NECC Music Professor Christina Dietrich

Northern Essex Community College’s music program is offering a week-long Summer Music Festival at its Haverhill Campus for pianists, violinists, and ‘cellists of all musical levels, August 4 through 8.  Open to musicians 10 and older, the program will focus on solo and chamber repertoire, technique, and fundamental music theory, all in relation to their historical context. The cost is $300 per person plus a $25 registration fee.

NECC faulty member Christina Dietrich is the director of the summer festival and she will be joined by a stellar group of faculty including violinist Angel Hernandez-Dominguez, cellist Caroline Reiner-Williams, and special guest Judith Eissenberg, who teaches music at Brandeis and is a member of the Lydian String Quartet.

Students will receive individual lessons and chamber music coaching during the morning session and master classes in the afternoon focusing on technique, basic music theory as it relates to the repertoire studied and the discussion of various works of composers from Baroque, Classical, Romantic and modern day in the afternoon.

There will be three concerts during the festival. On Monday, August 4 at 7pm faculty members will present a concert. There will also be two student faculty combined performances on Thursday, August 7 at 7pm, featuring solo instrumental works, and Friday, August 8 at 7pm, featuring performance of the chamber works studied by the participants. The festival concerts are open to the public.

This festival will be directed by renowned NECC Music Program faculty member Christina Dietrich, with guest artists, violinist Angel Hernandez, cellist Caroline Reiner-Williams, and pianist Michael Kramer. There will also be a special appearance by acclaimed violinist Judith Eissenberg.

This year’s special guest, Judith Eissenberg, Professor of the Practice in the Brandeis University Music Department, is a founding member and second violinist of the Lydian String Quartet. A performer on both modern and period instruments, Eissenberg has performed, toured and recorded with many musical organizations, including the Boston Chamber Music Society, The Boston Conservatory Players, the Handel and Haydn Society Orchestra, Boston Baroque, Emmanuel Music, and the Boston Pops.

Angel Hernandez, violin and viola, returning for the third year to the Music Festival, has spent two decades devoted to teaching and mentoring young violinists. He maintains an active performance schedule as a member of the Nashaway Trio, Camerata New England, the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra, and the Bangor Symphony Orchestra.

Caroline Reiner- Williams, violoncello, who is also returning for the third year, is both an experienced performer as well as a widely sought teaching artist. She performs regularly with the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra and the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, with whom she is contracted associate principal since 2009.

Michael Kramer, piano, has been a guest artist at the NECC Summer Musical Festival for the past four years. He has been a piano recitalist and soloist with many orchestras in the United States and Europe, including several performances with the Boston Symphony.

Professor Dietrich will meet with each student prior to the start of the workshop for proper placement and repertoire assignments prior to the start of the workshop.

Northern Essex offers an Associate in Arts Degree: Music Option and a certificate in music technology.

For more information please call 617-966-8923 or email cdietrich@necc.mass.edu.