The Mount Announces Winners of the 2011 Edith Wharton Writing Competition

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LENOX, Mass. — The Mount, the historic estate of Edith Wharton, has announced the winners of the 2011 Edith Wharton Writing Competition. This winter, more than 100 students from high schools in Berkshire County and surrounding areas participated in the annual creative writing contest, which invited entries for fiction and poetry.

The Mount invites all contestants and their teachers and families as well as the general public to attend an awards ceremony at The Mount, 2 Plunkett St., from 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 30. The afternoon ceremony will open with a keynote speech by Connie Nordhielm Wooldridge, author of "The Brave Escape of Edith Wharton." Award winners will be presented with prizes and will be invited to read their winning works aloud.

The winners are as follows:

First Prize, 11th and 12th Grades ($250 Awards)

Sam Levin, Monument Mountain Regional High School - Fiction
Margaret Park Haas, The Hotchkiss School - Poetry

Second Prize, 11th and 12th Grades ($150 Awards)

Quinn Martin, Monument Mountain Regional High School - Fiction
Alexandra Copp, The Hotchkiss School - Poetry

Honorable Mention, 11th and 12th Grades (Gift Awards)

Christopher Cuevas, Lee High School - Fiction
Erin Rosalie Ostheimer, Mount Greylock Regional High School - Poetry

Sam Levin, Monument Mountain Regional High School - Poetry

First Prize, 9th and 10th Grades ($200 Awards)

Alaina Demopolous, Miss Porter's School - Fiction
Emily Tarjick, Hoosac Valley High School - Poetry

Second Prize, 9th and 10th Grades ($100 Awards)

Adelaide Bullock, Berkshire School - Fiction
Kelsey Hebert, Mount Greylock Regional High School - Poetry

Honorable Mention, 9th and 10th Grades (Gift Awards)

Zavi Sheldon, Mount Greylock Regional High School - Fiction
Elizabeth Paolucci, Chatham High School - Poetry
Julia Reynolds, Berkshire Country Day School - Poetry
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The Classical Beat: Tanglewood Taconic Music, Sevenars = Music HEaven

By Stephen DanknerSpecial to iBerkshires

Tanglewood enters its second week, and the highlights are noteworthy; indeed, each program will be memorable. Featured concerts this week include the celebrated Italian/German violinist Augustin Hadelich presenting a solo recital in Ozawa Hall including Brahms and Prokofiev; the Boston Symphony will perform Brahms' Second Symphony and Chopin's Second Piano Concerto featuring piano soloist Eric Lu - the Orchestra directed by conductor Fabio Luisi; Monday evening in Ozawa Hall, TMC conducting Fellows and Maestro Andris Nelsons will lead the Tanglewood Center Music Orchestra in a classic program of Haydn, Beethoven and Brahms. Read below for a full listing.

Consider the captivating Sevenars Music Festival, in South Worthington, MA. This Sunday afternoon, the Sevenars Music Festival's 58th anniversary season will begin, offering masterpieces for piano solo, piano duo, voice, and violin. Guest artists will be celebrated pianist/composer Clifton J. ("Jerry") Noble, baritone John Henry Thomas, and violinist Alexis Walls, joining Sevenars family members Rorianne Schrade, Lynelle James, and Christopher James. 

This week also marks the final slate of three concerts presented by the uniquely inspiring Taconic Music Festival, based in Manchester, VT. Co-founders Ariel Rudiakov and Joana Genova present their outstanding festival-resident mentor/performers and young artists in concerts on July 8, 11 and 13.

All three venues present wonderful and diverse music performed at vastly different and magnificent venues featuring outstanding performers.                                                                                                                                    

Tanglewood

Here is a listing of this week's Tanglewood programs – four major concerts, including repertoire, from July 9 through Tuesday, July 13:

Thursday, July 9, 8:00 p.m., Ozawa Hall: The sublimely lyrical violinist Augustin Hadelich, accompanied by pianist Seong-Jin Cho will perform a wide-ranging program of works for violin and piano by Brahms, Janacek, Amy Beach and Prokofiev.

Friday, July 11, 8:00 p.m., Shed: Conductor Andris Nelsons leads the BSO in a program of Mozart (Piano Concerto No. 25, in C Major K. 503 with Emanuel Ax, soloist) and Mahler (Symphony No. 4, with Erin Morley, soprano.)

Sunday, July 12, 2:30 p.m., Shed: BSO Guest Conductor Fabio Luisi directs the BSO in a program of Sofia Jani ( “What do flowers do at night”,) Chopin (Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor) and Brahms (Symphony No. 2.)

Monday, July 13, 8:00 p.m., Ozawa Hall: BSO Maestro Andris Nelsons and TMC conducting Fellows lead the TMC Orchestra in a program of Haydn (Symphony No. 31,) Brahms (‘Variations on a Theme of Haydn',) and Beethoven ( the ‘Egmont' Overture and Symphony No. 5.)

For tickets for all Tanglewood/BSO concerts (lawn and Shed seating) and for special events call (617) 266-1200 or (413) 637-5180; online: tanglewood.org or customerservice@bso.org. In Lenox, visit the Tanglewood box office at the Main Gate located at 297 West Street.

Sevenars Music Festival

Sunday, July 12, 4:00 p.m., the Academy, South Worthington, MA:

The opening concert of Sevenars Music Festival's 58th anniversary season, in tribute to America's 250th anniversary, the program will include sets of “‘Yankee Doodle' Variations” by Mario Braggiotti and Dave Brubeck, and works by George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Paul Schoenfield, Scott Joplin, Eubie Blake, and William Bolcom, plus songs by Rolande Young Schrade (co-founder of Sevenars) and a Fats Waller arrangement by composer Jerry Noble. A new young member of Sevenars fourth generation will be taking part as well, adding to the fun! Refreshments will be served. 

The historic Sevenars  Academy building is located at 15 Ireland Street, just off Route 112 at Ireland Street, South Worthington, MA. For more information call (413) 238-5854 (please leave a message for a return call) or visit online at sevenars.com.

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