2011-2012 has been an exciting year at Great Neck Music Conservatory; filled with impressive student accomplishments, new initiatives, and the support of a wonderful “family-like” network. The following is a list of some of our outstanding student accomplishments this school year alone.

Two “All State – Piano Showcase” winners, Maxim Lando and Marc Fishman, were selected by two rounds of auditions from thousands of NYSSMA applicants throughout the state of New York. Only ten other pianists from all over New York State were selected for this honor. Three additional GNMC students were selected as alternates.

Sowoon Park, a GNMC flute student with Kaori Fujii, was one of two Winners of the Long Island Choral Society’s 31st Annual Young Artist Competition this past May. The competition was open to all instrumentalists ages 14-19 residing in Long Island and five boroughs of New York! Sowoon is currently the principal flutist with the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, and last summer was selected for the honor of performing in the All National Honor Ensembles at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

Two Great Neck Music Conservatory piano students won First and Second place in Long Island’s most prestigious concerto competition, the Long Island Philharmonic Young Artist Competition. Marc Fishman, a GNMC student with Alla Bell for the past twelve years (who currently attends Manhattan School of Music since September), was awarded a First Prize of $1000 and the opportunity to perform as soloist with the Long Island Philharmonic. Maxim Lando, who was awarded a Second Prize of $750, was possibly the youngest prize winner in the 25 year history of the competition.

GNMC student Scott Feiner was selected to perform Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue as the featured soloist with French Woods Orchestra last summer, and this summer he just returned to perform Grieg Piano Concerto. On August 8th Scott also had the opportunity to premier his own composition with the professional Lumina String Quartet in a concert at the Ferguson Library in Stamford, in Connecticut.

Three GNMC students were winners of the Concert Festival Concerto Competition, winning an opportunity to perform as soloist with orchestra. Alexandra Woroniecka (piano and violin) and Helena Woroniecka (violin) performed as soloists with the Island Chamber Symphony. Maxim Lando (piano) performed Beethoven Concerto nº 1 with North Shore Symphony Orchestra.

GNMC student Marina Nebro was selected to perform a Bach Piano Concerto as soloist with Great Neck North High School’s Symphony Orchestra. Marina has been a piano student at GNMC for the past nine years, and now in her senior year of High School works at our front desk on Friday evenings. Say “Hi” to her next time you pass by!

Once again this year our voice students shined in numerous leading roles, title roles, and special solos in their High School, Middle School, and community theater productions throughout Long Island and Queens!

Several GNMC students were winners of both Concert Festival and American Fine Arts Festival competitions. As a result they were showcased in concerts at Carnegie Hall and other venues throughout New York City.

Six GNMC students traveled with us to study music and perform at the Corsi Internazionali di Musica in the beautiful city of Perugia, Italy this summer! Check out blogs, photos and videos from the trip.

Two GNMC pianists, Grace Jiang and Marc Fishman, were selected for the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society’s Young Musician’s Chamber Music Competition program.

GNMC students shined this year in sharing their music for community service! Students participated in a host of special community concerts in synagogues, churches, hospitals and senior centers all over Long Island and Queens! Over 30 students participated in a new initiative of monthly concerts at the Atria at Cutter Mill Road in Great Neck.

GNMC Violin/Viola student Jacob Szilagi’s original composition was just selected to be used in the score for Houston Grand Opera’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream next year. More information will be coming soon!

Six GNMC students performed at the beautiful Oheka Castle in Huntington. They were paid for their performances and raised $5000 in scholarship money for GNMC’s Scholarship Fund.

All of our students had the opportunity to perform in charming studio recitals in our own Amadeus Room. Advanced students were also selected for special honor performances at the Rimsky Theater in Port Washington, Steinway Hall in Manhattan, and our two annual gala concerts at Carnegie Hall. Next year we will be adding special concerts at the Liederkranz Foundation in NYC, and in several museums around Long Island!

This summer several GNMC students participated in the first ever Oyster Bay Music Festival! From June 25-28, they participated in intensive Performance Master Classes and performed two to three times a day in multiple public concerts throughout downtown Oyster Bay. Visit OysterBayMusicFestival.com often for photos, videos, and application forms for next summer!

Several GNMC students performed in Masterclasses with Guest Concert Pianists Adam Neiman and Michael Baron. Next year we are honored to host several new Masterclass events for voice, cello, guitar and piano.

GNMC student Maxim Lando launched his own website at MaximLando.com. Visit him and leave a comment!

Many of our students participated in NYSSMA this year on all instruments and at all six levels. All of our students did a wonderful job! Most GNMC students received very high marks with positive comments. Many of our students received “perfect” score, including several students at level 6 (of course we tell these students that “nothing is perfect, and keep working”)! A few students had miserable experiences which we consider highly unjust. We are appealing through the system and trying to teach our students to stand up for themselves. Unfortunately as an entity grading students in music, NYSSMA has its own imperfections and inconsistencies.