Four Local Students Selected for the Nashville Symphony’s Accelerando Music Education Initiative
Nashville, Tenn. (August 18, 2017) – The Nashville Symphony has announced that four local students have been selected for the second class of Accelerando, the groundbreaking music education initiative designed to facilitate the studies of gifted young musicians from diverse backgrounds and prepare them for careers in music.
All from Middle Tennessee, the students are:
- Angelina Bautista, oboe: Grade 8, JFK Middle School, MNPS
- Xayvion Davidson, bassoon: Grade 8, Rose Park Middle School, MNPS
- Riya Mitra, violin: Grade 8, Sunset Middle School, Williamson County Schools
- McKane (Max) Robinson, trombone: Grade 7, Head Middle Magnet School, MNPS
Launched in 2016, Accelerando seeks to create opportunities for musicians from ethnic communities underrepresented in today’s orchestras by providing them with instruction, mentorship, performance experience and assistance applying to music schools. The program is part of a nationwide effort among American ensembles to ensure that the orchestras of tomorrow reflect the richness and diversity of the communities they serve.
The four students were introduced during an event at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Thursday, August 17, with members of the Nashville Symphony staff in attendance, including chief operating officer Steve Brosvik and director of education and community engagement Walter Bitner. These four students join the six members of the inaugural class of Accelerando, bringing the total number of participants in the program to 10.
“Each of these students possess the talent and drive to make an impact on the future of American orchestras,” said Kimberly Kraft McLemore, Accelerando program manager. “They represent the Nashville Symphony’s commitment to ensuring that young people from across Middle Tennessee have access to the highest-quality music education, and I’m excited to watch their growth and development in the coming years.”
In March, nearly three dozen students took part in auditions for Accelerando, which were adjudicated by Nashville Symphony musicians. The four participants were chosen earlier this month and will begin private lessons this September. As part of the program’s intensive curriculum, each of the students will participate in their local youth orchestras, will have the opportunity to participate in master classes, and will be provided complimentary tickets to the Nashville Symphony’s Aegis Sciences Classical Series.
Photos from the August 17 Accelerando event, as well as bios on the four students, are available for download on Dropbox here.
Accelerando is a program of the Nashville Symphony, in partnership with Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Conexión Américas and Choral Arts Link.
For more information or to request interviews, please contact Dave Felipe at 615.687.6565 or email: dfelipe@nashvillesymphony.org.
The GRAMMY® Award-winning Nashville Symphony has earned an international reputation for its innovative programming and its commitment to performing, recording and commissioning works by America’s leading composers. The Nashville Symphony has released 28 recordings on Naxos, which have received 20 GRAMMY® nominations and 11 GRAMMY® Awards, making it one of the most active recording orchestras in the country. With more than 170 performances annually, the orchestra offers a broad range of classical, pops and jazz, and children’s concerts, while its extensive education and community engagement programs reach up to 60,000children and adults each year.
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