Channel Title: Ann Fontanella Channel Description: Subscribe for performance, compositional theory and instructional videos. I try to respond to many of the comments under each song. Thanks for the support and encouragement! "Having the same natural ability as Heifetz... Very few people in the world play the violin as well as she." -- Erick Friedman, Yale School of Music, "(It is) extraordinary that you play so fantastically well...to have the ability to play on the violin and to be a composer as well is quite an amazing thing." --Christopher O'Riley, NPR host of From the Top "She is probably the only working violinist who could be mistaken for Jascha Heifetz."--Dr. John Birchall, London Independent Ann studied at the Yale University School of Music with Erick Friedman and with Elmar Olivera at Lynn Conservatory. She has an undergraduate degree in music from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2005 she was an award recipient in the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers Competition. <video> Bach Fugue G-Minor Sonata Description: Bach's Fugues are exceptionally complex and challenging to play. There are four different voices in this fugue. It starts with one voice and then the number of voices increases and decreases as the fugue progresses. I a playing this in a more subdued fashion than many of the older performances on the channel. More videos coming in the next few weeks! Recorded at the studio of David Pabsbrig in Philadelphia </video> <video> Ave Maria on Violin by Ann Fontanella Description: I will be teaching this Summer (2015) at the New York Music Festival (http://nysmf.org/). Available for sale on google play: www.tinyurl.com/avemaria/fontanella Ave Maria played live in a concert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2iXEh0SEIg Ann Fontanella plays the transcription of Schubert's Ave Maria. The Sir Walter Scott poem "The Lady of the Lake" inspired Schubert's composition. This work describes a fictional struggle in the sixteenth-century between several Scottish Highland clans, some loyal to King James V of Scotland, and some not. The beautiful young heroine, Ellen Douglas, is forced to hide out in a mountain cave, along with her father, James Douglas. In that cave, she sings a song, "Hymn to the Virgin", a prayer to the Virgin Mary for help and comfort. The words of the poem play along with the music. Schubert composed his version to the German interpretation of the poem, but I use the original English version above. Ave Maria was later adapted to the Latin prayer Ave Maria written in the 11th century. </video> <video> Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto #5 by Ann Fontanella Description: Live performance of Vieuxtemps #5 (Jan 15, 2013). Vieuxtemps' dark masterpiece is three movements condensed into one movement (fantasy style concerto). It moves from exposition, to tender sadness and then concludes with frantic madness. The final movement (the last 70 seconds) is among the most most harrowing in all of classical music. I studied this piece under both Erick Friedman and Elmar Olivera (who played it to win the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1978). </video> <video> Ave Maria by Schubert Description: The Sir Walter Scott poem "The Lady of the Lake" inspired Schubert's composition of Ave Maria. Ave Maria was later adapted to the Latin prayer Ave Maria written in the 11th century. I will be teaching at the New York Music Festival (http://nysmf.org/) in July 2015. The studio version of my Ave Maria is available for sale on google play: www.tinyurl.com/avemaria/fontanella http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nG4opGn8mM Ave Maria played live by Ann Fontanella on January 15, 2013 for the Harlingen Concert Association. </video> <video> Brahms Sonatensatz Description: Sonatensatz by Johannes Brahms. This piece is the Scherzo from the FAE Sonata, a joint work composed by Schumann, Brahms, and Dietrich in 1853 and written for the violinist, Joseph Joachim. Brahms' Scherzo features the famous rhythm from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and is perhaps an homage to him as Brahms' personal musical hero. </video> <video> Sarasate Introduction and Tarantella Description: </video> <video> Mack the Knife Description: Mack the Knife was described as the "most beautiful song ever written" by Simon Cowell. Threepenny Opera's Mack the Knife is gorgeously melodic and sentimental. This is meant to be a play on Mack's real state of mind in (a hired murderer anti-hero). Mack the Knife was transcribed for violin/piano by Jascha Heifetz. This version has some minor changes from the Heifetz original. Played live in January 2013. </video> <video> Chopin Nocturne C-Sharp Minor Description: