Oxford Music Academy to play at Carnegie Hall

Oxford Music Academy is sending a group of students to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York on April 1.

Jon Sanford, founder and director of Oxford Music Academy, said the idea for this trip began almost two years ago with the help of Darvin Lau, the founder and owner of Bay Ridge School of Music in Brooklyn, New York. The two decided to have their schools collaborate on a joint recital.

Through Lau’s connections, Sanford secured a performance slot for his and Lau’s students at Carnegie Hall.

“I’m excited for the experience the students are going to have,” Sanford said. “They are really going to get the same experience that professional artists do.”

The performance will feature over 20 total students from both schools, according to Sanford. The Oxford Music Academy will bring 12 of its 250 to perform.

Of the 12 students, the Oxford Music Academy will be represented by five pianists, three violinists, two vocalists, one saxophonist and one drummer.

Sanford spoke about the criteria for choosing select students of his to perform at Carnegie Hall.

“We based it on their performance experience here at the academy,” he said. “The students who were selected were ones who had shown the most consistency and performing (through recitals at the academy).”

Morris has been a member of the Oxford Music Academy for six years, learning and refining her skills at piano and the alto and tenor saxophones. Morris is looking forward to the opportunity to share her skills at Carnegie Hall, where she will play Mozart’s “Sonata No. 16 in C major” on piano.

Luna Morris, a pianist with the Oxford Music Academy, shared her excitement at being chosen to perform in New York.

“(I’m) really grateful,” she said. “I’m really excited … and really lucky.”

Finding a slot to reserve their performance at Carnegie Hall was a challenge, according to Sanford, but it ended up working out in favor of the students. The performance will take place over Talawanda School District’s spring break week, so students and their families will individually be able to make their travel accommodations to New York.

“(It’s) so the students will be able to create their own ‘New York’ experience for themselves,” Sanford said.

Sanford and Lau will be hosting an optional joint dinner the night before the performance so students from both schools can meet and get to know each other.

“A lot of them realized that this experience is a bit of a ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,’” Sanford said.The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. on April 1 at Carnegie Hall and feature a variety of classical music through various periods.