Season 2: Episode 6 - Style and Substance
Tonight on From the Top at Carnegie Hall we meet a young lady who takes the artistry of performing classical music to a new level by infusing her performances with her sense of personal style. Eleven-year old violinist Simone Porter from Seattle, Washington designs her own concert attire and frequently bases her designs on what repertoire she’s performing—she even made a dress especially for playing Mozart and Mendelssohn! Thirteen-year old cellist and volleyball player Jonah Ellsworth from Cambridge, Massachusetts, accompanied by Host Christopher O’Riley, performs Paganini’s Variations on One String on a Theme of Rossini using only one string of his cello. Eighteen-year old tuba player Ibanda Ruhumbika is passionate about sharing music with kids and is a member of the prestigious Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. He dreams of playing in a major orchestra like the New York Philharmonic one day, and is joined onstage at Carnegie Hall by members of the Phil’s brass section for a performance of That’s a Plenty by Lew Pollack (arr. Steve Cooper) to conclude the episode.
Performer Bios
Ibanda Ruhumbika
Ibanda Ruhumbika (tuba), 18, is a senior at Cedar Shoals High School in Athens, Georgia, and studies with teacher David Zerkal.
Simone Porter
Simone Porter (violin), 11, attends Lowell Elementary School in Seattle, Washington and studies at the Seattle Conservatory of Music.
Jonah Ellsworth
Jonah Ellsworth (cello), 13, attends the Baldwin School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Educational Resources
Episode 6: One String, Many Sounds
In this brief activity, students will listen closely to a young cellist perform a piece played on only one string of the instrument and identify the variety of sounds he produces.
