By Mary-Justine Lanyon
It was a beautiful afternoon to gather on the lawn of the lakeside estate of Glenn and Nancy Pittson and listen to some extraordinary music.
The occasion was Classics by the Lake, an event put on by the Arrowhead Arts Association to thank its donors for their support.
While guests enjoyed a sumptuous variety of appetizers provided by RB’s Steakhouse, they first listened to five members of the MountainTop Strings. The five young musicians – James Phillips, Adam Merrall, Hallie Joy Thomas, Michael Espinosa and Emily Uribe-Torres – had recently returned from a tour in Italy. This was the seventh such tour young mountain musicians participated in.
Ken Camarella, the AAA vice president, welcomed everyone, thanking them for their loyalty. He also noted the strings program was started 24 years ago.
After the young strings students played several pieces – for which they received thunderous applause – two of them spoke about what music means to them.
Guitarist Rafa Soto’s fingers flew over his instrument as he played a wide variety of songs.
“Arrowhead Arts Association has changed my life,” said violinist James Phillips. He noted he got his first violin when he became part of the strings program in fourth grade. “I knew that was what I wanted to pursue,” the Rim High sophomore said.
“Since I was 6 years old,” said Emily Uribe-Torres, “I fell in love with the sound of the cello. But I couldn’t play it until we moved to the mountain.” She has now played cello for three years. “I want to give a big thank you to everyone who supports the Arrowhead Arts Association,” Emily said.
Adam Merrall’s mother, Jill, noted they found out about the strings program at a back-to-school night. “We cherish this program,” she said. “They have subsidized private lessons for Adam. I can’t think of a better program to invest time and energy in.”
The young musicians were followed by guitarist Rafa Soto, whose fingers flew over his instrument, coaxing beautiful melodies and harmonies out of it. His repertoire included classical, pop and jazz pieces.
Camarella reminded everyone that the Fall Festival is coming up on Sept. 20. It will take place at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church at 3 p.m. The MountainTop Strings will open for the Arrowhead Arts Orchestra, under the direction of Tomasz Golka. Violinist YuEun Kim will play Saint-Saen’s “Havanise” and Ravel’s “Tzigane.” Admission is free but guests are asked to register at www.arrowheadarts.org/upcoming-events.
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