The Presto! Ensemble was created in 2008 to provide a high-level chamber music experience for SVWNY’s most advanced students, bringing together teenagers who have known each other since their days as young Suzuki players. The ensemble has performed in a variety of locations and is available for performances at special events.

Students are experienced with a variety of musical styles, including fiddle tunes, folk, rock, baroque and classical.  Their repertoire (non Suzuki) is chosen carefully and according to the students’ needs, not just for a concert or event.

In addition to providing them with the confidence to perform on stage in front of hundreds of people, our young musicians are developing important skills for their future careers as lawyers, designers, therapists, doctors, dentists or even in music.

Presto! SVWNY students are selected for the ensemble by audition.

Presto! Ensemble is coached and directed by Eloisa Raffel

We are very lucky since 2009 to have developed a partnership project with Think First Serve, a global firm that specializes in helping organizations figure out new ways to grow and work together. Students learn how every person is different and explore new ways they can help each other to become an even better sounding ensemble.

Think First Serve also has developed special performance and practice strategies for our young musicians to help them achieve their highest level under stressful conditions. Performance Practices are the key to success for most ATP tennis players, Olympic athletes and internationally-renowned sports teams all over the world.  Being a musician requires very similar mental preparation as an athlete.

Whether it is a concert, an audition, a test at school, or a presentation, students have been learning how to prepare themselves.  Playing music, and all that goes with it, is a fundamental skill that they will be able to able to use for life.