Historic Performance by the
West Point Cadet String Ensemble

May 20, 2008

The West Point Cadet String Ensemble (Army Strings), under the direction of Ms. Ellen Gartner Phillips, presented their debut concert on Saturday, May 10th at 7:00 p.m. in the Eisenhower Hall Ballroom. This was the first full orchestral performance by the cadet group with a conductor, and perhaps the first such concert in the history of the Academy. The concert was a rousing success with a large audience enthusiastically responding to the variety of music and talent of the cadet musicians. 

Army Strings - Eleanor Rigby

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Cadet Chris Beckwith (’08, violin) led Army Strings as club president and was joined for the performance by violinists Eric Holly (’11), Barret Halgas (’11), Walter Arevalo (’10) and Alan Lewis (’10). Galen Mandes (’11) and Hans Kobor (’11) played viola with Jessica Howell (’10), the club vice-president unable to play due to injury. Sam Korom (’11) and Ronald Medina (’11) played cello and Kevin Flett (’10) and Zack Spear (’11) the double bass to round out the ensemble.

The program included a wide range of music for string ensembles. Britten’s Simple Symphony and Rossini’s The Barber of Seville were the featured classical pieces. The program also included diversity with music by Gershwin (The Entertainer), a traditional Irish song (Londonderry Air) and even a Beatles tune (Eleanor Rigby). In addition to the full ensemble, two pieces featured cadet soloists. Eric Holly and Barret Halgas performed the famous Bach “Double” Concerto, a highlight of the first half of the concert. The second half of the program began with a very special performance by cellist Sam Korom accompanied by West Point Music Activity Director Ms. Eun Ha Chung on piano of the Concerto for Cello in D Minor by Edouard Lalo.


Army Strings - Barber of Seville
 
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John Philip Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever concluded the concert, with the audience standing and clapping in rhythm to the famous march for an encore…a very unusual occurrence at a typical symphony concert but a most fitting ending to an evening with the Army Strings.

Army Strings - Star Spangled Banner

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The Army Strings was first named as an official cadet club in 2006 but traces its roots to the previous year. In the fall of 2005, Cadet Renee Rysiewicz ’07, then a yearling (sophomore), decided she wanted to continue playing the violin while at the Academy and that doing so in a small ensemble would be fun. The club began with informal meetings in company dayrooms as cadets found free time to play. Since then, the club has grown to include a full string ensemble with weekly rehearsals. This year, the club celebrated its first year with a director, Ellen Phillips, making this historic performance possible. The club has provided string music in chamber groups for numerous events at West Point to include receptions, dinners, weddings and special events. The club includes cadets who play violin, viola, cello and the string bass.

Director Ellen Gartner Phillips is a classically trained violist. She has played with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and has worked under the baton of acclaimed conductors Larry Rachleff, Stephen Sanderling, Joseph Silverstein and Michael Stern. She holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and a Master of Music Degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music in Houston, Texas. Ms. Gartner Phillips also manages a private studio of violin and viola students in Poughkeepsie, New York and is married to Staff Sgt. Joshua Phillips, a horn player in the U.S. Military Academy Band. Commenting on the concert, she noted “the Army Strings have come a long way in a very short time. I am thrilled to be a part of that growth and excited that these cadets continue to make music a part of their already busy lives.”

For more information about the Army Strings, call the club Officer-in-charge, Lt. Col. Rod Sturdivant at (845) 938-3322; or visit the club web site at http://www.usma.edu/uscc/dca/clubs/club%20setup%20info/astg.html

 

 

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