Eastman Showcase 2005
In the Kitchen with Mozart
Violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins (BM ’93) has performed in the Aurélia Trio, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and New York Philharmonic, and as a soloist with the Dallas Symphony. Her most recent project had an unusual, and unusually appreciative, audience. Earlier this year, Kelly founded “Music Kitchen” at her home church of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church near Lincoln Center in New York City. “My mission,” she says, “is to share the inspirational, therapeutic, evocative, and uplifting power of music with New York City’s disenfranchised homeless shelter population.”
While preparing for a series of solo concerts, Kelly explains, “my husband Joe encouraged me to play through my repertoire for the men at the shelter, rather than my usual list of colleagues and friends. Some had never heard classical music before and some were knowledgeable about it, but all seemed interested and moved by the music. It occurred to me to pursue this idea of sharing music with them regularly, with a full complement of collaborating professional musicians.”
Her first Music Kitchen performance, on March 22, at Holy Trinity (which included cellist Jeff Zeigler BM ’95), consisted of music by Brahms and Mozart. Kelly offered two more Music Kitchen performances in April (including a jazz quartet), and hopes to continue next year. For more information contact Kelly at 917.532.5547.