Music Conservatory Of Westchester Student Composition To Be Performed At Carnegie Hall

One would call Benjamin Araujo, a musical prodigy having had his original orchestral composition "A Postcard from New York City" performed by The New York Philhamonic as a winner of the Very Young Composers Program at Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall in 2017. On January 8, 2020, 17-year-old Araujo will bring another soaring original composition to the stage, this time at Carnegie Hall.

"It's a big step toward my future career goal to be a composer," Araujo said. "I had seen the opera of Alice in Wonderland by composer Unsuk Chin and I was inspired to write music like she did."

The New York premiere of Araujo's "Nine Portraits for Solo Piano" will be performed by renowned pianist Irena Portenko at the upcoming concert in Weill Recital Hall at the legendary Manhattan concert venue. These virtuosos share a common thread: the Music Conservatory of Westchester. Araujo is a piano student of pianist and composer Mikhail Zeiger at the Conservatory, and Portenko serves as an esteemed piano faculty member at the White Plains music school.

"We are so proud of our amazing faculty and talented students, who have the opportunity to spread their musical wings in many ways at our community music school," said Conservatory Executive Director, Jean Newton.

Portenko's acclaimed piano performances have been reviewed by The New York Times as "honest and clear textured." She is also the founder of Music in the Alps, an international music institute and festival for young musicians held in Austria. Araujo participated in this program in 2019, where he played classical and jazz music with music experts and students from around the world.

"I performed Benjamin's piece last August in Austria and it had a huge success among the festival's audiences. Several people asked him for the score," Portenko said of Araujo's composition, which he had composed at the age of 15.

Countertenor Jeffrey Palmer will also perform at the concert on January 8, 2020 at Carnegie Hall. Concert tickets are available online at CarnegieHall.org.

The Music Conservatory of Westchester was founded in 1929 by a group of community members and renowned artists. Today, the Conservatory provides the extraordinary benefits of music to all in our community, from absolute beginners to advanced artists, with one-on-one instruction, performing ensembles, theory, composition, early childhood classes, lifelong learning for adults, and free community performances, serving 2,800 students each year from 4 months to over 80 years old. As a not-for-profit organization, the Conservatory is dedicated to serving the community and reaching out to those who would not otherwise have access. Our Scholarship Program provides tuition assistance for financially deserving students. The Music Therapy Institute brings music into the lives of 2,000 children and adults with disabilities each year through on-site and outreach programs. Healing Our Heroes offers military veterans a specialized music therapy program to help with recovery after their service. The Conservatory has inspired generations of students, and contributed to a vibrant musical life in the county, the region, and beyond. www.musicconservatory.org

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