His attitude pleases Phyllis Hoffman, who directs the music division at SFA and the BUTI summer program. These young people are really the guardians of classical music. The institute is the only one affiliated with a major symphony orchestra, and as part of the tuition package, students receive a season ticket to all concerts on the main grounds of Tanglewood, the BSO s summer home. They are also invited to the orchestra s closed rehearsals. It s really unparalleled.
Students also appreciate the depth of the music instruction.
Sarah Charness, a teenager who started playing the violin at age four, was in a string quartet workshop this summer as well as the Young Artists Orchestra. A lot of times a conductor can just point out where you need to improve, but they taught us how to rehearse on our own. A small but growing number of BUTI students are attending under merit-based scholarships. Its purpose is to develop the string chamber music component of the Young Artists Orchestra through new scholarships and faculty positions. Development will be a priority for No l this fall, when she migrates back to SFA to continue her year-round task of managing the institute.