By Christopher Tiffany, Detroit School of Arts

This fall, the Detroit School of Arts (DSA) began the school year with a burst of music. Through a program funded in part by the Knight Foundation, the DSA is able to bring in artists and groups from around the region to provide concerts, master classes, and one-on-one learning experiences to the school’s student musicians. So far this fall, DSA instrumental music students have had the opportunity to work with the Cavani Quartet, conductor Kypros Markou, and pianist Raffi Besaylan.

DSA began the school year with a visit from the Cavani Quartet. Artists-in-Residence at the Cleveland Institute of Music since 1988, the Cavani Quartet is committed to innovative programming which combines standard repertoire with contemporary music. As a regular visitor to DSA, the Cavani Quartet is always well received by the student body. This year, the Quartet worked one-on-one with members of the DSA String quartet, participated in a side-by-side rehearsal, and topped off their visit with a concert for students. Following the concert, they provided students with tickets to attend their performance at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Kypros Markou, Professor and Director of Orchestral Studies at Wayne State University in Detroit, stepped up to the podium in October as a guest conductor for the DSA’s student orchestra. Markou is an active conductor, violinist, and music director, working with orchestras throughout the U.S. and around the world. He is also Music Director of the Dearborn Symphony Orchestra and the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania. Markou was very encouraging and helpful in his work with students, and brought along a college level string quartet who performed for students, answered questions, and participated in side-by-side rehearsals. This work was, in part, preparation for a concert that Wayne State University Orchestra will present in partnership with the DSA Chamber Orchestra in early December.

The DSA was also honored to host pianist Raffi Besalyan, who lead a master class for four DSA piano students. Dr. Besalyan is currently Assistant Professor of Piano at Georgia State University in Atlanta, and has an international reputation as a recitalist, orchestral soloist, and chamber musician. Each student performed a solo for Besalyan and their peers in the Ford Auditorium. Besalyan then provided feedback to each student and called upon members of the audience to provide perspective on how each student improved with the advice that was given. Following the master class, Besalyan gave an incredible performance for the students.

The Detroit School of Arts is a performing and fine art public high school in midtown Detroit that provides, through a partnerships with organizations like the University of Michigan School of Education and the Knight Foundation, resources and opportunities for students to explore and excel in the fields of voice, orchestra, band, dance, visual arts, theater, music tech, and radio/television/broadcasting.