Williams Junior Recital to Feature Violinist Choi

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WILLIAMSTOWN - The Williams College Department of Music will present a Junior Recital featuring Alicia Choi, a junior, on violin on Saturday, April 19, at 2 p.m. in Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall. This free event is open to the public.

Choi will be playing Ysaÿe’s Sonata No. 4 a Fritz Kreisler in E Minor, Elgar’s Sonata for Violin and Piano in E Minor, Bach’s Sonata No. 2 in A Minor, and Waxman’s "Carmen Fantasy." She will be accompanied by senior Elizabeth Schwartzman on the piano.

Choi began studying the violin at the age of 4. At the age of 11, she was a finalist in the Queens Symphony Young Soloist's Competition and the state alternate in the High School Performance Division in the MTNA Student Performance Competition. At the age of 13, she was a soloist with the New York Musicians Ensemble at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

She also participated in the Aspen Music Festival in the summer of 2001, where she performed in the Starling recital series, and was a part of the New York All-State Orchestra in 2003. She has performed at Juilliard Theater, Paul Hall, and Morse Hall, and in her high school, has been the concertmistress of the Stuyvesant String and Chamber Orchestra for 2 years and the first violinist in Orchestra on the Go. In February 2004, she performed at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in the Young Musician's Concert.

Choi also has participated in the Chamber Music Workshop at the School for Strings, where she performed in master classes of Aaron Rosand, Philip Setzer, and the Daedalus Quartet in the summer of 2004.

From 2001, she received a scholarship to attend the Pre-College Division of the Juilliard School of Music, under Won-Bim Yim and Masao Kawasaki for 4 years. At Williams, she performs in several solo and chamber recitals, and has performed in master classes for Donald Weilerstein, James Buswell, and Wonji Kim Ozim. In May 2006, she performed as a soloist and winner of the 2006 Berkshire Student Soloist Competition with the Berkshire Symphony. She currently studies with Joanna Kurkowicz.

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Lanesborough Passes FY 2027 Budget, Warrant Articles

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Town meeting on Tuesday approved an almost $14 million fiscal 2027 budget, and approved bylaws for short-term rentals and signage, and for public safety vehicles. 
 
Of the 20 warrant articles, one, Article 7, to use free cash to pay prior fiscal year bills of $941.27 was indefinitely postponed by Moderator David Rolle because the bills were for the fire association.
 
Some 247 of the town's more than 2,600 registered voters filled Lanesborough Elementary School, debating articles during a meeting that lasted more than three hours. 
 
The town's 2027 spending plan is up more than 10 percent, with the main increases from higher enrollment in the regional schools and the McCann Technical School renovation project.
 
Voters approved the assessment of $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School. They also approved Article 11, which was the use of $16,298.48 in free cash for the McCann's roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. 
 
Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. Article 5 asked the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses, which passed.
 
Fire Chief Jeff DeChaine spoke to the audience on his articles and the need for a new truck to replace the 1996 fire truck, listed on the warrant articles for a total $813,366, which includes a $100,000 contingency cost on whether a 2026 model-year chassis can be secured before new emissions standards in 2027. If they get the 2026 chassis, that contingency likely won't be needed.
 
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