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.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to one and all! This has been a busy year for the Ferris Burtis Music Foundation. We have allocated $9,000.00 to help six talented young artists throughout the year. Yevgeny Kutik, The Elektra Ensemble, Julian Müller, and Morwenna Boyd have all received educational or career help from the Foundation.

We have been receiving end-of-year gifts from a number of people, including one very generous gift of $5,000.00. My thanks to these generous donors. I encourage you, if you are interested in helping the Foundation continue its work, to consider sending a tax-free gift to Ferris Burtis Foundation, %Berkshire Taconic Foundation, 800 North Main Street, Sheffield, MA 01257, before January 1st.

On June 10th, 2012, we will present our second gala Fund raising concert at the Sandisfield Arts Center with all of the above-mentioned artists performing. Save the date and plan to attend.

Thank you for any gift you may wish to make.

Herb

Morwenna Boyd, guitarist

The Ferris Burtis Music Foundation is happy to announce the latest young performer whom they are aiding in her education. Morwenna Boyd is a classical guitarist who is studying at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan.



She is studying with Michael Kudirka, a former student of William Kanengiser. While solo work is the core of the program, she is also taking part in an excellent guitar ensemble.

The Foundation has given her a grant to help with her tuition and plans to continue this help throughout her college years.

This year the Ferris Burtis has given $9000.00 to several young musicians for their study and for their careers.

Julian Müller is a 'cellist at Indiana University who is also a part of the Foundation. He is in his first year there.

Yevgeny Kutik is in the midst of a brilliant career. He makes his début at Alice Tully Hall on December 7th  playing the Mendelssohn Concerto with the Riverside Symphony. For tickets http://www.riversidesymphony.org/

The Elektra Ensemble is also having a busy season with concerts throughout the United States. http://www.elektraensemble.org/

In June, all of these fine musicians will come together to present the Second Annual Ferris Burtis Music Foundation Concert to raise funds to continue the work of the Foundation. More will be announced closer to the date of the concert.

Gifts to the Foundation are appreciated. If you wish to help support these young artists, please send a check made out to Ferris Burtis Foundation, %Berkshire Taconic Foundation, 800 North Main Street, Sheffield, CT 01257.

You may contact Mr. Burtis at http://www.hburtis.com/ ,
roodhill@verizon.net or 413 258 4456 for more information.

Yevgeny at Alice Tully Hall

The Ferris Burtis Music Foundation is proud to announce the debut of brilliant, young violinist Yevgeny Kutik at Alice Tully Hall in New York City on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. He will perform the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in D Minor  with the Riverside Symphony under the direction of George Rothman.

To order tickets for this concert go to:
http://www.riversidesymphony.org/

Yevgeny is represented by Parker Artists:
http://www.parkerartists.com/

Yevgeny has been aided in his education and career by the Ferris Burtis Music Foundation whose goal is to help young classical artists. They are also helping the Elektra Ensemble, http://www.elektraensemble.org/ , Jullian Muller, 'cellist, who is in his first year at Indiana University and Morwena Moore-Boyd, guitarist, who is studying at the Interlochen School of Music in Michigan.

If you would like to help this Foundation continue its work with young musicians, gifts may be sent to:
Ferris Burtis Foundation, 800 Main Street, Sheffield, MA 01257. Or for information, contact me at roodhill@verizon.net

Future engagements for Yevgeny include October 30, 2011, Benefit Concert for MOTL, Greensboro, SC, November 5, 2011, Mozart 3rd Concerto, East Texas Symphony, February 7, 2012, Concert for JFNA, Sarasota, FL, March 5, 2012, Concert for The Bohemians, New York City, March 18, 2012, The Hammond Series, Hingham, MA, March 28, 2012, Solo Concert, UMass, Amherst, MA, March 30, 2012, Mendelssohn Concerto, UMass Symphony, UMass Amherst, MA, April 10, 2012, Concert/Presentation, Boston, MA, April 16, 2012, Project in Europe, April 25, 2012, Totenberg Celebration, Boston, MA, May 5, 2012, Saint-Saens Concerto, Ludwig Symphony, Atlanta, GA, May 19 and 20, 2012, Norddeusche Philharmonic. Rostock, Germany,Tchaikovsky Concerto, May 23, 2012, Solo concert at the Lobkowicz Palace, Prague Castle, Czech Republic, June 8, 2012, Polish Embassy, Washington, DC, August 15-17, touring in Europe.

Julian Müller

I have just heard from Julian Müller who is now studying at Indiana University. Julian is the recipient of a scholarship from the Ferris Burtis Foundation this year.

Here are some quotes from his message: 'My teacher here is excellent. I am discovering many things about my body and how it relates to the cello. My sound has opened up and things seem as if they are going in the right direction.

I did very well on a screened orchestra audition and got into one of the two top ensembles of the University's five orchestras. I am in a Chamber Orchestra, one of four cellos which is very exposed and really exciting. I am in two chamber groups. So I am very busy and learning a lot, taking other classes, theory, piano, and a pedagogy class.'

Bravo, Julian! We cheer you on to greater heights.

Julian will play a recital for us here at Rood Hill Farm in the spring or summer when he returns from Indiana.

The Ferris Burtis Foundation welcomes your gifts to help us continue our work with young classical musicians. Checks made out to 'Ferris Burtis Foundation' may be sent to:
Berkshire Taconic Foundation, 800 North Main Street, Sheffield, MA 01257.

Elektra Ensemble

The wonderful Elektra Ensemble is even more wonderful now. Their new pianist is Anastasia Seifetdinova. She was born in the Ukraine and is a graduate of the Hochschule für Musik in Würzburg, Germany and holds a Master's Degree from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford.

Of her Weill Hall début in 2006, the New York Concert Review wrote, 'For a critic, hearing a new pianist with a truly warm, luscious tone is like breathing the scent of jasmine blooming- a pleasure to be recalled again and again.' She is the recipient of numerous international prizes in piano.

I recently heard them in a sensational dress rehearsal for a concert in Mystic, CT. Their sense of musical unity is superb. They play as one. Anastasia adds a wonderful new dimension to this already exceptional trio.

The Ferris Burtis Music Foundation continues to support them in their on-going career.

Gifts to the Foundation are tax-deductible and may be sent to: Ferris Burtis Foundation, Berkshire Taconic Foundation, 800 North Main Street, Sheffield, MA 01257. Help us in our effort to promote brilliant young musical artists like these.

Yevgeny and Benedikt

This afternoon Yevgeny Kutik gave a violin lesson to young Benedikt Winzer in my music studio at Rood Hill Farm. This came about as a result of the Ferris Burtis Music Foundation contributing to Yevgeny's recent recording project. He offered a violin lesson to donors who gave a certain amount. I decided it was too late for me to take up the violin, so I offered it to Benedikt.

He has studied violin for five years. He is eight at present. We played the first movement of a Schubert Sonata for Yevgeny and Yevgeny went to work, helping Benedict with various technical problems. He felt that Benedict is very talented but needs to correct some physical habits before they become damaging.

He worked at relaxing Benedikt's bow arm as well as his left arm and hand. The results were obvious at once.

Benedikt hopes to work with Yevgeny from time to time. Benedict's parents, Andrea and Peter, came in for a part of the session.