Classical Music Festival Rocks Laguna

Top to bottom, left to right: The Colburn Quartet, from left, Ryan Lee, Nigel Armstrong, Juan-Miguel Hernandez, and Paul Wiancko, perform for Thurston Middle School students. Members of the quartet take questions students in the Thurston black box theater. Master cellist Lynn Harrell shared snippets of biographical information about composers during the week-long music festival. Cello artwork by local artists for sale to benefit at the Laguna Beach Music Festival, which culminates with concerts this weekend. In a display of technique and eloquence, featured artist Lynn Harrell pulls a bow across the strings of a cello and captivates a crowd in the opening performance of the seventh annual Laguna Beach Music Festival.

The week-long festival culminates with public concerts Saturday and Sunday, a celebration of the cello and music education. Teaming Harrell with up and coming artists, the Colburn Conservatory String Quartet and UC Irvine Clarinet Trio, offers the public an open window into a musician's workspace with open rehearsals, workshops, education outreach and concerts.

Music education is an imperative part of the event, says organizer Cindy Prewitt, founder of Laguna Beach Live, who together with Philharmonic Society of Orange County, produces the festival.

Performances this week by the Colburn foursome seemed to ignite a passion for classical music among students of Thurston Middle School and Top of the World elementary,

Harrell and his cello played first act to Sheila Woodard, chair of music education at the University of Southern California, at this week's PTA Coffee Break talk, where both described music's contribution to education and well-being.

"Musical education is absolutely essential," Harrell said. "[It's] now well documented, children that have music in their lives do better in school and relationships."

Music also influences emotional and intellectual development, according to educators present.

The district's instrumental music director, Dan Thomson, was impressed with the program's support for school musicianship.

"For kids this is such an opportunity to see this sort of caliber that close, in a small environment," Thomson said of the school performances.

The Colburn students played their instruments extemporaneously to evoke paper, color and food, jamming out AC/ DC licks and delivering classical excerpts with excellence.

First-year teacher Thomson loved what they brought to students and was wowed by their ability to engage students with a classical repertoire.

Quartet members Ryan Lee, first violin, Nigel Armstrong, second violin, Miguel Hernandez, viola, and Paul Wiancko on cello, each added personality to the presentation, often dictated by the students' polite requests.

The UCI trio felt inspired after a rehearsal led by Harrell. Pianist Shoko Fukumaru, cellist Yoo Jin Oh and clarinetist Colin Murphy appreciated his wisdom.

"The guy is pretty incredible and insightful. He is a wealth of knowledge, extremely well read and experienced," Fukumaru said. "He's very motivating. Everything he says is right on, adding what we were missing, filling the gap."

To Harrell music is like breathing.

"Music is very much a natural and necessary part of life," he said, describing his pursuit as a gift. "When I am able to expand and open up something new to a young person that they haven't been aware of or experienced before, it's just the greatest feedback there is."

Creative freedom, flexibility and the educational component enticed Harrell to participate in the Laguna Beach festival over many others.

"It's a platform for the focal artist to be able to do his particular thing in a most advantageous light," Harrell said. "Most other festivals you fit in like a spoke in a wheel. This revolves around individuality and personality, around the mentor artist that comes here."

International pianist Victor Asunción and soprano Frances Young also perform in the culminated concerts Saturday and Sunday.

Staff photos by Ted Reckas Staff photo by Ted Reckas Lynn Harrell rehearses in a master class filmed by KOCE, which broadcast a segment this week about festival.