Three Time Winner! Gia Antolini Wins BMS Chopin Competition

Report and Photos by Paula Antolini

Eighth grade Bethel Middle School (BMS) student Gia Antolini, age 13, won the BMS Chopin Piano Competition for the third year in a row. The event took place on March 4, 2014 at Bethel High School.
 
For this year's competition Gia performed "Valse Op. 64 No. 2" by Frederic Chopin and also "Sonata in G Major" by Ludwig Van Beethoven.  In 2013 she performed “Chopin Prelude Op. 28 No. 7″ by Frederic Chopin and “Sonatina in C Major, Op. 36, No. 3” by Muzio Clementi. In 2012 she performed “Chopin Prelude Op. 28 No. 20″ by Frederic Chopin and “Sonatina in C Major, Op. 55, No. 1" by Friedrich Kuhlau.   

Students from 6th, 7th and 8th grades were invited to compete and most had formal piano lessons for years, although not a requirement for entry. Students were given the same mandatory Chopin piece to learn in only a few months and they were also able to choose a second selection of classical music of their own to perform for the competition.
 
Judges of this year's Chopin competition were Mr. Joe Torre and Mr. Al Robinson, both part of the music department at BMS.  They awarded Gia Antolini (8th grade) first prize for her performance and they decided to award a three-way-tie for second place to BMS students Timothy DeVita (8th grade), Cameron Klinefelter (8th grade) and Nathan Sprock (6th grade).

All three second place winners individually performed "Valse Op. 64 No. 2" by Frederic Chopin, and Timothy DeVita also perfomed "Waltz Brilliant" by Frederic Chopin,  Cameron Klinefelter also perfomed "Le Coucou" by Claude Daquin, and Nathan Sprock also perfomed "Fur Elise" by Ludwig Van Beethoven.

Gia has studied classical piano for the last nine years at the Suzuki Talent Education School (STES) in Newtown, CT, under instructors Mr. Paul Malyszka and Ms. Helen Malyszka.

Gia intends on continuing her classical piano study at the Suzuki Talent Education School.  STES offers instruction in classical piano, classical guitar and music theory as well as Pre-Suzuki for 2 1/2 to 5 year old children. The students participate in approximately 10 recitals per year, in-studio recitals and more formal performances on stage.

This Spring Gia will begin guitar study at BMS. Gia will continue her orchestra study and performance on violin and viola at BMS. She will continue orchestra study at Bethel High School in September 2014 and begin a Music Theory class there too.

This is the fifth year the Chopin Piano Competition has taken place and was started as a 200th year celebration and part of a tribute to composer Frederic Chopin’s 1810 birth.  The idea of this competition originated from Dr. Kevin Smith, Superintendent of Bethel Public Schools, and “Music Connections” teacher Mr. Thomas Rombilus, who also organized and ran the event all five years.

Mr. Rombilus has been teaching music at BMS for 39 years and is a beloved member of the BMS staff.  Dedicated to his craft, he teaches the basic music class called "Music Connections" which includes piano keyboard. He is dedicated to continuing the Chopin piano competition and has inspired many students to compete.  Rombilus said, "The reason we call it Music Connections, is because it's taught in a way where we connect it to history, we connect it to science, we connect it to language arts, and we connect it to art."  His creative teaching methods show students that music is all around them in many ways.

Gia is also in the Bethel Middle School (BMS) 8th grade orchestra and performs on violin and viola and has also accompanied the orchestra on piano. She started studying violin in fourth and fifth grade, instructed by Dr. Linda Ciacchi, at the Bethel R.M.T Johnson School, and continued her violin studies in 6th, 7th and 8th grades at BMS, instructed by Mr. Richard Baumer.  Gia is studying the viola with Mr. Baumer since September 2012. She is a member of the String Chamber Orchestra (SCO) at BMS for two years, which is an extra-curricular after-school orchestra taught by Mr. Baumer. Gia was also chosen to perform classical pieces on piano in the 5th, 6th and 7th grade Variety Shows in 2011-2013.

Mr. Baumer has been teaching music at BMS for 5 years. He began teaching orchestra and a general music class called "Music Lynx," which eventually became 7th grade keyboard and 8th grade guitar. He presently teaches orchestra and guitar, and String Chamber Orchestra (SCO), the after school activity, where students also perform in concert conducted by Mr. Baumer.  He was awarded the honor of "Teacher of the Year" by the principals and collegues, in 2013.

