We learned yesterday that our superb concertmaster of two years, Amy Schwartz Moretti, will be leaving us after the new year to direct a new string center at Mercer University in Georgia. Amy is a treasure, and it’s hard to see her go, as her sparkling playing and personality have been a huge bright light to our orchestra for these past two years. Here are the official details from the press release:<\/p>\n
MORETTI TO DIRECT PREMIERE CENTER FOR STRINGS; WILL LEAVE AT THE END OF THE 2006-2007 SEASON<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n
Portland, Ore. \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Amy Schwartz Moretti, concertmaster of the Oregon Symphony since 2004, will leave the Symphony at the end of the 2006-2007 season to become the Director and Associate Professor of the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings and to hold the Caroline Paul King Chair in Strings at Mercer University\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Townsend School of Music in Macon, Georgia. A search for her successor will begin shortly.<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153This unique and compelling opportunity and my desire to do more chamber music and solo work have convinced me this is the right course to pursue,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Moretti. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The position will give me direct involvement guiding and teaching gifted string students along with internationally renowned violinist Robert McDuffie and the distinguished visiting artists at the new center. I was not prepared to leave the Portland community so soon and have adored my time with the Oregon Symphony.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Amy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tenure as our concertmaster has simply been fantastic,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Music Director Carlos Kalmar. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Beyond her brilliant violin playing and leadership within the orchestra, she has developed a strong rapport with our audiences and community.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d While the Symphony regrets losing Moretti, said Kalmar, everyone is grateful for what she has brought to the orchestra and community.<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Amy has been a strong partner in forwarding Carlos\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 artistic vision for the Oregon Symphony,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Maria Pope, Oregon Symphony board chair. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Our artistic momentum created under Carlos\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 leadership will continue to grow as evidenced by the appointment of three new principal players this season.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I want to thank the orchestra, Carlos Kalmar, and the Portland community for embracing me and making me feel so at home here,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Moretti. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I know that I will always hold in my heart the great music making that is happening with Carlos Kalmar and my Oregon Symphony colleagues.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n
Founded in 1833, Mercer University has consistently been ranked among the leading colleges and universities in the South by US News and World Report since 1989. Mercer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Townsend School of Music offers undergraduate and graduate professional music studies in a comprehensive university environment. The Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University will accept its first class in fall 2007. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Amy is quite simply, one of America’s greatest violinists, and one of the most inspirational teachers I have ever seen,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said McDuffie. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I know she has been tortured about leaving the orchestra she loves so much. That is a testament to her character.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/font><\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We learned yesterday that our superb concertmaster of two years, Amy Schwartz Moretti, will be leaving us after the new year to direct a new string center at Mercer University in Georgia. Amy is a treasure, and it’s hard to see her go, as her sparkling playing and personality have been a huge bright light […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":303,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[3655,55,3666,3662,62,3656,3659],"class_list":["post-77","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-orchestra-world","tag-news","tag-orchestra","tag-oregon","tag-portland","tag-symphony","tag-the-orchestra-world","tag-violin"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa8kC-1f","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6071,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2011\/03\/27\/former-oso-concertmaster-cd-on-sale\/","url_meta":{"origin":77,"position":0},"title":"former OSO concertmaster cd on sale","author":"Charles Noble","date":"March 27, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Amy Schwartz Moretti, former concertmaster of the Floriday Orchestra and the Oregon Symphony, and director of the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University's Townsend School of Music since 2007, has released a new recording on the Sono Luminous label. Recorded by Skywalker Sound's Grammy Award winning engineer\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "recordings"","block_context":{"text":"recordings","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/recordings-music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/317_1_-400x400.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":41,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2006\/05\/24\/the-end\/","url_meta":{"origin":77,"position":1},"title":"the end","author":"Charles Noble","date":"May 24, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Well, with the last titanic chords of Mahler's Seventh Symphony ringing across the expanses of the Salem Armory Auditorium, my 10th season with the Oregon Symphony came to a close.\u00c2\u00a0 For three of my colleagues, it marked their final seasons with the orchestra, and after a stupendous amount of seasons,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "the orchestra world"","block_context":{"text":"the orchestra world","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/the-orchestra-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6565,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2011\/06\/01\/concertmaster-jun-iwasaki-leaving-oregon-for-nashville-post\/","url_meta":{"origin":77,"position":2},"title":"concertmaster jun iwasaki leaving oregon for nashville post","author":"Charles Noble","date":"June 1, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon Symphony concertmaster of four years Jun Iwasaki is leaving for a new post with the Nashville Symphony beginning with the 2011-2012 season. From the Nashville Symphony press release: Nashville Symphony has appointed Jun Iwasaki as the orchestra\u2019s new concertmaster. Currently concertmaster of the Oregon Symphony in Portland, he will\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "the orchestra world"","block_context":{"text":"the orchestra world","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/the-orchestra-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Iwasaki2.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1337,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2008\/10\/24\/new-arrival\/","url_meta":{"origin":77,"position":3},"title":"new arrival","author":"Charles Noble","date":"October 24, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Former Oregon Symphony Concertmaster Amy Schwartz-Moretti gave birth to a healthy baby boy on Friday morning - his name is Rocco Paul Moretti, and he and his mom (and proud papa Steve) are doing fine.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/10\/n564046094_1545783_5653.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6576,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2011\/06\/02\/recruit-retain-restore\/","url_meta":{"origin":77,"position":4},"title":"recruit, retain, restore","author":"Charles Noble","date":"June 2, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"It's been about 18 hours since the news broke that Oregon Symphony concertmaster Jun Iwasaki was leaving the OSO for the concertmaster post with the Nashville Symphony. I've had quite a few thoughts flit through my head yesterday, but I thought that it would be better to just sleep on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "the orchestra world"","block_context":{"text":"the orchestra world","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/the-orchestra-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1751,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2009\/01\/21\/portland-summer-ensembles-debut-session\/","url_meta":{"origin":77,"position":5},"title":"Portland Summer Ensembles debut session","author":"Charles Noble","date":"January 21, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"I just got an email a couple days ago from Susan Franklin, who along with former OSO concertmaster Amy Schwarz Moretti, has founded the Portland Summer Ensembles program at Reed College.\u00c2\u00a0 Here's a bit of what she had to say about the program and its genesis: Amy and I started\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "chamber music"","block_context":{"text":"chamber music","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/chamber-music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"header_500","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/01\/header_500-400x115.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/303"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}