Violin

Ani Bukujian wasn’t born holding a violin, but it wasn’t long thereafter that one became glued to her chin. When she was 2, Bukujian picked up a toy instrument, stood in front of the television and proceeded to imitate the fingering and body movements of the professionals she saw on the screen. At 3, she abruptly stopped a practice session and announced that her instrument — she was training on the real thing by that point — was out of tune. And once, upon arriving at a concert, she opened her case and discovered three popped strings and a damaged bridge on her violin — a disaster that sent the adults at the scene into a panic.

Joyce Rudolph Music Director Jeffrey Kahane and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra welcome back young American violinist Hilary Hahn to open the 2002-2003 season at 8 p.m. Saturday at The Alex Theatre. The audience will preview Hahn's recording of two Bach concertos with the orchestra. The orchestra is recording the complete Bach violin concertos for Sony Classical during the 2002-2003 season: violin concertos nos. 1 and 2, the double violin concerto with Hahn and concertmaster Margaret Batjer, and the double concerto for violin and oboe with Hahn and principal oboe Allan Vogel.

PASADENA -- Russian-born violinist, Philip Quint, will make his Pasadena Symphony debut at 8 tonight at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green St. Music Director Jorge Mester of Montrose will conduct the orchestra in Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3, John Adam's hypnotic Shaker Loops, and Beethoven's witty Symphony No. 8. Several musicians from the area will perform with the orchestra. They are Patricia Aiken and Ron Clark of Tujunga on violin; Betty Sirri of La Canada Flintridge, also on violin; Peter Doubrovsky of Burbank on string bass; Bruce Morgenthaler of Glendale on the double bass; and Douglas Davis of La Crescenta as principal cello.

The Lord gained another angel as Marjorie Ann Illig died suddenly Friday evening, October 1, 2010, at Glendale Memorial Hospital. She was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Rita Knapp; grandson, Patrick Michael Liebelt and son-in-law, Robert Randall (Randy) Bush. She is survived by her devoted husband of fifty-five years, Edward Michael Illig; her three daughters, Rita Illig Liebelt, Katherine Schneider and Michaela Bush; her two sons-in-law, Klaus Liebelt and Charles Schneider; and her grandchildren, Adam, Megan and Anna Liebelt, John Schneider, and Dylan and Rachel Bush.

Growing up among a family full of musicians, it was not long until Erica Richardson heard the calling to play. With a pianist for a sister and a flutist for a mother, she was listening to recordings of classical violin renditions while still in the single-digit age bracket. “I was excited to start my own instrument,” she said. “And I really liked the sound of the violin.” On Tuesday, Erica will again lead as concertmaster of the Glendale Youth Orchestra at the Alex Theatre in Glendale.

Don Gross, Enjoy! GLENDALE -- Mastering a skill -- whether it's riding a bicycle, playing the violin or composing a symphony -- requires desire, determination and dedication. Capping its 76th continuous season, the Glendale Symphony Orchestra once again thrilled The Alex Theatre audience Saturday evening with music of the "Great Masters." Everyone who helped honor the great masters -- from Maestro Sidney Weiss to soloists Olivia Tsui and Andrew Picken to the superb musicians of the orchestra -- was not only a skilled master, but also a humble servant to the music of Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms.

Jenna Bordelon PASADENA -- When Paul Stein was a child, his grandmother asked him to play the violin. "I guess she must have been intuitive enough about me to know that I would be interested in music," he said. Stein will display his talents at an outdoor family concert to benefit Temple Sinai at 6 p.m. Sunday at Villa Santa Lucia, a private home in the mountains of Pasadena. "He makes classical music fun," benefit chairwoman Cathy Gott said.

On Tuesday, May 8, the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra (PYSO) will greet the arrival of spring with a medley of "songs," written from the Baroque era to today, in tribute to the season. The free performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and includes a wide variety of works ranging from a Concerto grosso by Arcangelo Corelli and Ravel's Pavanne for a Dead Princess to an Irish reel, Molly on the Shore, by Percy Grainger. Sponsored by The Pasadena Symphony, the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra attracts talented middle school musicians from throughout Southern California.

music Jose Ruiz The Glendale Symphony Orchestra opened its season with the New World Symphony dedicated to America, shortly after the devastation of Sept. 11, and brought it to a fitting close Saturday night with a tribute to "America the Beautiful," closing the circle that began with uncertainty but ended in a shimmering halo. Opening with Beethoven's Triple Concerto, soloists Debra Price on violin, Margaret Moores on cello and John Berkman on piano, received a rousing ovation for their energetic performance.

