BRECKSVILLE, Ohio – 11-year old Polina Kornyushenko and 13-year old Nicholas Oita were honored to perform at the Cleveland Ballet Celebration of Dance & Music concert at the Playhouse Square, Hanna Theatre on Jan. 27. Both sang without amplification meaning no microphones were used. This is quite unusual particularly for opera singers so young.
Polina and Nicholas were positioned in the middle of the stage near the grand piano, cello and violin, which made their vocal task even more difficult. The dancers from the Cleveland Ballet performed on stage with them. Polina, of North Royalton Middle School, sang Tarantella Napolitana Rossini, which has a high level of difficulty. She previously won the American Protege Vocal International competition with this piece and performed it at Carnegie Hall. The fast coloraturas of the Tarantella were precise and clearly performed in the Cleveland Ballet performance and greatly appreciated by the audience’s ovation.
Nicholas, a pupil of Brunswick Edwards Middle School, sang Dicitencello Vuieh by Falvo. His performance was very musical and artistic, and also was very warmly appreciated by the public. His very musical and exceptional artistic interpretation even included an interaction with the Cleveland Ballet dancers.
Both students performed their short roles with a high level of artistry. Their voices reached the back sits clearly which was especially noticed in the fast tempo of Tarantella and dynamic changes in Dicitencello Vuie. Polina and Nicholas are students of Olga Druzhinina, Olga Music Studio of North Royalton.
Athletic and smart students: More than three-dozen student athletes at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C(r)) earned All-Academic recognition from the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference for their classroom success during fall semester. Tri-C led all conference schools in honorees. To gain All-Academic status, students needed at least a 3.3 GPA while completing 12 or more credit hours during the semester.
The following local Tri-C students were recognized: Baseball: Danny Shaw of North Royalton; Cross Country: Taylor Badamo of North Royalton; Courtney Craig of Garfield Heights; Alyssa Fallon of Olmsted Falls; Tania French of Berea; Softball: Nicole Ferrara of Independence; Volleyball: Leah Stilla of Berea; Rachel Geis, Ashley Moga, Taylor Moga and Bethany Weisenseel all of Parma. Congrats to all of these outstanding student athletes!
Eat and listen: The Boosters groups of the Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School (BBHHS) Band, Orchestra and Choir are hosting the 3rd Annual Music in Our Schools Pancake Breakfast. This fundraiser includes many activities including student musical performances, raffles and more on Sat., March 4 from 8:00 a.m. to noon. The breakfast will be in the BBH High School cafeteria, 6380 Mill Rd., Broadview Hts. Cost is $10 for a large breakfast and $5 for a small breakfast. Tickets will be sold at the door. General parking is in the middle school lot. The high school lot is reserved for handicapped and elderly patrons. Visit http://www.bbhhsband.com/musicandpancakes for more information.
Music Boosters fundraiser: “Ticket to Broadway” is the Vocal Music Boosters Annual Fundraiser on Sat. Feb. 25 at 7:00 p.m. It features the show choir, Music in Motion, with special guest appearances. Following the performance, guests will partake in a wonderful dessert reception where current students will entertain in a cabaret setting. The show will take place at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School in Broadview Heights. Contact 216-570-4560 for more information.
Stop and smell the roses: Chippewa Garden Club is starting its 68th year. The club meets monthly on the 4th Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in the Brecksville Community Center in the Human Services Building at the rear entrance, 2 Community Dr., Brecksville. The meetings are free and open to the public and have many interesting topics and activities throughout the year.
On Tues., Feb. 28, “Roses, Roses and more Roses” will be presented by Bob Lukacevic at 7:00 p.m. Bob will share his knowledge of roses as he discusses growing roses without chemicals and the various classes of roses beyond teas and knock-out roses. Your roses you have in your yards, or newly planted ones, can be entered in this year’s flower show. This year’s flower show is titled “This Land Is Our Land”, a tribute to the 100th Anniversary of the Cleveland Metroparks. Bring a friend or two to this enjoyable evening. Refreshments will be served.
The year of the rooster: A Lunar New Year Celebration – The Year of the Rooster Sun, Feb. 26, is being sponsored by the Rotary Club of North Royalton/Broadview Heights. This 12th Annual Celebration will feature an authentic lion dance, Chinese raffle and other entertainment. The fun will take place at the Kumo Japanese Seafood Buffett from 4-6:00 p.m. at 1975 Snow Rd. in Parma. Tickets are $35 for adults and $12 for children 10 and under and include buffet and coffee/tea/pop. Contact 440-773-9552 for tickets and more information.
Let the Brecksville, Broadview Heights and North Royalton communities know what is going on with your organization, church, school, business or family. Email me at shirleymac48@att.net.
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