Violin

HAGERSTOWN - Soloist Rachel Barton Pine performed Brahms' "Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77" on the same violin that Johannes Brahms chose for a young woman "in his inner circle. " Pine was the soloist Saturday during the Maryland Symphony Orchestra's first MasterWorks concert of the season. Her 1742 Guarneri violin, "ex-Soldat," was the same one chosen by Brahms for Marie Soldat, who studied under Brahms in the 19th century. Before the show, Pine said she felt honored to play the same violin and the same concerto that Soldat would go on to master.

SMITHSBURG ? Michael Baer said he'll miss performing at events like Hollyfest next year when he's away at college. For now, though, he's going to enjoy his fourth and final performance at the annual downtown Hagerstown event, as he plays violin with the Smithsburg High School Orchestra. Hollyfest, which is free to the public, will be Monday at The Maryland Theatre at 7 p.m. The tree lighting in Hagerstown's Public Square will take place at 5 p.m. In addition to Smithsburg High's Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble, other performances at Hollyfest will include Tri-State Twirlers Extreme Majorettes, Northern Middle School Orchestra, Dancin' Time Studios and Potomac Classical Youth Ballet Company.

William Stapp is assistant principal violist with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra. He also plays "a lot of violin. " He knows the instrument inside and out. Stapp designs and makes violins in a studio in his home in Frederick, Md., where he and his wife, harpist Astrid Walschot-Stapp, live and teach. Q: How long have you been playing the viola? When did you start? Why? A: I started playing the violin when I was about 7 or 8. As a child, I was just fascinated by the beauty of string instruments.

When Midori Goto was 14 years old, the great composer Leonard Bernstein got down on one knee to give her a bear hug as the audience stood applauding her resilient and brilliant performance of Bernstein's Serenade with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She had broken her E string during the fifth movement and, per protocol, was passed the concertmaster's violin, which was much larger than her own. Midori (her performing name) kept playing. Again, she broke the E string and took the violin of the associate concertmaster to continue.

Laura Baldasarre of Hagerstown plays the violin Wednesday at Shepherd University's Summer Strings Camp.

Tiffany Viands, 11, plays the violin along with others in the Berkeley County Strings during a rehearsal Monday night. The group kicks off the 2007 Concert in the Park series in Martinsburg, W.Va.

Fourteen-year-old Shunsuke Sato - pronounced SHUN-skay SAH-toe - has been playing the violin for about 12 years. Yes, do the math, the teenager was 2 when he started at Suzuki Talent Institute in Tokyo. His family moved to the United States the following year. Shunsuke will be the soloist on Max Bruch's "Violin Concerto No. 1" with Maryland Symphony Orchestra Saturday, Oct. 24, and Sunday, Oct. 25. He'll join conductor Barry Jekowsky in Prelude, the discussion that will precede the performances.

The Ahn Trio 8 p.m. Saturday, March 1 Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick, Md. Tickets cost $15 to $30. The Ahn Trio, sisters who play violin, piano and cello, will perform chamber music. For tickets, call 301-600-2828 or go to www.weinbergcenter.org .

Taylor Eckel, 16, is a home schooled senior.  She enjoys playing her violin and doing anything soccer-related.  Duncan Smyly is a 10th-grader at Heritage Academy. Kenny Sterner is a 10th-grader at Heritage Academy.

Four years ago, my son started taking violin lessons. Like many families do, we opted for a rental plan to see if a string instrument would be a good fit. Many stores that offer instruments have rent-to-own programs, which allow families to make monthly payments. If a budding musician sticks with the craft, the parents have made an investment.  We watched - and listened - as our son progressed on the instrument. As he stuck with the craft, the sound filled our home, and the experience was wonderful.

