FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: April 16, 2008

PROJECT STEP NAMES NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

MARIANA GREEN-HILL IS FIRST FORMER PROJECT STEP STUDENT TO RETURN TO TAKE ON LEADERSHIP ROLE OF ORGANIZATION

On June 1, 2008, violinist Mariana Green-Hill will assume the role of Artistic Director for Project STEP, replacing the retiring William Thomas, who served the music education initiative for three years.  It is with a heavy heart that we see William Thomas off. 

A Project STEP student from 1986-1997, Mariana Green-Hill is the first former program participant to return to the organization in a leadership role.  Project STEP provides comprehensive music education to students from the Black and Latino communities with the goal of giving these students an opportunity to compete and succeed in the world of classical music.

 “It is with much pride that we announce the appointment of one of our own to lead us into the second quarter-century of Project STEP's existence,” said Project STEP’s Board President Randy Hiller.

“I am thrilled to have a chance to give something back to the organization that has given me so much," Ms. Green-Hill said.  “I am looking forward to helping Project STEP students continue to achieve their very best and to furthering the organization’s mission of bringing classical music training to students who might not otherwise have such an opportunity.  It will be wonderful to work closely with Project STEP-affiliated organizations, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, New England Conservatory, and Boston University School of Music, and to possibly expand that circle of support both here in Boston and beyond.” 

MARIANA GREEN-HILL BACKGROUND
As one of Project STEP’s first and longest-running participants and currently a teacher in the program’s “Greenhouse” pre-training division, Ms. Green-Hill is already very familiar with the program. Under the auspices of Project STEP she studied at the New England Conservatory, and was a member of the Amaryllis Quartet, which won the 1995 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (Junior division).  After graduating from Project STEP, Ms. Green-Hill went on to earn both Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Juilliard School and a Professional Studies diploma from Mannes College of Music, where she studied with Ann Setzer and Ida Kavafian.  In 1996, she won the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Concerto Competition and was a featured soloist with the BSO.  That same year, she also performed with the Boston Pops and the Civic Symphony of Boston. Ms. Green-Hill is the founder of the Four Strings Summer Music Camp for young musicians.  Four Strings Music Camp is located in Lexington, MA and serves students from the greater Boston area.  Children study the violin, viola, cello, and singing in an informal camp environment that also includes outdoor games and activities and arts and crafts programs.

PROJECT STEP DESCRIPTION
For the past 25 years, Project STEP (www.projectstep.org) has addressed the under-representation of Blacks and Latinos in orchestras. Through a comprehensive program that addresses the needs of each individual student, Project STEP offers an unmatched combination of instruction, performance opportunities and career counseling that reflects the unique capabilities of the students and the sponsoring institutions, which include the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New England Conservatory, and the Boston University School of Music. Project STEP currently supports 47students in its intensive training program and more than 80 students in its FOCUS program for younger children. Students range from age 5-18 and come from the Greater Boston area, with the majority residing in Dorchester, Roxbury, Hyde Park and Mattapan.