Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 23, 1990                   TAG: 9006250175
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALEY 
SOURCE: DONNA ALVIS NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

SHARING THE DREAM

Polifrone, 33, has spent the past decade in dream deferral. That changed earlier this month, when the inaugural session of the Virginia Chamber Music Academy commenced in Blacksburg.

Plans for the academy "actually took form last August," Polifrone said, but "I've been thinking about this for 10 years."

Polifrone, a violinist from the prestigious Julliard School in New York City, envisioned a summer program for serious students and professionals who could benefit from the "stimulating and challenging instruction of an internationally renowned faculty."

Blacksburg, she said, would be the ideal setting.

"Musicians like to get away to beautiful, out-of-the-way places," Polifrone said. "Blacksburg is a perfect spot."

Blacksburg not only is good for visiting musicians, but visiting musicians also are good for Blacksburg, Polifrone believes.

"If we get established, the academy could be a tourist attraction," Polifrone said. "We feel like we can provide the New River Valley with an opportunity."

The academy, which provides two weeklong sessions of intensive instruction and rehearsal, offers students an opportunity to perform in concerts for the community.

"The students benefit from both the instruction and the performing," Polifrone said. "Preparing for a concert gives you an added incentive. There's an excitement, a will to work as hard as you can. It makes the preparation more intense."

Indeed, intense is the word the 12 students who attended the first session used most frequently in describing their experiences at the academy.

"This is my first experience with an intensive workshop in music," said George Beter, a violinist with the Huntington Chamber Orchestra in Huntington, W.Va. "Mentally, I have lumped this one week as one semester in school. It gives you a depth, a serious musical study."

"We're putting in twice as many hours as we thought we would," said David Katz, a professional violinist from Chicago.

"But the thing that's surprising," added Jana Ruble, a cellist with the Roanoke Symphony, "is that it's fun."

Theresa Conti, viola player with the Roanoke Symphony, agreed. "It's more soloistic. We get to be more creative."

Conti, Ruble, Katz and Katie Whiteside, a violinist also with the Roanoke Symphony, were coached by members of the celebrated Audubon Quartet.

Polifrone, herself a former member of the Audubon Quartet, said she attributed the initial success of the project to enthusiasm from the faculty she recruited for the academy.

"We lose the Audubon Quartet every summer," she said, "but they agreed to stay for this. The project has been successful so far because of an extraordinary amount of good will on the part of the faculty to give us a break on their fees. If we paid these professionals what they're worth, we couldn't do this."

In addition to the Audubon Quartet, Polifrone recruited pianists Susan Starr and Teresa Gravino Ehrlich and cellist Ulrich Boeckheler to complete the faculty. All three musicians are important names on chamber music programs.

Starr and Boeckheler, both members of the faculty at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, said they were excited when Polifrone approached them with her ideas for the academy.

"We wanted to help her get started with something exciting and new. We think it will be very successful," Starr said.

"I think it has a lot of potential to grow," Boeckheler added.

Polifrone already is thinking ahead. "We're planning expansion - slow expansion - for next summer," she said. "Maybe that will mean expanding the length of the academy, adding more students or perhaps giving an additional concert in Roanoke."

Students who attended the academy paid $300 tuition. Housing was provided by local residents with an interest in the project.

Jon Polifrone, president of the academy's board, said the project is a private endeavor. Polifrone, a composer and professor of music at Virginia Tech, pointed out that the academy is not supported financially by the university.

"We're now seeking outside grants to help the project," Sharon Polifrone said. "I was astounded at the interest from the community when word of this got out - the support has been overwhelming."