Darien Sends Seven Students to Annual String Orchestra Music Festival

Seven Darien students will play in the 39th Annual Fairfield County String Teachers Association's String Orchestra Music Festival Weekend, which culminates in a public concert on Saturday.

Three string orchestras—totaling over 170 middle and junior high school students from 15 towns in the region—will play in a "stimulating musical opportunity," according to a release from the association.

The concert will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday in the Ives Concert Hall at Western Connecticut State University's Midtown Campus in Danbury. General admission for the program is $7.

Guest conductors work with students ranging from 6th grade to 9th grade to arrange performances for the event.

Members of the Fairfield County String Teachers Associations hope that the festival will provide student musicians with the motivation to advance their musical studies, according to the release.  

Gary Capoziello of Fairfield is the festival's featured soloist. He has received degrees in violin performance from SUNY Purchase and New England Conversatory of Music. He is currently working on a doctoral degree and serves as a teaching assistant to Katie Lansdale at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford.

The seven participating Darien students are:

6th & 7th Grade Orchestra:

• Sara Baldwin

• Talmage Lindsey

• Ben Zhao

8th & 9th Grade Orchestra:

• Rebekah Lindsey

• John Selkowitz

• Candice Wang

Honors Orchestra:

• Wen Yan Toh