The Princeton String Academy

Violist Sharif Labban Plays Principal for Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey

PRINCETON – January 12, 2004 – Sharif Labban, 11, a viola student at the Princeton String Academy, has been named principal violist for the Pro Arte Orchestra, one of three Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey orchestras performing January 17.

The YOCJ program, under the direction of Conductor John Enz, begins at 6 p.m. at the West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North campus. The Pro Arte Orchestra is for students in grades five through eight, “who have the age, the orchestral experience and the expertise to play at least the first through fifth positions on their instruments,” explains Enz. Auditions were held in the fall and included solo piece, scales and sight reading.

“Viola is certainly not as well known an instrument as the violin, but is every bit as challenging an instrument to play. Many students prefer its somewhat lower and more mellow sound, compared to the violin, and they find they have many more playing opportunities, largely because there are so few good violists in this area,” said Paul Manulik, Princeton String Academy music director.

Sharif is a sixth grade student at the Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart. He began his music studies at age four, and became a violin student of Paul Manulik at age eight. He began studying the viola with Mr. Manulik in the summer of 2003. In addition to his responsibilities with the Pro Arte Orchestra, Sharif plays in the Princeton String Academy Viola Choir and is part of the music ministry at Queenship of Mary Church in Plainsboro.

Conductor Phillip Pugh will lead the Pro Arte Orchestra in “Hoedown” from Aaron Copeland’s Rodeo for string orchestra, Orchestral Suite No. 3 by J.S. Bach and then will combine with the YOCJ Wind Symphony to perform The Overture to the Barber of Seville by Gioacchino Rossini.

Also performing Saturday night will be the String Preparatory Orchestra, for fourth through sixth grade students, and the Wind Symphony, both under the direction of Mr. Pugh.

The Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey includes approximately 200 qualified instrumentalists from New Jersey and Pennsylvania performing in a full Symphonic Orchestra, two string orchestras, the Pro Arte Orchestra and the String Preparatory Orchestra, and the Wind Symphony. In addition, YOCJ offers a Saxophone Choir, Brass Choir, and Percussion Ensemble. YOCJ performs winter and spring concerts, usually in January and May.

Princeton String Academy, led by music director Paul Manulik, offers violin and viola instruction to students as young as three. Using the proven Suzuki Method that emphasizes development of natural talent, students study in both private lessons and weekly group classes. The private school was founded in 2000 and has an enrollment of 50.

 

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