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CelloSpeak
Annual
Year-End Fundraiser

Help sustain CelloSpeak by donating to our Cellos-to-the Max annual year-end fundraiser.

Find websites confusing?

Mail Check to:
CelloSpeak
PO Box 1723
Falls Church, VA
22041

Order the DVD of 2013 Ensemble Week for a Holiday Present!

Order via our online Store on this website or send check to:

CelloSpeak
PO Box 1723
Falls Church, VA

Members: $23.50
Non-Members: $25.00

For a preview of this outstanding DVD, watch Orange Blossom Special on our CelloSpeak YouTube channel by clicking the button below.

CelloSpeak 2013 Photos Now Available!

Residence Hall.jpg

Photographs taken by Doug Wolters each day from Week 1 and Week 2 are now available to purchase. Click on the link below and use the password "cellospeak"

Owl Statue.jpg

Click here for photos

Two Cello Workshops For Adults in 2014!

Bryn Mawr College, PA
Dorothy Amarandos Artistic Director

Skill Builder Workshop

July 27 - August 2

Ensemble Workshop

August 3 - August 9

Greetings and all good wishes for Happy Feasting!

Our November Holidays are all at once
this year, so I hope you will have a
beautiful Thanksgiving Feast
with gorgeous cello music

to go along with the turkey, and also, if you celebrate Chanukah which comes first, with music and loved ones to share as well.

We're coming to the end of the year much too soon, with all the frenzies already upon us. But we need to remind you of the fact that CelloSpeak programs do not happen by themselves - and especially not to expand into the circles of the future. We need your support in order to provide the programs that you've come to expect - programs which are unique to CelloSpeak - programs that provide opportunities for inspiring and enriching cello instruction for adults from all professions, backgrounds, and stages of life to come together to share a love of music and the cello.

We now are asking you to be a part of our End-Of-The-Year Campaign to carry us forward and sustain our organization into the future. Our very special day for gifts to CelloSpeak, (as well as all other non-profit organizations throughout the country), will be on #GIVING TUESDAY which is on December 3rd after all the shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday - to celebrate the true spirit of the Holiday Season.

Kris and Marion have been doing a magnificent job to shoulder responsibilities and have begun to make sense out of our operations, but we need your help and generosity now to move out of our phase of volunteerism and into the real world of sustaining the organization. Even though our workshops, the core of our activities so far, are not in jeopardy, we are truly without the needed funds to embark upon the other activities we've planned and promised. As a few examples: the publication of our unique cello choir arrangements; the publication of a kit of information about how to plan and provide weekend workshops everywhere; the sponsorship of our virtuoso faculty in unique concerts and recordings.

The level of your much appreciated gift, which could be of any amount and any day, of course, can be found in the "cello descriptions" on the SPONSORSHIP AND DONATIONS page under the "STORE" button on the website. Choose the number of cellos to match your donation amount, which could be by check, credit/debit card or PayPal. To go directly to that page CLICK HERE . Or, if you are not accustomed to paying through the website, you may simply mail your check to CelloSpeak, Inc. P.O. Box 1723, Falls Church, VA 22041. (For a detailed description of how to make a gift through our website CLICK HERE ).

I truly give Thanks to all of you who make my days abundantly beautiful. Dorothy

It Takes a Village

CelloSpeak has grown so much in the last few years that it now takes a village to run it. In addition to our hard working Board of Directors, including myself, Madelyn Campbell, Oona Cheung, Cheryl Fisher, John Janega, Agnes Manley, Aileen Pisciotta, Eileen Street, Franceska Wilde, we've added two important new members - Kristin Gilbert and Marion Baker.

During our last meeting in September it was unanimously approved that we name Kris and Marion as our new Administrative Team to operate the business of CelloSpeak entirely from their home office - which includes a new P.O. Box number for all of us. The new address is CelloSpeak, Inc. P.O. Box 1723 Falls Church, VA 22041. The email address will still be: info@cellospeak.org. Welcome to our new Administrators, Kris & Marion.

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Kristin Gilbert has been with CelloSpeak since the very beginning only missing the very first workshop, and has been a gentle and kind, but firm supporter of the IV's and V's. Being a formidable player herself, she has been a long term member of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra and performs with other Washington based groups. For the past 20 years, Kris has taught both cello and piano from her home studio; is a frequent coach for area orchestras; and formerly had her own cello camp with Marion for advanced high school students. She is so well organized and devoted to cello that we know we will be in the best of hands to go forward with speed and devotion to detail.

Marion Baker is a Curtis trained virtuoso cellist and teacher, who has performed as a soloist with many orchestras, including under the baton of Leonard Slatkin. He has been the principal cellist of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra for almost 20 years, and has played as principal with many of the Washington area musical organizations including the National Gallery Orchestra, the Washington Bach Consort and the Washington Concert Opera. It's hard to believe, also, that he has recently retired from his other career in software development after 30 years. Marion is a multi-talented individual who can master the ins and outs of the web site and lend some much needed overview to our CelloSpeak administration.

I'm sure we will be able to grow and prosper in the wonderful hands of these two gifted cellists and business organizers.

On another note, to remember the joy of both Workshop Weeks of 2013, don't forget to visit the phenomenal photo galleries posted by our "Court Photographer", Doug Wolters. Just click on the following link and then use the password "cellospeak". Both prints and downloaded photographs are available along with other products.

http://www.timepointsphotography.com/cellospeakworkshop

2013 Summer Workshops

Huge Success!

Much music-making was enjoyed by all at the two 2013 workshops! The Skills Workshop was held from Sunday, July 28th to Saturday, August 3rd focusing on individual skills and the Ensemble Workshop was held from Sunday, August 4th to Saturday, August 10th emphasizing ensemble and performance. Participants were engaged in improving their technical, ensemble, and performing skills while enjoying the varied performances of the faculty and, as always, making new friendships and renewing old.

Among the works premiered this summer was the gorgeous Andante Con Variazioni by Respighi arranged for 16 solo cellists by our faculty member and resident arranger, Gary Fitzgerald. In addition two works of James Stephenson's for cello choir were premiered, the Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings and an exciting rendition of the Orange Blossom Special.

Thanks go to all that participated in these wonderful events including our outstanding conductors, Miriam Burns and Dan Alcott who led us to exciting concerts at the end of each week, our Board of Directors and administrative staff who created this event through their support, time, and guidance, and most of all our participants who worked hard to increase their mastery of the cello and who performed courageously and with aplomb. Thank you all for enriching each other's lives with your generous spirit and music-making.