Renato Fabbro Update

Hi Gary,

I just came across the nice advertisement you gave me on your blogspot page. Thank you!! I can actually give you an updated version of my bio, which I've attached to this e-mail. Your page looks great. Thanks again for the mention.

See you soon,
Ron Fabbro

Ron Fabbro received both Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in piano performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he studied with Larry Graham and Angela Cheng. As a fellowship student at Rice University, he received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree under the tutelage of John Perry. Dr. Fabbro has performed at the Aspen Music Festival, Sarasota Music Festival, Boulder Bach Festival, Cascade Music Festival, Colorado Mozart Festival, and the Idyllwild Arts Academy in Idyllwild, California. He has coached with Robert Levin, James Buswell, Christopher Elton, James Dunham, Ralph Votapek, and has performed in concert with internationally renowned violinist Frank Huang. Frequently in demand as an adjudicator and master class clinician, he has judged competitions nationally and was most recently invited to give master classes at Marylhurst University and for the Oregon Music Teachers Association. National competition prizes include top honors at the Fort Collins Symphony National Young Artist Competition, Young Pianists Competition, MTNA Wurlitzer Collegiate Artist Competition, and the Lee Piano Competition. Concerto performances include those with the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra, Fort Collins Symphony, Grand Junction Symphony, Colorado University Orchestra, and the Grand Junction Youth Symphony. Dr. Fabbro has taught on the faculties of Lee College, the University of Texas at San Antonio Summer Music Institute, and currently teaches at the University of Portland.

Still impressive, Ron. Send me a new picture when you have one.

It's a gruesome story: arts groups closing all over now. I've lost one already (online singing lessons group I work for closed their doors 6 months ago. I went solo on it.) and almost lost another one that I'll share about.

Last year, Portland Symphonic Choir got to the run up for the last concert of the season. We had taken losses on every event that year, including a "fund-raising" concert we had hired a huge name in classical music to front for us. Six weeks before the end of the season, we learned that we (120 singers plus 12 board members and staff) had to raise $100,000 inside of six weeks to break even.

Well, long story short, we did it. We did the usual ask the group for pledges, but it wasn't just pledges from us. We aided singers in creating solo recitals (I was on the production team) for family and friends, donation to the PSC. We made challenge grants for each other. We made impromptu auctions every rehearsal. I sold a dinner for eight with a soiree and delivered it on Valentines week this year. In short, we made a miracle. A blessed miracle.

This year, we cut our budget by 100,000. One planned concert bit the dust. I music managed a soiree event for 60 people on Halloween week - and helped raise $10,000. We're coming up on the "fundraiser" again - this time the Mozart Requiem and two other short Mozart choral/orchestral works - and we are ahead of target on ticket sales. If you are in Portland, Friday March 13, you will hear a superb and impassioned performance. Is it worth the work? YES!

The first lesson I give my students, often even before I meet them is this:

~~~ Sing! ~~~~

~~~~~~ Sing Often! ~~~~~

~~~~~ It doesn't matter WHAT you sing ~~~~~

~~~~~~It matters THAT you sing.~~~~~

(Oh, that's for you. And all you other non-singing singing Pezheads, too.)

Survival is possible for non-profit arts, but Lord, it's hard work and it takes luck and expertise, both. There is nothing I'd rather be doing.