After its summer hiatus, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra is back in business for the season, and Burbank musician Julie Gigante says she's happy to return. A violinist with the orchestra since 1986, Gigante put it simply: “We love it. It's really nice to get back to the orchestra and see everybody and play great music.” On Sept. 24, the chamber orchestra performs at the Alex Theatre in Glendale under conductor and pianist Jeffrey Kahane. The Netherlands' Wiek Hijmans will also appear, with his electric guitar performance in a Derek Bermel concerto.

Ani Bukujian wasn’t born holding a violin, but it wasn’t long thereafter that one became glued to her chin. When she was 2, Bukujian picked up a toy instrument, stood in front of the television and proceeded to imitate the fingering and body movements of the professionals she saw on the screen. At 3, she abruptly stopped a practice session and announced that her instrument — she was training on the real thing by that point — was out of tune. And once, upon arriving at a concert, she opened her case and discovered three popped strings and a damaged bridge on her violin — a disaster that sent the adults at the scene into a panic.

An outstanding performance by 17-year-old violin soloist Ani Bukujian was the highlight of the Glendale Youth Orchestra’s concert on March 13 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. Fronting an orchestra of 31 musicians ranging from 11 to 18 years of age, Ani played the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto in D,” Opus 35, which is a challenging selection for violin and orchestra. Orchestra conductor Brad Keimach began his welcome with the remark, “Thanks for coming to hear my kids.” He then explained that this concerto created all the drama and theatrics associated with such familiar Tchaikovsky works as “Swan Lake” and the opera “Eugene Onegin.” Taking the podium, he led Ani and “his kids” into a professional performance on a par with recognized seasoned orchestras.

The Lord gained another angel as Marjorie Ann Illig died suddenly Friday evening, October 1, 2010, at Glendale Memorial Hospital. She was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Rita Knapp; grandson, Patrick Michael Liebelt and son-in-law, Robert Randall (Randy) Bush. She is survived by her devoted husband of fifty-five years, Edward Michael Illig; her three daughters, Rita Illig Liebelt, Katherine Schneider and Michaela Bush; her two sons-in-law, Klaus Liebelt and Charles Schneider; and her grandchildren, Adam, Megan and Anna Liebelt, John Schneider, and Dylan and Rachel Bush.

The romantic draw of music has made a great impact on Tom Metzler’s life. It has taken him from an impressionable young boy to the owner of a violin shop in Glendale. When he was 7 or 8 years old, living in Iowa, Metzler’s parents took him to an Iowa State University concert where he was awestruck by a sequin-dress-wearing violin soloist. “I was just swept up in the beauty of the music and the romance of it,” Metzler said. He told his parents he wanted to learn violin, and proceeded to study with that same violin soloist for about 10 years.

Children put the violin, cello, drums and other instruments to the test on Sunday during pre-concert activities at the Alex Theatre. Before the start of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s concert, “Spanish Tales and Guitar Scales,” children took part in an instrument petting zoo and arts and crafts activities. Dozens of youngsters and their families filled the theater’s first and second floor lobbies to participate in the activities before the concert.

Music lovers and musicians gathered at the Metzler Violin Shop on Sunday to listen to the sound of more than 40 modern Italian violins during the Tenth Annual Traveling Cremona Exhibition and Sale. David Stenske, associate concertmaster of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, played and compared violins from Cremona, Italy, before an audience of about 70 people. Stenske performed a brief snippet from a classical piece to demonstrate the difference in the sound and tone of the instruments.

Growing up among a family full of musicians, it was not long until Erica Richardson heard the calling to play. With a pianist for a sister and a flutist for a mother, she was listening to recordings of classical violin renditions while still in the single-digit age bracket. “I was excited to start my own instrument,” she said. “And I really liked the sound of the violin.” On Tuesday, Erica will again lead as concertmaster of the Glendale Youth Orchestra at the Alex Theatre in Glendale.