Fortissima

 

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About
Program
Applications


About

Fortissima is an artistic and leadership development program at the Colburn School for high school age young women from underrepresented minorities in classical music. Fortissima’s innovative leadership curriculum, paired with rigorous artistic development and one-on-one mentorship, is designed to inspire, equip, and empower young women from underrepresented minorities in classical music to pursue professional training and careers in the field.

Fortissima has opened my eyes to so many possibilities for me and other people of color in music. Through all of our various sessions and workshops, I have gotten the opportunity to see new ways I can fit in and excel in the classical music industry. Fortissima local pilot participant, 2019

Now a national model, Fortissima is a six-month experience for up to 10 young women that includes mentorship and virtual engagement and culminates in a weeklong residential intensive at the Colburn School. The program is provided at no cost to participants.

Program Leadership

Grammy-nominated violinist Jannina Norpoth made her debut as a soloist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at age 14. Since then she has built a career as an innovative collaborative artist with a passion for contemporary music, genre bending and improvisation, a sought after arranger and orchestrator, and an advocate for a more inclusive and versatile landscape in classical music.

Her string quartet, PUBLIQuartet, is recognized for unique and genre inclusive programming, earning them the 2019 Visionary Artist Award from Chamber Music America, 2015 Adventurous Programming Award from ASCAP and Chamber Music America and New Music/ New Places Prize at the 2013 Concert Artist’s Guild Competition.

Ms. Norpoth has performed internationally, including appearances at the Women of the World Festival at The Apollo Theater, Detroit Art X Festival, Montreux Detroit Jazz Festival, Mostly Mozart Festival, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, Saturday Night Live, VH1’s Save the Music, IFC’s Dinner with the Band, and Ecstatic Music Festival at Merkin Hall. As a soloist she has performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Bloomfield Symphony, Casalmaggiore International Chamber Ensemble, Ensemble 212, and Bachanalia Chamber Orchestra. Most recently during COVID-19 she has been a featured virtual performer for digital performances from The Kennedy Center, The Library of Congress and Living Music with Nadia Sirota.

She has been a featured performer alongside such acclaimed musicians as James Carter, Nadia Sirota, Regina Carter, Itzhak Perlman, Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), Helga Davis, Marcus Belgrave, Dave Young, Mike Garson, A. Spencer Barefield, Jay – Z, Beyoncé, Anita Baker, Sheila E., Boys II Men, Dionne Warwick, My Brightest Diamond, Alexi Murdoch, and many others.
Praised by Strad Magazine for her ability to write a transcription “so natural sounding that it could have been the composer’s original version.” Ms. Norpoth is a sought after arranger both in the classical and non-classical worlds. Recent commissions include Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Sphinx Virtuosi, Trinity Wall Street and the Volcano Theatre Company’s new adaptation of Scott Joplin’s “Treemonisha”.

Ms. Norpoth lives in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, with her husband John-Paul and their puggle Vegas. Upcoming projects include the world premiere of a new adaptation of Scott Joplin’s Opera Treemonisha, featuring a collaborative orchestration with composer Jessie Montgomery and commissioned by Volcano: an experimental theatre company based in Toronto, as well as a duo recording of Prokofiev’s Sonatas for violin and piano with pianist Maria Meirelles.

Mentors

Mentors for the 2024 program will be announced in March of 2024, following the cohort selection.

History

Fortissima began as a local pilot program in 2017 and featured a cohort of six young women from Los Angeles. Those young women are now pursuing studies in music and other disciplines in schools such as Oberlin, Stanford, and UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Findings from the pilot program informed the new model which will expand the program to recruit nationally and serve more students each year.


Program

The program consists of two components: (1) online innovative leadership curriculum with one-on-one mentorship, and (2) a week-long residential intensive on the Colburn campus. The curriculum and mentorship are tailored to participants’ unique perspectives and provide specialized approaches to both personal and professional development. During their time on campus, these newly acquired skills are put into practice in a deeply engaging residency that provides opportunities to explore all facets of artistry, including performance, the conservatory experience, and career development.

Online Leadership Curriculum and Mentorship

From April 2024 to September 2024, participants will:

  • Attend monthly meetings with a distinguished mentor
  • Receive bi-monthly leadership and career development training sessions in preparation for residential intensive
Colburn Campus Intensive

Participants will:

  • Experience conservatory life first-hand, including trial lessons with Colburn faculty, Conservatory class observations, and access to Colburn facilities
  • Explore the arts in Los Angeles by attending concerts on the Grand Avenue cultural corridor and learning from local arts leaders spearheading innovation in the field
  • Attend panels and workshops on topics such as navigating the world of classical music as a woman or a woman of color, wellness, self-care, personal development, Conservatory audition and admissions processes, presentation skills, professional materials, and career development strategies
  • Receive artistic development opportunities by learning and performing works by BIPOC, women, and living composers; chamber music coaching from Music Director Jannina Norpoth as well as Colburn School and visiting faculty; and giving a culminating performance in Colburn School’s Thayer Hall
  • Gain access to ongoing alumni programming at conclusion of the program
Program Timeline

The Fortissima program will last from April 2024 to September 2024.

Residency week Dates are May 19 to 25, 2024.

Information Sessions

We will be hosting general information sessions open to any interested applicants who want to learn more about the program, get tips for your application, or have any questions answered. Please check back for future dates.


Applications

Application Deadline: Extended to March 15th

Participant Criteria
  • Must be an enrolled high school student in Fall 2023.
  • Participants identify as women/girls from a minority group that is underrepresented in classical music or who have a socioeconomic disadvantage.
  • Demonstrate excellence on an orchestral instrument (includes piano).
  • Ideal candidates also possess an interest or curiosity in pursuing careers in music.
  • Fellow must be residing in the United States.

For questions please contact Olivia Richardson, Associate, Center for Innovation and Community Impact at the Colburn School orichardson@colburnschool.edu.


The Fortissima program is made possible through the generous support of The Tippet Rise Fund of the Sidney E. Frank Foundation, Visionary Women, Raulee Marcus, Beverly Ryder, and the many donors who support our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives at the Colburn School. If you would like to learn more about supporting Fortissima or any of our community engagement programs, contact the Philanthropy Office at philanthropy@colburnschool.edu.