Staples Chamber Orchestra Treats Y's Men to Concert

Again, Staples Excels

If you’ve ever asked how Westport’s Board of Education spends your tax dollars, here’s one great answer.

Adele Cutrali-Valovich, Staples Director of Orchestral Music, brought Staples Chamber Orchestra to the Saugatuck Congregational Church to play for Y’s Men last Thursday. They were magnificent, a testimony to one of the things that makes Westport Westport.

32 musicians played three numbers. In between Ms. Cutrali-Valovich introduced the musicians and talked about the schools’ instrumental music programs.

The orchestra numbered six seniors, eight juniors, nine sophomores and nine freshman, a “bench” that assures a strong “team” in the future. All are accomplished musicians, most even more.

First violinist and concertmaster, Claire Seo, will attend Occidental College.

The cello section is led by senior class valedictorian (and the day’s birthday girl) Emily Schussheim, a Yalie in the Fall. Fellow cellist Nicole Kiker plays in the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestra, is a National Merit Scholarship Finalist and will attend Johns Hopkins in the Fall. In fact, all six seniors plan to attend extremely competitive colleges.

Three orchestra members have been named to the All State Orchestra — one a freshman. Two have been selected to join Tanglewood’s summer program, a few play in the Norwalk Youth Symphony Orchestra, including two who are concertmasters, and still others play in the GBYO.

The entire orchestra is accomplished students. Every member takes at least one AP course. Senior Jonathan Alter, a violinist, holds the class record, with 13. He’s also captain of the volleyball team, and will attend Dartmouth next year.

Among its non-music activities, the orchestra also includes a member of the girls hockey team, the water polo team, and a baseball player. There’s a Players’ crew member, an award winning coder, a technician with Westport’s Voluntary EMS, an intern in Representative Jim Himes office, and a competitive figure skater.

Talking about the program, Ms. Cutrali-Valovich said that “about 99 percent of the fourth grade begins playing a string instrument.” They receive three lessons each week, in addition to orchestra rehearsal. It is the lessons that “teach technique and how to really play their instruments.”

And it is the lessons, she said, that “separates Westport musicians from the rest and makes their caliber so exceptional.”

While about half take up band instruments the next year, nearly the entire fifth grade is active in the schools’ instrumental music programs. Orchestra players receive a 45 minute lesson and have two rehearsals each week.

Students have self-selected, to about 150 serious string players, by the time they reach Staples. About 60 audition for the Chamber Orchestra, 36 are chosen. Orchestra is scheduled the same other Staples classes, with four rehearsals per week — plus a 15 minute private lesson for all musicians who do not study privately.

Likening the orchestra program to a Maserati, Cutrali-Valovich said “It’s not inexpensive, (but)… if we want a high performance orchestra program, we can’t walk into a Yugo showroom.”

“Thankfully Westport appreciates our musical Maseratis.”