This year Gia Antolini was also chosen to participate in the Fairfield County String Festival, for the second year in a row.  This event is for high achieving string players in grades 6-9. The countywide festival takes place at Ives Concert Hall at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT.  It is sponsored by the Fairfield County String Teachers, Inc..  Participation includes an intensive two day rehearsal culminating in a performance by three orchestras from the Fairfield County 6-9th grades. Students had to be recommended by their BMS music teacher, who submitted their resumes to festival officials, who then selected students to audition for the event. The festival rehearsal will begin on Friday afternoon, March 14, 2014, 3:45-6:00 p.m. with intensive instruction by prestigious conductors and rehearsal continues on Saturday, March 15, 2014, at 9:00-3:00 p.m. and culminates in a concert performance at 3:00 p.m. that day in the Ives Concert Hall. It is an honor to be a performer in this festival and an exceptional experience to perform with other talented string players from all over Fairfield County.

Other BMS students accepted into the Fairfield String Orchestra this year are 8th graders Cosette Domkofski and Hajer Shaker, and 7th graders Elizabeth Fagan and Jillian Paulin.  

Bethel Middle School continues to promote music education and has many excellent music teachers, courses of study, and extra curricular music activities for students to enjoy, such as String Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Band, Symphonic Band and Concert Choir. 

The Chopin competition is a thrilling experience for the BMS students to participate in each year and gives them a chance to learn Chopin music they otherwise might not have studied.

Gia will perform the same two Chopin and Beethoven pieces for the Bethel Middle School faculty on April 2, 2014 at 3:00 p.m., a special performance offered to winners only.

*****

The Suzuki Talent Education School Music Teachers

Mr. Paul Malyszka

Paul Malyszka has been teaching piano at the Suzuki Talent Education School since 2002.  He received his B.A. in Music from Manhattanville College and M.M. in Piano Performance from The University of Hartford at The Hartt School of Music.  Paul was a student of the Suzuki Method beginning his study at the age of three.  He strives to pass on the same wonderful experience he received as a child to all of his students.  He is thrilled to be working at the Suzuki Talent Education School.  

He is currently the Director of the Choral Division at The Wooster School in Danbury, CT where he directs the Middle School and Upper School Handbell Choirs, Middle School Chorus, Wooster Singers and the auditioned Madrigals Choir.  In addition to his music directing responsibilities he also teaches Early Development Music, Music Theory and Music History Courses in the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools.  Paul is a graduate of Wooster and has been a member of its faculty since 2004.

Paul is also the Director of Music at King Street United Church of Christ in Danbury, CT where he has worked since 1999.  He is the full time organist and choir director of the Junior and Senior Choirs.  He has also worked as the Piano Accompanist for the Southington Festival Chorale and King Low Heywood Thomas School in Stamford, CT.

"Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens. If children hear fine music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline and endurance. They develop a beautiful heart.”  -Shinichi Suzuki

Ms. Helen Malyszka

Ms. Helen Malyszka, who teaches the Baby classes, Pre Suzuki classes and Theory classes, became involved with STES in 1983 with her son Paul, who was three years old at the time. In 1985 Helen received Suzuki training from Jeanne Luedke and began teaching Pre-Suzuki classes.

Helen is also the music teacher for St Rose Pre-School, Newtown Congregational Nursery Co-op and the Wesley Learning Center. In 1975, Helen graduated from Stevenson College in Edinburgh, Scotland, with a degree in Early Childhood Education.

In addition to her teaching, she has performed in the vocal harmony trio Eclipse throughout Scotland and in the United States for over 30 years with her brother and twin sister.

Ms. Jeanne Luedke

Ms. Jeanne Luedke founded the Suzuki Talent Education School in 1977 and has been a teacher and trainer for forty years and retired from teaching in 1999 to focus entirely on parent education. After earning a Master’s degree in music and a career in piano performance, Jeanne Luedke studied the Suzuki Method of talent education both here and at Dr. Suzuki’s school in Matsumoto, Japan.

She is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Suzuki Association of America and past editor of the piano column for the Suzuki Journal. Jeanne continued to train teachers and parents in her widely acclaimed Parent Education Seminars from 1987-2007. For the past ten years Jeanne has written a parent education newsletter for Suzuki parents and teachers. She continues writing practical advice with her Studio Series newsletter which teachers can purchase and reproduce for their families. In addition, she has written a book entitled Teachers Guide to Parent Education. This guide contains the important information that Jeanne has shared in her newsletters and teacher seminars over the past twenty years.