Recorder Fest!
Saturday, Mar 15, 2025
Settlement Music School, 416 Queen St., Philadelphia, PA
Schedule and registration forms at piffaro.org/recorder-fest
Philadelphia – Piffaro’s free community celebration of the recorder returns on March 15th with a full day of events, including a masterclass for young musicians, a community play-in for enthusiasts of all abilities, and performances by student, adult amateur, and professional recorder players. More information can be found at piffaro.org/recorder-fest or by calling 215-235-8469.
The festival kicks off with a masterclass at 3PM. Young musicians and adult amateurs will play for Piffaro’s current and retired artistic directors, Priscilla Herreid and Joan Kimball. They will be accompanied by renowned harpsichordist and Curtis historical keyboard faculty, Leon Schelhase. The general public is invited to observe the masterclass.
At 6:00 p.m., recorder players of all ages and abilities are invited to join in a “play-in.” Members of the hundreds of recorder societies across the U.S., including the Philadelphia Recorder Society, know firsthand that music-making strengthens community bonds and brings joy to individuals. Piffaro’s play-in opens up this experience to everyone. Music will be provided in advance to anyone who registers by March 8, but copies will be available at the door for anyone who shows up with an instrument.
Public performances begin at 7:00 p.m., led by a recorder ensemble from Fountain Woods Elementary School, Burlington, NJ. Brian Drumbore, music teacher at Mount Pleasant High School, Wilmington, DE, will bring his sixteen-member Early Music Ensemble. Solos and duets will be performed by middle school students Corvin Fuchs-Orner and Clara Kersting and high school student Knox Seabolt, interwoven with videos submitted by recorder students from around the U.S. Adult amateur musicians Gregory Weaver, Kimberly Yocum, Molly Garrett, Barbara Stark, David Lawrence and the recorder ensemble Musica Sophia will demonstrate that one does not have to leave the recorder behind after graduation. The evening will be capped with a performance by the accomplished professional recorder player, Teresa Deskur, winner of Piffaro’s national recorder competition in 2016.
Photos of 2024 Recorder Fest, credit Bill DiCecca
Participant Bios
Corvin Fuchs-Orsher is in 8th grade at The French International School. He has studied recorder with retired Piffaro co-founder, Joan Kimball, since he was five years old, and also studies harpsichord with Leon Schelhase. When he isn’t playing music, Corvin is an avid soccer player.
Clara Kersting is in 7th grade at Radnor Middle School. She started taking recorder lessons when she lived in Kiel, Germany, and has continued with Rainer Beckmann in Philadelphia. In addition to the recorder, she plays saxophone in her school jazz band. Clara loves solving – and inventing – puzzles.
Knox Seabolt is a senior in high school and has studied recorder with Anne Timberlake for a decade. He plays with the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums, where he holds the rank of fife section leader.
Gregory Weaver, 22 years old, began teaching himself recorder at the age of eight and has studied with Joan Kimball for the past 3 years. Gregory is a produce farmer in Salem County, NJ and is working towards a degree in agriculture.
Brian Drumbore teaches music at Mount Pleasant High School in Wilmington, DE where he also coaches the Mount Pleasant High School Early Music Ensemble. In addition he is an avid amateur recorder player and a member of the Brandywine Recorder Society.
Molly Garrett and Kimberly Yocum are former public school teachers and neighbors who get together regularly to play recorder duets just for fun. In December they ventured out to Suburban Station to play for commuters, and raised $250 for PhilAbundance.
Barbara Stark and David Lawrence are accomplished amateur musicians who play not only recorders but also early brass and double reed instruments. They are regular participants at Piffaro’s annual Early Double Reed and Brass Workshop directed by retired artistic directors Bob Wiemken and Joan Kimball.
Music Sophia is a five-member recorder ensemble specializing in Renaissance repertoire, playing on a beautiful matched set of Renaissance-style recorders made by Thomas Prescott. The members all play other instruments, but the love of the recorder has brought them together as an ensemble.
Teresa Deskur performs music from the Medieval period to the present day on recorder and French Horn. She began playing at age 5 and went on to study at the prestigious Peabody Conservatory of The John Hopkins University, where she received her bachelor’s in Performance and Music Education with a minor in Historical Performance. Teresa has taken first prize in the 2020 Boulder Bach Festival’s World Bach Competition and the 2016 Piffaro National Recorder Competition. Teresa has appeared in concert with Piffaro, the Renaissance Band, the Peabody Renaissance Ensemble, and Baltimore Baroque Band.
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