Young musicians are set to take their talent to Italy

By Mary-Justine Lanyon

The sanctuary at the Lake Arrowhead Community Presbyterian Church was filled with beautiful music on the afternoon of April 6 as members of the MountainTop Strings played 23 of the pieces they have prepared for the Italy tour this summer.

Made up of primarily high school students from Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead – with a couple of graduates adding their talent – the MountainTop Strings was established in 2011 by cellist and music educator Sharon Rizzo, who directs the musicians. She also sits in with them on cello.

Past tours have taken the young musicians to Austria and Italy, where they will return this summer from June 17 to July 6. They plan to perform in Rome, Cortona, Regello, Genoa, Verona and Venice.

Rizzo said they have prepared 48 pieces for this tour. Among them are “Amazing Grace” and “Be Thou My Vision,” which she described as “two of our favorite hymns.” She told the Lake Arrowhead audience that the churches in Rome are very particular about what they play. “Mozart is off limits,” she noted.

Their April 6 concert began with chamber music by Luigi Boccherini and Arcangelo Corelli – first a quintet, then a trio and then the whole orchestra.

Tyki Cantu-Wang (left) and Grace Chung were the soloists in Bach’s “Concerto for Two Violins.”

Tyki Cantu-Wang, the orchestra’s concert mistress, and Grace Chung soloed in J.S. Bach’s “Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor.” 

The concert opened with a quintet made up of Tyki Cantu-Wang and Grace Chung on violin, Ezra Murray on viola and Addy Epstein and Sharon Rizzo on cello.

As the musicians prepared to begin each piece, they gave their attention to Tyki, who gave them the signal to begin.

The MountainTop Strings is noted for playing an eclectic mix of music – from chamber music to jazz to contemporary. They included two Duke Ellington pieces – “Take the A Train” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing” – in this concert, as well as music by George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Cold Play and Sting.

The orchestra will perform at the Big Bear Community Church (40946 Big Bear Boulevard) on Sunday, April 14 at 4 p.m.

There is no admission charged for these concerts but donations to help offset the costs of the tour are welcomed. Visit www.mountaintopstrings.org/donate for more information.