from my Instagram feed: the first class of Accelerando poses with Nashville Symphony music director Giancarlo Guerrero, August 20, 2016

This month saw the end of a long and thorough audition process that began on March 12 and led to the selection of our first ever class of students who are beginning the Accelerando program this fall. Speaking on my own behalf and that of the Nashville Symphony and our community partners: we are thrilled!

Our first class of Accelerando students represents the dynamic diversity of Middle Tennessee well: each of the six students in grades 7 -10 attends a different school, two in Rutherford County and the other four at Metro Nashville Public Schools. Our inaugural class of student instrumentalists collectively play violin, viola, flute, bassoon, and trombone, and will begin weekly lessons with Nashville Symphony musicians in September, as part of a comprehensive scholarship program of activities to prepare them for music school at the college level.

All from Middle Tennessee, the students are:

Bernard Ekwuazi, trombone
Grade 9
Blackman High School,
Rutherford County Schools

Isabel Evernham,
flute
Grade 9,
Overton High School,
MNPS

Aalia Hanif,
flute
Grade 10
Central Magnet School,
Rutherford County Schools

Emily Martinez-Perez,
viola
Grade 9
Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School,
MNPS

Cedric Quinn,
bassoon
Grade 10
McGavock High School,
MNPS

Antonio Thai,
violin
Grade 7
Martin Luther King Jr. Academic Magnet
MNPS

This pioneering class represents everything that we envisioned when we announced Accelerando more than a year ago: talented and dedicated youngsters from different corners of our community who have the potential to shape the future of American orchestras. I am thrilled to welcome these gifted young musicians into the Nashville Symphony family, and I know everyone in our organization is excited to follow their development and progress in the coming years.