Carnegie Hall is one of the most celebrated music venues in the world with a rich history of outstanding performers and memorable concerts. Grace Music School will be joining the ranks of those musical greats when students and teachers from their school will take center stage at Carnegie’s Weill Hall on June 2. This will be their third timing performing at Carnegie Hall in the last four years.
“This is a great opportunity for our students to showcase their talents,” said Grace Casey, Grace Music School’s director and a graduate of Manhattan School of Music. “We had over 42 students try out for 15 solo slots, making it a very competitive selection process. The judges commented on how impressed they were with the level of talent of all who tried out.” Ms. Casey added that “because the school continues to grow, we will likely have to add a second concert the next time we go to Carnegie to accommodate more students.”
The concert will feature pianists, vocalists, and a wide variety of instrumentalists and ensembles, including for the first time, nine singers from Grace Music School’s Glee club. The concert will begin with an exciting four hand piano piece, Mambo from West Side Story, which will be performed by Ms. Casey and her younger brother Jack. This will be followed by a wide range of music from well-known classical pieces to recently written contemporary pieces. “Each year we continue to raise the bar in terms of the quality and variety of music being performed. There are many people who will be in the audience that have never been to Carnegie Hall and we want them have a great concert experience and live up to the Carnegie’s unparalleled reputation,” Ms. Casey stated.
Grace Music School distinguishes itself by providing students with a variety of performance opportunities to help develop them into excellent musicians. “Returning to Carnegie Hall is something we look forward to all year and there is something magical about performing there,” said Ms. Casey. “It also gives me an opportunity to perform, which I consider a great privilege.”
“Allowing our students to perform at Carnegie Hall is something we are very proud of and separates us from other music schools on Long Island,” stated John Heaphy, co-owner of Grace Music School with his wife Geri. “This comes only a month after our Make-A-Wish Benefit Concert, so we have been very busy the last couple of months, but it is all worth it.”
The concert at Carnegie Hall is also a fundraiser for the Kings Park High School Music Department. Grace Music School will be making a $2,000 grant to purchase music related equipment and supplies that may not be covered by their budget. “The last two times we performed at Carnegie, we made similar grants to Northport and Half Hallow Hills High Schools” said John Heaphy. “Many of our students attend these schools and it’s nice to be able to support them in a tangible way,” he added.
ABOUT GRACE MUSIC SCHOOL
Grace Music School is Long Island’s premier music school and trains nearly 700 students each week at two convenient locations in Western Suffolk County. The school is family owned and operated and is dedicated to providing students with high quality music instruction and numerous performance opportunities including concerts at Carnegie Hall. Their first location is in Fort Salonga and was opened in 2011. Their second location, opened in 2016, is at the Steinway Piano Gallery in Melville. This school has the distinction of being the first-ever music school integrated into a Steinway & Sons owned showroom. This school features a beautiful performance space where students can showcase their talent. It houses nine lesson studios and a café styled waiting room with bottled water, WIFI and other amenities.
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