Christmas Music

Please consider making an end of the year, tax-free gift to the Ferris Burtis Music Foundation.

Since 1987 the Foundation has had as its purpose the support of talented young musicians, both for their education and their careers.

Here are the wonderful young people we are helping in various ways at the moment.
 Yevgeny Kutik has been under the aegis of the Foundation since graduating from high school. He is in the midst of a successful career as a solo violinist. To see his busy concert schedule go to www.yevgenykutik.com



The Elektra Ensemble has also been helped over the past several years by the Foundation. This talented trio performs throughout the United States.
Julian Muller is a brilliant young 'cellist who spent his first year at the Jacobs Music School at Indiana University and is now studying at the Cleveland Institute of Music. The Foundation has been helping him with his education.


Gabriella Macuk is a freshman at Lawrence College in Wisconsin where she is studying piano. She is one of the fine young musicians being helped by the Ferris Burtis Music Foundation.

Katie Weiser is a senior at Smith College where she studies with Herbert Burtis and Jane Bryden. She has received a grant from the Ferris Burtis Foundation.

All of these talented young people receive help from the Foundation. Please consider sending an end of the year gift to: Ferris Burtis Foundation,
Berkshire Taconic Foundation, 800 North Main Street Sheffield, MA 01257.

Yevgeny in Prague

Yevgeny Kutik has just completed a concert tour in Europe which included three performances of the Tschaikowzky violin concerto with the Norddeutsche Philharmonic Orchestra  in Rostock, Germany and a solo recital at the Lobkowicz Palace in Prague Castle, Czech Republic. He has received rave reviews in both locations.

Headline- 'Exzellente show von virtuosem Geiger Kutik'

Review- 'The young soloist presented a violin show par excellence with his breathtaking virtuosity, fine dymanic shadings, as well as melodic and rhythmic agility. After the final movement, he received,-now as appropriate- thunderous final applause'
-Ostsee-Zeitung

Thanks to Andrea Winzer for the translation.

This tour was made possible in part by a grant from the Ferris Burtis Music Foundation.

William Lobkowicz and Herbert Burtis

When I was in Prague visiting Will Lobkowicz and his family last spring, I brought up the possibility of having Yevgeny perform in the magnificent Lobkowicz Palace which sits atop the butte which is Prague Castle in the center of the city. Will is the thirteenth Prince Lobkowicz. His family has been involved sponsoring musicians for several hundred years, including Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven.

The Lobkowicz Palace is the light colored building on the right and in the center of the photograph.

Will and I discussed the idea of having Yevgeny perform there and I told him that the Ferris Burtis Music Foundation would help fund Yevgeny's visit. This is the sort of thing the Foundation does with the five extraordinary young musicians we are helping at the moment.

Yevgeny will be joined by Julian Müller, 'cellist, Morwena Boyd, guitarist, Kathleen Callahan, soprano and Timothy Bozarth and Anne Chamberlain, pianists in the Benefit Concert being held to raise money for the Foundation on June 10th at the Sandisfield Arts Center. 

For more information contact Herbert Burtis at roodhill@verizon.net

Ferris Burtis Benefit Concert

The Ferris Burtis Music Foundation will present its second annual Benefit Concert on Sunday, June 10th at 4:00 p.m. at the Sandisfield Arts Center on Hammertown Road in Sandisfield, MA. The Foundation, established through the Berkshire Taconic Foundation of Sheffield, MA in 1987 by the late John Ferris and by Herbert Burtis, provides grants to worthy young classical musicians to help in their education and care

Last year the Foundation granted over $9,000.00 to five wonderful young performers, Yevgeny Kutik, violinist, The Elektra Ensemble, Jullian Müller, and Morwena Body. Jullian and Morwena are each finishing their first year in Music Schools in Indiana and Michigan. Yevgeny is performing internationally, including concerts this Spring with the Rostock Germany Symphony and at the Lobkowicz Palace in Prague, Czech Republic. The Elektra Ensemble is taking some time off while the 'cellist, Melissa Morgan, recovers from an arm injury.

                                              The performers from last year's Benefit Concert
They will all be performing at the concert on June 10th. reservations are $20.00 each. Make checks payable to 'Ferris Burtis Foundation', and send them to Herbert Burtis, 53 Rood Hill Road, Sandisfield, MA 01255. Any gift over the cost of the reservation is tax-exempt. Please include your email address for my to respond to your gift.

If you would like to make a gift of $100.00 or more, your name will be included in the program. Here are suggested categories:
Friend: $100.00-$299.00
Sponsor: $300.00-$499.00
Benefactor: $500.00-$699.00
Angel: $700.00-$999.00
Founder: $1000.00 or more

Any amount over the cost of the reservation is tax-exempt. We encourage you to give generously to help the Foundation continue their work with talented young musicians.

Gala Concert

The Ferris Burtis Music Foundation is pleased to announce that plans are under way for the second annual Gala Benefit Concert which will take place at the Sandisfield Arts Center in Sandisfield, MA on Sunday, June 10th at 4:00 p.m. The concert is co-sponsored by the Berkshire Taconic Foundation which manages the Ferris Burtis Foundation, and by the Sandisfield Arts Center. Last year's concert raised much needed funds to help with the work of the Foundation which gave $9,000.00 to aid five young musicians in their education and careers.

Performing again this year will be the brilliant young violinist, Yevgeny Kutik who will perform with the remarkable pianist Timothy Bozarth. Yevgeny has had a busy year appearing at the Phillips Gallery in Washington, DC, Alice Tully Hall in New York City, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the Rostock Symphony in Germany, and the Lobkowicz Palace in Prague.

Also returning after a busy season with their new pianist, the Elektra Ensemble will appear in the concert. The members of the group are Brunilda Myftaraj, violinist, Melissa Morgan, 'cellist, and Anastasia Seifetdinova, pianist, who joined the group last fall. Brunilda will be performing in Poland this spring as well as at Central Connecticut University.

This year's concert will also feature the two young musicians whose education is being aided by funds from the Foundation. Julian Muller is a gifted 'cellist who is completing his first year at Indiana University. Morwenna Boyd is a fine guitarist who has spent her first year at the Academy of the Arts at Interlochen, Michigan.


Guest artist Kathleen Callahan, soprano will also be heard accompanied by Herbert Burtis, pianist

Reservations for the concert may be made by sending a check for $20.00 made out to 'Ferris Burtis Foundation' to Herbert Burtis, 53 Rood Hill Road, Sandisfield, MA 01255. For those wishing to make a more generous gift to the Foundation, any gift of $100.00 or more will receive two reservations and the name will appear in the program. Here are the gift categories:
Friend- $100.00-$299.00
Sponsor- $300.00-$499.00
Benefactor- $500.00- $699.00
Angel- $700.00-$999.00
Founder- $1000.00 or more

These gifts are tax deductible. Please give generously.