ORCHESTRA

Lindero Canyon Middle School is proud of its award-winning orchestra program which includes a comprehensive curriculum, from beginning to advanced levels. Students enter Beginning Strings with no experience whatsoever, and continue into Cougar Strings, and Concert Orchestra. The Concert Orchestra performs demanding repertoire and competes alongside high school orchestras annually in the WorldStrides Music Festival, where it regularly places 1st.

Lindero's auxiliary string ensembles include an alternative styles premiere string ensemble, eklektikos, which performs bluegrass, jazz, rock, and on occasion even klezmer music. Our premiere string quartet, ESQ (eklektikos string quartet), is comprised of Lindero’s most advanced players and performs original classics as well as challenging arrangements of rock classics.

Every year all of the orchestral ensembles present FiddleFest, a celebration of string music which features not only all of the ensembles, but a huge variety of musical styles, in addition to soloists, and guest ensembles. Frequently, FiddleFest also features a guest conductor. Guest conductors have included internationally acclaimed composers Soon Hee Newbold and Richard Meyer, in addition to several prominent local conductors, including Dr. John Roscigno, professor of music at California State University-Northridge and Jerome Kessler of the Topanga Symphony and Hollywood Chamber Orchestra.

Masterclasses and guest artists at Lindero have featured internationally renowned artists, including classical and rock violinist Rachel Barton Pine, and jazz violinist Christian Howes (see In Performance tab on this site). The Lindero Orchestra program regularly attracts string students from surrounding areas extending from Newbury Park to Malibu.

CHOIR

Lindero's choir program presents several solo and group performance opportunities for general students of all grades in a supportive and fun atmosphere. Students are taught music-reading skills in addition to vocal techniques, and perform fun literature in concert and at festivals.

Every spring the Concert Choir celebrates SongFest, which includes solo opportunities, and frequently hosts guest choirs. Choir members also participate every year in the LVUSD District Choral Festival. Every spring students look forward to our studio clinic at Disneyland where students work with internationally recognized clinicians in a professional recording environment.

Twice a year Concert Choir and all of the orchestral ensembles join forces for a festive massive finale performance. Selections cover all genres: pop song , rock classics, patriotic numbers, holiday songs, and traditional spirituals.

The choir and orchestra programs are grateful for our very supportive principal, Mr. Eric Anhalt and feel fortunate to live in a district where parents and administrators value and support arts education.

FACULTY

Dr. Gregory Fried, DMA in Orchestral Conducting from University of Texas; MA in Conducting and Violin from University of Denver; BM in Violin Performance from Indiana University, has taught at Lindero since fall 1994. Prior to teaching at Lindero, Fried was Assistant Conductor of the Ventura County Symphony, and for 10 years was Music Director of the New West Youth Symphony. Fried also taught violin and conducted at the university level for 10 years, in addition to teaching theory, string methods and graduate conducting. His first love, however, is working with young students. He obtained his doctorate from The University of Texas, where he was affiliated as conductor and violin teacher with the nationally acclaimed String Project. Dr. Fried remains active on violin in chamber music recitals with professional performing colleagues.

Thomas Lovasz, BM in Cello Performance from University of Pecs in Hungary, MM in Cello Performance from California State University, Northridge, is a cellist and music instructor based in Los Angeles. An active soloist, orchestral and chamber musician, Thomas has performed with artists such as John Williams and Zoltan Kocsis in multiple countries such as Hungary, Germany and the United States. Besides performing, Thomas is passionate about teaching. He started teaching in 2011 at his Alma Mater, the Franz Liszt School of Music in Hungary. Since then he has taught in numerous music schools and privately as well. Besides teaching at Lindero Canyon Middle School as a string coach he is cello instructor at Los Angeles Pierce College and Dave Janssens School of Music.

Kay Min, Master of Music in Piano Performance, Manhattan School of Music; Bachelor of Music, Chapman University, has taught and performed in New York City and Los Angeles for the last 20 years. She was on the piano faculty at Pasadena Conservatory of Music for 10 years and worked with LA Opera's education department as music director and pianist since 2009. Her awards and honors include the Los Angeles Liszt Competition and New York International Concerto Competition as well as solo performances in Merkin Hall (NYC) Zipper Hall (LA Colburn School), and Jan Popper Theater (UCLA). She has also performed in chamber groups, including Ensemble Green and Project Avanti (of which she is a founding member). Her main love, however, nurturing music students. She is an active member of the MTAC and plays piano for all three LVUSD middle school choirs.