I will be teaching this Summer (2015) at the New York Music Festival (http://nysmf.org/). Chopin Nocturne C-Sharp Minor played by Ann Fontanella. The Chopin Nocturnes were 21 short pieces for the piano. This Nocture (in C-sharp minor) was composed originally for the piano, but was transcribed by the legendary virtuoso Nathan Milstein for the violin. Played live on January 15, 2013 in Harlingen, Texas as part of the 2013 US tour. </video> <video> Yankee Doodle on Violin by Ann Fontanella Description: I will be teaching this Summer (2015) at the New York Music Festival (http://nysmf.org/). Henri Vieuxtemps wrote Souvenir d'Amérique, Variations burlesques sur "Yankee Doodle", Op. 17 (1844) as part of a barnstorming tour across the United States. He later commented that he regretted ever writing it because U.S. audiences would insist that he repeatedly play it. Played by Ann Fontanella. </video> <video> Sarasate's Malaguena played by Ann Fontanella Description: Malaguena is one of Sarasate's "Spanish Dances." It has a playful and Latin romantic sensibility that makes it a joy to play. I will be teaching this Summer (2015) at the New York Music Festival (http://nysmf.org/). Ave Maria played live by Ann Fontanella on January 15, 2013 for the Harlingen Concert Association. </video> <video> Brahms Sonata D-minor No.3 Description: Played by Ann Fontanella and Jungeun Kim of the Curtis Institute. We will both teach at the New York Summer Music Festival in July 2015 (http://nysmf.org/). Many students email inquiring about musical instruction. This is the only place where I work as an in-person teacher. The Festival covers four weeks of intense 1-on-1 and class instruction for aspiring musicians (ages 12-25). </video> <video> Paganini No. 13 by Ann Fontanella Description: This is #13 of Paganini's Caprices (Opus 1). These were originally written by the great Italian virtuoso Paganini as practice exercises. A few became popular compositions in their own right (like Paganini 24). Many students email inquiring about musical instruction. I will be teaching at the New York Music Festival in July 2015 (http://nysmf.org/). It is four weeks of intense 1-on-1 and class instruction for aspiring orchestral, chamber and soloist musicians. The Festival features faculty and guest artists from the finest institutions and performing venues in the world. </video> <video> Violin Class: Make a Grand Finale Description: Many students email inquiring about musical instruction. I will be teaching at the New York Music Festival in July 2015. It is four weeks of intense 1-on-1 and class instruction for aspiring orchestral, chamber and soloist musicians. The Festival features faculty and guest artists from the finest institutions and performing venues in the world. Conclude your violin performance with a bang. This is a short lesson, but you may have to listen to it two or three times to catch all the issues. </video> <video> Introduction and Tarantella by Sarasate Description: Sarasate's fun and lively virtuoso masterpiece "Introduction and Tarantella" was inspired by the "Tarantella" dance. The Tarantella is an Italian folk dance where if you were bitten by a wolf spider, and you danced the manic Tarantella, the poison would go away. I play the piece emphasizing Sarasate's trademark whimsical and uptempo style. I trimmed off the Introduction (this will be available in an itunes version). </video> <video> Bach Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor Description: Thank you to all of my long term fans. The channel just hit 12,000 subscribers! Played by Ann Fontanella. Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). </video>

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Subscribe for performance, compositional theory and instructional videos. I try to respond to many of the comments under each song. Thanks for the support and encouragement!

"Having the same natural ability as Heifetz... Very few people in the world play the violin as well as she." -- Erick Friedman, Yale School of Music,
"(It is) extraordinary that you play so fantastically well...to have the ability to play on the violin and to be a composer as well is quite an amazing thing." --Christopher O'Riley, NPR host of From the Top
"She is probably the only working violinist who could be mistaken for Jascha Heifetz."--Dr. John Birchall, London Independent

Ann studied at the Yale University School of Music with Erick Friedman and with Elmar Olivera at Lynn Conservatory. She has an undergraduate degree in music from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2005 she was an award recipient in the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers Competition.

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