“Principal Sara Gillaspie has an assembly of fourth and fifth graders under control in Westcliff Elementary School’s auditorium,” reports Bill Zeeble on Wednesday (6/6) at Texas Public Radio. “Van Cliburn competitor Sergey Belyavskiy’s here from Moscow…. Every four years, the Cliburn Foundation offers free, in-school performances by pianists during its international contest. Susan Robertson runs the program that’s always maxed out. ‘The schools have to apply to participate,’ Robertson says…. Classical music carries an undeserved stuffy image, Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis says. He’s convinced people just need to hear it, and the younger the ears, the better…. Competitors like 23-year-old Belyavskiy play in schools a day or two before their own contest starts…. Belyavskiy’s program lasts about half an hour total with some questions and answers…. [Says ten-year-old Keila Medrano], ‘That was awesome! Like, I wish I could hear that every single day of my life.’ … The Cliburn Foundation presents school performances like this even when there aren’t competitors in town. There are 275 programs planned for next year.” Says Robertson, “I sit in the back of these programs and I see all those faces. And their mouths are open. And it’s just flowing to them.”
Posted June 9, 2017