The Cumberland Valley School of Music Community String Orchestra is accepting new members. Participation in the string orchestra is open to all violin, viola, cello and string bass musicians who are comfortable playing in 3rd position (first violin to 5th).  Rehearsals for the new orchestra are scheduled from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Oct. 11, 18, 25, and Nov. 1 in Thomson Alumnae Chapel, Wilson College. The concert will be at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, at the same location.  Participation in the orchestra and attendance at the concert are both free.  For more information, call Cumberland Valley School of Music at 717-261-1220 or go to www.cvsmusic.org .

With guns, games, books and concerts, the Conococheague Institute will celebrate one of the United States' greatest founding fathers -- Benjamin Franklin. Conococheague Institute will host a full day of activities on Saturday, with re-enactors, Franklin scholars and two concerts featuring Franklin's compositions and the instrument he invented. Walter Powell, Conococheague director, said the celebration is connected to the 225th anniversary of the founding of Franklin County, Pa., named after Ben Franklin.

SMITHSBURG -- Even when Karyme Grumbine is learning, she is composing. The Smithsburg High School sophomore recalled when she started learning how to play the violin and how the instrument can make a screeching sound when someone is learning it. Grumbine used the moment to write the song "The Window Washer. " In the song, Grumbine used the screeching sounds to imitate the sound of a squeegee passing over a pane of glass. The 15-year-old Hagerstown youth started playing piano when she was 6 years old and became interested in the violin around sixth grade.

HAGERSTOWN -- Top orchestra students from eight Washington County middle schools and six county high schools joined together Saturday night for this year's performance of the All County Middle and Senior High School Orchestras. "This event kind of brings together the best of all orchestras in the county and showcases all the top students," said Rob B. Hovermale, the school system's supervisor of visual and performing arts. For the eighth year, the All County Senior High School Orchestra was led by guest conductor Elizabeth Schulze, the conductor of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra.

Taylor Eckel, 16, is a home schooled senior.  She enjoys playing her violin and doing anything soccer-related.  Duncan Smyly is a 10th-grader at Heritage Academy. Kenny Sterner is a 10th-grader at Heritage Academy.

This weekend's Maryland Symphony Orchestra concerts will showcase the musical talents of MSO players. It also will give them a chance to act out a bit as they perform what Music Director Elizabeth Schulze called "some of the most humorous music ever written for an orchestra. " She called 20th-century composer Alfred Schnittke's "Moz-Art á la Haydn" a "musical game. " It also borrows theatrics from Franz Joseph Haydn's "Farewell Symphony," which follows "Moz-Art" on the bill.

Alice Tung's older sister took piano lessons before she did. Although young Alice was "desperate to play," her mother thought it wise to wait until she was 7. When Alice did get started, she loved it. "I wanted to go into music from the beginning," she said. The Maryland Symphony Orchestra violist still loves it, and she's certainly into music. She started playing accordion five years ago - for fun. "You can play polkas," she said. Tung had started on piano and began to play violin when she was 11. Her mom had taken up the instrument and there were violins "sitting around.

HAGERSTOWN - Soloist Rachel Barton Pine performed Brahms' "Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77" on the same violin that Johannes Brahms chose for a young woman "in his inner circle. " Pine was the soloist Saturday during the Maryland Symphony Orchestra's first MasterWorks concert of the season. Her 1742 Guarneri violin, "ex-Soldat," was the same one chosen by Brahms for Marie Soldat, who studied under Brahms in the 19th century. Before the show, Pine said she felt honored to play the same violin and the same concerto that Soldat would go on to master.

HAGERSTOWN -- Soloist Rachel Barton Pine performed Brahms' "Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77" on the same violin that Johannes Brahms chose for a young woman "in his inner circle. " Pine was the soloist Saturday during the Maryland Symphony Orchestra's first MasterWorks concert of the season. Her 1742 Guarneri violin, "ex-Soldat," was the same one chosen by Brahms for Marie Soldat, who studied under Brahms in the 19th century. Before the show, Pine said she felt honored to play the same violin and the same concerto that Soldat would go on to master.