Since its inception, the Geneva Music Festival (GMF) has held within its mission the goal of inspiring and nurturing a lifelong appreciation for classical music, with special effort directed at the youngest of audiences. Each year, Geneva natives taking part in GMF provide outreach to local youth prior to the start of the season, including free performances at public schools. However, many of the artists who participate in the festival each year also work to educate, inspire and bring music to younger artists in their hometowns. This year, for example, returning artists, violinist Jinjoo Cho, cellist Clive Greensmith, and pianist Michelle Cann combine careers as performing artists with yearlong efforts directed at sharing their passion with youth.
Cho’s biggest passion is arts education and audience engagement and she has performed master classes, showcases and lecture recitals at more than 100 venues. She is the founder of a chamber music program for high school and college students in Cleveland, Ohio, named ENCORE Chamber Music. In an interview for Violinist.com, she noted, “It is my goal to create a transformative experience where young musicians are led to discover this inner connection between music and themselves early on by collaborating with others. I truly believe Encore will not only grow better musicians, but also better human beings who are kind, passionate, and loving, who will ultimately shape the horizon of music for the better.” On the other side of the globe, Cho is involved with Classical Revolution Korea, traveling throughout the country to give free concerts in cafés.
During a career spanning more than 25 years, cellist Clive Greensmith has compiled a catalogue of landmark recordings. Deeply committed to the mentoring and development of young musicians, he also has enjoyed a long and distinguished teaching career. In addition to his 15-year residency with the Tokyo String Quartet at Yale University, Greensmith has served as a member of faculty at the Yehudi Menuhin School and Royal Northern College of Music in England, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Manhattan School of Music and New York University. In 2013 he was appointed Co-Director of Chamber Music and Professor of Cello at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, which he describes as “a private conservatory with merit-based free tuition, room and board for the highest level of music majors.” Students of Mr. Greensmith have gone on to secure major positions in orchestras throughout the world and have won numerous prestigious awards.
Cann is a young leader in creating opportunities for music education in her community. Where she resides in Philadelphia, she has served as the choir director of two, 30-member children choruses in the El-Sistema inspired program, “Play On Philly.” She is the founder of a new program, “Keys to Connect,” which strives to strengthen the bond between parent and child through the shared study of piano. She also served as one of three Curtis Institute of Music inaugural fellows of ArtistYear, a one-year fellowship through which she worked with local community partners such as City Year, Teach for America and AmeriCorps to bring the arts to local Philadelphia communities where arts education and access are unattainable.
“We are proud to bring world-class performers to venues throughout our Finger Lakes communities each year,” says GMF Director Geoffrey Herd. “It’s also gratifying to know they share our mission of bringing more than just one beautiful concert to audiences, but rather a lifetime love of music.”