Renowned Musicians To Speak To Chelmsford Orchestra Students

CHELMSFORD, MA — Two world-class musicians are connecting virtually with Chelmsford orchestra students for the district's annual "Stringfest" March 23 and March 29.

The renowned Mimi Rabson, a professor of strings at Berklee College of Music, violinist, violist and composer; and Kathryn Sievers, a violinist/violist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

“Both Mimi and Kathryn have such great talent and unique perspectives to offer my students,” said Parker Middle School Orchestra Director Lisa Tiano. “It will be interesting to hear them talk about being a musician in the age of Covid, and how they have had to adjust. I hope my students find this to be a motivational experience that keeps them playing their instruments for the rest of their lives."

On Mar. 23, Rabson was set to both perform and teach a master class for orchestra students in grades 5-7. A graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, Rabson has a long resume which includes recording and performing with Itzhak Perlman’s Klezmer Project and performing on Late Night with David Letterman. She specializes in teaching improvisational skills in several forms of contemporary music, as well as technology and recording techniques for strings.

“Mimi has a wonderful program at Berklee where she teaches the students how to create music simply by listening to their favorite songs,” Tiano said. “The kids are so into it, and they’re able to reproduce it from their own instruments.”

On Mar. 29, Sievers will perform and present a master class for Chelmsford’s grade 8-12 orchestra students. Sievers joined the BSO in 2018 after performing for symphonies nationwide on a freelance basis. She earned her undergraduate degree in English literature from Yale and achieved her master’s degree in music at The Julliard School.

“I was hoping for a violist with a young person’s perspective on playing string instruments," said Tiano, "And that’s what we’re getting.”