Album Notes

Music for aspiring young violinists: A selection of rarely-heard works for violin composed by Edward Mollenhauer, Edward Elgar, Charles Danda, Dmitri Shostakovich, Friedrich Seitz, and Vincent Persichetti, with piano accompaniment performed by John Jensen.

The repertoire was specially selected to encourage children to take up the instrument, and to be playable by young performers who are beginning to develop their technique.

This album was created especially for children, parents and teachers: For children, so that they see the violin is a fun and beautiful instrument to play. For parents who are hoping that their children will pick up violin, to give their children accessible violin music to listen to. For teachers, who are looking for new, contemporary, or non-Suzuki repertoire for their students.

Notes on the composers and works are included, written by composer David Evan Thomas, courtesy of The Schubert Club, St. Paul, Minnesota.

"It’s refreshing to hear 20th century music performed by young violinists! They seem to relate to new harmony and rhythm without any hesitation!"

“I have been teaching violin for many years, but I never knew these pieces existed for young violinists!”

“I can’t believe that Elgar's 'Six Very Easy Pieces' are all playable on the first position, because they sound so pretty."

One college student majoring in Music Education picked Persichetti's Masque as part of his Senior recital. The faculty members were pleasantly surprised to hear this rare composition.

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Yuko Ninomiya Heberlein received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Tokyo University of Fine Arts, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. Her teachers include Ivan Galamian and David Cerone. She has been a member of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and a member of the faculty of Carnegie-Mellon University and Bethel University in Minnesota. Maintaining a very active teaching career in the Minneapolis / Saint Paul area, she has seen her students widely accepted into the nation's top institutes as well as into top orchestras.