Grace Music School Student Performance at Carnegie Hall

Northport, NY – May 31, 2019 Carnegie Hall is one of the most celebrated music venues in the world with a rich history of outstanding performers and memorable concerts. Grace Music School joined the ranks of those musical greats when students and teachers from their school took center stage at Carnegie’s Weill Hall on June 2. This was their third timing performing at Carnegie Hall in the last four years.

“This was a great opportunity for our students to showcase their talents,” said Grace Casey, the school’s Director and a graduate of Manhattan School of Music. “We had over 42 students try out for 15 solo slots, making it a very competitive selection process. The judges commented on how impressed they were with the level of talent of all who tried out”. Grace added that “because the school continues to grow, we will likely have to add a second concert the next time we go to Carnegie to accommodate more students.”

The concert featured pianists, vocalists, and a wide variety of instrumentalists and ensembles, including for the first time, nine singers from the school’s Glee Club. The concert began with an exciting 4 hand piano piece, “Mambo” from West Side Story, that will be performed by Grace and her younger brother, Jack. This was followed by a wide range of music from well-known classical pieces to recently written contemporary pieces. Grace added that “each year we continue to raise the bar in terms of the quality and variety of music being performed. There were many people in the audience that had never been to Carnegie Hall and we wanted them to have a great concert experience and live up the Carnegie’s unparalleled reputation.”

Grace Music School distinguishes itself by providing students with a variety of performance opportunities to help develop them into excellent musicians. “Returning to Carnegie Hall is something we look forward to all year, and there is something magical about performing there,” said Grace. “It also gives me an opportunity to perform, which I consider a great privilege.”

John Heaphy, who owns the school along with his wife Geri, stated that “allowing our students to perform at Carnegie Hall is something we are very proud of and separates us from other music schools on Long Island. This came only a month after our Make-A-Wish Benefit Concert, so we have been very busy the last couple of months…but it is all worth it.”

The concert was also a fundraiser for the Kings Park High School Music Department. Grace Music School made a $2,000 grant to purchase music-related equipment and supplies that may not be covered by the school’s budget. “The last two times we performed at Carnegie, we made similar grants to Northport and Half Hollow Hills High Schools,” said John Heaphy. He added that “many of our students attend these schools and it’s nice to be able to support them in a tangible way.”

ABOUT GRACE MUSIC SCHOOL

Grace Music School is Long Island’s premier music school and trains nearly 700 students each week at two convenient locations in Western Suffolk County. The school is family owned and operated and is dedicated to providing students with high-quality music instruction and numerous performance opportunities including concerts at Carnegie Hall. Their first location is in Fort Salonga and was opened in 2011. Their second location, opened in 2016, is at the Steinway Piano Gallery in Melville. This school has the distinction of being the first-ever music school integrated into a Steinway & Sons owned showroom. This school features a beautiful performance space where students can showcase their talent. It houses nine lesson studios and a café styled waiting room with bottled water, WIFI, and other amenities.