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I GIOVANI SOLISTI (The Young Soloists) is a string ensemble consisting of the most gifted and committed string players of Conard and Hall High Schools in West Hartford, Connecticut. It was founded in 1983 by Ed deGroat with the intention of providing these students opportunities to perform great literature composed for string orchestra. |
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The group invites renowned soloists to perform with it and tours internationally. To date, soloists engaged have included: bassist Gary Karr, flutist Eugenia Zukerman, violinists David Kim, Peter Winograd and Aaron Packard, conductor Arthur Winograd, clarinetist Curt Blood, and trumpeter Armando Ghitalla. Solisti's international tours have taken the group to Ireland, England, France and Austria. In Ireland, the group has performed on live television (The Late, Late Show), for the Lord Mayor of Dublin, and for the children of the Dublin, Ireland schools. In England, the group’s performance venues have included the Barbican Centre, Westminster Cathedral, St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church, and Bristol and Wells Cathedrals. In Austria, the group has performed at the Rokokokirche in Kirchberg-Kremsmünster, the Stiftskirche in Mattsee, and the Stift Klosterneuburg. |
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I GIOVANI SOLISTI made its Carnegie Hall debut in July, 1992. |
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The group is active in its community, performing at schools, churches, and senior centers, as well as at miscellaneous receptions and events. In 1996, Solisti hosted the Women in the Arts Festival, featuring female visual artists, writers, musicians, and theater artists from the East Coast. In 1998, a grant from "Meet the Composer" (New York City) enabled the ensemble to work with students from the Betances Elementary School in Hartford to enhance their new choir program. |
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I Giovani Solisti was named Best High School Chamber Music Group in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Down Beat Magazine. In 1998’s edition of these awards open to United States and Canadian students, Lily Francis, concertmistress, was named Best High School Classical Instrumental Soloist; Michelle Abraham, co-concertmistress, won the same award in 2002. Kathryn Kilian, concertmistress, also won Best High School Classical Instrumental Soloist in 2006. |
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In 2004-2005, I Giovani Solisti was selected to participate in the New England Musical Heritage Initiative, a program sponsored by the New England String Ensemble and the National Endowment for the Arts. In March, 2005 the group performed the world premiere of Articles Nor’east by Robert Bradshaw, in the Young Musicians Concert Series at the Mary Baker Eddy Library in Boston. |
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