Photo by Tobin Jutte 

Cultivating a passion for music

The Sun Valley Summer Symphony Music Conservatory grooms the next generation of classical musicians

By Megan Thomas

The conductor’s baton slices the air with clear instructions. Nuances of motion guide the timing, speed and volume of an ensemble, leaving listeners to relish a musical treat.

Only this night, more than the music delights the audience. At this concert the musicians capture the spotlight.

At the helm is 12-year-old Brendan Freund of Hailey. He conducts a host of other adolescents—all aspiring musicians—in a performance of “Make Our Garden Grow” from “Candide” by Leonard Bernstein. The piece engages the vocal, string and piano sections of the orchestra.

The performance offers a symbolic tribute to a flourishing music education program: the Sun Valley Summer Symphony Music Conservatory. It is a program that cultivates, inspires and influences young musicians in the Wood River Valley.

“The conservatory is a unique component of what I think is a really diverse and rich cultural fabric in our community,” says R.L. Rowsey, the artistic director and a voice instructor at the conservatory. “It really doesn’t duplicate any other work in the community.”

The Music Conservatory provides a rare opportunity for dedicated students to improve their music skills through comprehensive musical education.

“The conservatory is a place for kids who want to go that extra mile, take that extra step—they have that place to go. It really is for the advanced students, specifically,” explains Kim Gasenica, the conservatory’s administrative director.

The program is designed for advanced music students in sixth- through 12th-grades. Participants study voice, piano or string instruments.

Conservatory students take private lessons throughout the week at the Wood River High School and the Community Campus in Hailey. Saturday classes, which are three-hour sessions, provide students with master classes, music theory studies, group technique courses and ensemble rehearsals. The students surrender their weekends not only to expand their studies, but also to surround themselves with others who have an appreciation for music.

“The conservatory is one of my favorite ways to spend Saturdays,” says Anneka Preston, a four-year conservatory voice student. “You meet all of these people who have the same interests and passions that you do.”

The idea of bringing Preston and other like-minded students into a conservatory grew out of the Sun Valley Summer Music Workshops, offered through the Sun Valley Summer Symphony. The summer symphony, renowned as a world-class musical endeavor, provides the free workshops for a week during the summer to elementary, middle and high school students.

The program was so successful that symphony and workshop organizers decided to provide valley kids access to high caliber musical education throughout the year.

“The symphony is very pleased (with the conservatory), because it’s our really big outreach to the community,” offers Marylyn Pauley, Sun Valley Summer Symphony Board vice-president and Education Committee chair.

Support from the symphony enables the conservatory to provide an excellent music education at a nominal cost to the participants. All students who demonstrate interest and aptitude have access to subsidized private lessons and free Saturday conservatory classes.

The Music Conservatory opened its doors to 20 eager students in January 2001. Since its inception, the program has grown to 40 students. Despite the expansion, gaining acceptance remains challenging. A year of prior musical study and a mandatory audition are required for admission. Once enrolled, students must also take concurrent private lessons and take part in school music programs.

High standards demand motivated and passionate students, of which there appears to be no shortage.
“What I like most, is being around kids who like music as much as I do,” Freund said.

The standards also enable the institution to remain relatively small. The intimacy provides greater individual attention from a faculty of top-notch instructors.

The majority of the instructors live in the Wood River Valley, with some traveling regularly from outside the area. Students also study under guest instructors.

“We try to offer a diverse education for these kids,” Gasenica says.

Young musicians are challenged to try varying approaches within their disciplines. Pianists, who generally perform as soloists, are asked to play in piano duets. Or a vocalist, comfortable singing in group settings, may be asked to sing a solo.
Sometimes the challenge comes from outside a student’s discipline. Freund is a case in point. An accomplished piano student, Freund was asked to try his hand at conducting for a special performance.

Other students capitalize on the personal attention provided by the conservatory to map their lives.
“The conservatory has helped me find something I am really, really passionate about, and something I want to pursue for the rest of my life,” Tyner Pesch, a voice student, says.

The 2005 Community School graduate credits his instructors with helping him decide to pursue a career in acting.

This year Pesch auditioned for drama programs at five East Coast colleges. He believes his conservatory studies helped considerably with his auditions.

“I do a lot with my voice. I wouldn’t be able to do (it) without the training that the conservatory gave me,” Pesch remarked.

The training also helped Austin Amaya choose his path in life. Amaya graduated from the conservatory in 2002 after studying voice for two years.

“For me, the conservatory really solidified what I wanted to do,” says Amaya, who chose to study vocal performance in college, eventually ending up at Boise State University.

“I don’t know anybody else who had a conservatory in their town. After attending three universities, I have yet to meet another kid who had the same opportunity I did,” he adds.

Amaya recognizes, in particular, the value of performing in a safe environment.

While maintaining an emphasis on education, the program encourages students to test the waters through performance platforms for the community.

“One of the things we also try to do is give the students a taste of what the professional world is like, without making the pressure so intense that it becomes a performance around the organization,” Rowsey says. “Our goal is to teach, not to perform, though part of sharing what you have learned is applying it in a performance context.”

Performances during monthly Gallery Walks, recitals and gala evenings provide a forum for the students to share their talents with others. The performances also help build the students’ confidence for future endeavors.

Along the way, students find musical enrichment and attain a lifelong appreciation for the arts.

“We are not just trying to build little protégés to send out, but we are really trying to cultivate the interest and passion for music.” Rowsey says. “A lot of our students pursue careers in music, but they will also become great arts patrons as well.” •