Lemont Music Students to Perform at Carnegie Hall

LEMONT, IL — Fifty students from the Allegro Music and Dance Academy, with locations in Lockport, Lemont and Bolingbrook, will travel to New York City this June to perform at the prestigious Carnegie Hall.

Students from the Lemont location set to perform include: Victor Rafacz, Guiliana Fishella, Sean Roessler, Leo Rafacz, William Tarazi, Jameson Porritt, Nathaniel Janusz, Mirella Sammartano, Isabella Gomez, Kate Pesavento, Ghazi Ahmad, Paul Crandall, Leah Pengiel, Lauren Pengiel, Madison Woodrum, Annabelle Dierking, JD Dierking, and Megan Bechtlofft.

The upcoming Student & Faculty Recital for Allegro students and teachers only is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for local students, from kindergarten through high school to perform as soloists on the grand stage. Tickets are available to the public for the Monday, June 27 afternoon and evening shows.

Lori Gardner, who owns Allegro with her husband Tim Veurink, began putting together the trip together almost two years ago.

“Carnegie has long been hosting groups like school choirs and band programs to perform,” she said. “This is quite different—we are talking about 50 individual students making their Carnegie debut as soloists. It’s pretty exciting.”

The student musicians were not required to audition, but did have to pledge to work hard in lessons throughout the year and prepare their piece to the highest of their ability. Students will be performing on piano, violin, guitar, voice, saxophone and flute. The performance will take place in Carnegie’s intimate Joan and Sanford I. Weill Recital Hall.

“Some of the kids that are going are five years old. Their parents said, ‘If our kids can play onstage at Carnegie Hall when they’re five, what else will they be able to do? High school students are excited ot be able to include a Carnegie performance on their college applications. The confidence these students are showing is nothing short of amazing.’’

Allegro began taking commitments from families in June 2015. The children were required to practice faithfully, listen to their teachers and maintain good academic standing throughout the school year in order to make their New York City debut.

“We had people lined up at the door the day of registration, because we could only take 50 students,” she said.Many parents designed family vacations around this trip. The destination concert has been so popular that the school is already finalizing plans with another major venue for a 2017 recital location.

Allegro Academy of Music and Dance is celebrating several anniversaries in 2016: its Lockport location celebrates 55 years in downtown Lockport, while the Lemont marks its 15th year and Bolingbrook has its 10th anniversary.