Conservatory Student to Perform at Carnegie Hall
How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
For Estelle Luong ’19, the answer mirrors the punchline of the old joke: Practice, practice, practice. The accomplished pianist, a student in the Conservatory Program of The Rivers School, was awarded a first prize in the Crescendo International Youth Competition audition round in November.
That win entitled her to proceed to the competition’s second round: a recital at New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall this Saturday, January 19. At Carnegie Hall, Luong will perform Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K.331- I. Andante grazioso, which also served as her audition piece.
Luong says she was thrilled to have been selected for the honor—but perhaps not surprised. She has participated in the Crescendo competition since 2008 and has always landed in first or second place; this will be her ninth performance at Carnegie Hall. Diligent practice, she says, has been the key to her success. “As a busy high school student, I make sure that every second of my piano practice counts and is headed toward a goal. My piano teacher from The Rivers Conservatory has helped me develop practicing methods and has taught me to play each note and musical phrase, even it’s just with one hand, as if I were on stage.”
Despite the fact that she’s been performing publicly since the age of 6, Luong says, “I still get incredibly, anxiously excited when playing in the prestigious Carnegie Hall. I still have stage fright; my heart beats furiously whenever I perform in front of a large audience. However, I combat this by acknowledging my nervousness and then directing my complete, utter focus on the present moment and how it is my chance for me to share my musical expression, to share the same feelings and connections I have uncovered when learning the piece.”
Said Gabriella Sanna, RSC director, “The Crescendo International Competition is highly competitive, and we’re so thrilled about Estelle earning a first prize. She is a talented musician who always works hard to bring her best to every performance.”
Music Program Updates
Other Rivers music students have also been making the rounds. Nine students—Lindy Billhardt ’19, string bass, orchestra; Emilia DeJesus ’19, chorus; Elliot Do ’21, viola, orchestra; Sydney Greer ’20, chorus; Natalie Hall ’19, chorus; Adele Hartt ’22, chorus; Josh Rocha ’21, chorus; Simonda Spasojevic ’19, flute, concert band; and Daniel Weitz ’20, cello, orchestra—performed at the Senior District Music Festival on January 5 at Boston Latin School. Of the nine, six (Billhardt, DeJesus, Do, Hall, Hartt, and Weitz) earned slots in the Massachusetts Music Educators Association all-state auditions, which will take place on January 26. Billhardt will also participate in All Eastern Orchestra in Pittsburgh this April. Music faculty member Dan Shaud notes that she is one of the few Rivers students who have ever been accepted.
On Saturday, January 12, eight middle and upper school Rivers students auditioned for the regional MMEA junior district ensembles, and six were accepted. These students are eligible to participate in a two-day music festival in March in ensembles drawn from the top music students in grades 7-9 in the Greater Boston area. The six are Isabelle Canty ’22, chorus; Celina Chen ’22, chorus; Ethan Kasparian Weisman ’24, clarinet, band; Jacqueline Lee ’23, mallets, band; Jonathan Liu ’24, cello, orchestra; and Alex Massarotti ’23, chorus.
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