Ann Hobson Pilot, the first African-American woman to be appointed to a major orchestra returned to her alma mater Settlement Music School on Sunday, November 23, to perform in Settlement Distinguished Alumni Concert. It was held in the Samuel and Elaine Lieberman Auditorium at the Settlement Music School Germantown Branch, 6128 Germantown Ave.
"It's so great to be back to see so many old friends at the school I played at so many years ago," Ann Hobson Pilot said.
Pilot was joined by BBC New Generation Artist Tai Murray on violin. Murray studied with Joel Smirnoff at the Juilliard School.
Pilot learned to play the piano from her mother, who was a public school teacher. Later, she learned to play the harp from Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Harpist Edna Phillips at Settlement Music's Germantown Branch. Later, she graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music. In 1980, she became principal harpist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Pilot and Murray performed to a packed auditorium. Everyone in the audience seemed captivated by the soothing sounds of the harp and the melancholy sounds of the violin. The program included "Sonate for Violin and Harp" by Gaetano Donizetti, "First Arabesque for solo harp" by Claude Debussy, "Fantaisie for violin and harp" by Camille Saint-Saens and "History of the Tango" by Astor Piazzolla. At the end of the "History of the Tango," an attendee yelled "Ole'." Pilot and Murray received a standing ovation. It was an accelerating concert full of poetic and vibrant sounds. The audience agreed.
"It was wonderful. They are two very talented musicians," Viola Tribbey, from Philadelphia said.
"I thought it was absolutely fantastic. Every note the violinist played was perfect," William Eaton, who came up from Maryland for the concert, said.
"It was great," Sensa Dornan, who was eight years old, said.
As the first African-American woman appointed principal harpist on the Boston Symphony Orchestra, she is an inspiration to the younger generation. Many people do not know the harp orginated in Africa. In 1997, Pilot was the subject of a PBS documentary, Ann Hobson Pilot: A Musical Journey, after she and her husband traveled to Africa to research the origins of the harp.
The concert was part of The Alumni Series, which was funded by the Pennsylvania Council on Arts and the estate of Jean J. Sterne.
photo top-Ann Hobson Pilot, former principal harpist of Boston Symphony, and BBC New Generation Artist Tai Murray at the reception following the concert at Settlement Music School, 6128 Germantown Avenue on November 23, 2010.
second photo-Ann Hobson plays the First Arabesque for solo harp during her performance at Settlement Music School in Germantown.
third photo-Sensa Dornan, 8, and Raar Corinaldi, 8, enjoyed the concert. They are both Germantown residents.
By Sue Ann Rybak and Jillian Horn
Fa1028Germantown
Fa1028Germantown
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