piano (Martha Argerich, Evgeny Kissin, Yuka Wang)
• November: A concerto composed for your instrument
• December: Holiday recording (Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite,
  Handel’s Messiah, Corelli’s Christmas Concerto)
• January: Chamber music 
• February: Sound Track from a Film or Musical Score

Discover the advantages that extend beyond music, when playing an instrument. Learn about the holistic benefits of playing an instrument by reading the full article here.

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