Nicole Cariglia, cellist, is the Director of BYSO’s Intensive Community Program. She received her B. Mus and M. Mus in cello performance, with Distinction and Academic Honors from the New England Conservatory of music. In the fall of 2009, Ms. Cariglia  graduated with a D.M.A in cello performance from Boston University. During her studies she was twice awarded the string departments Award of Excellence, as well as the cello prize in the annual Bach competition. Ms. Cariglia joined the cello faculty of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras’ Intensive Community Program in 2006, after two years of string pedagogy studies with Bonnie Black, the program’s founding Artistic Director.  Bringing to ICP many years of teaching experience, she now teaches all ICP cellists, as well as bass students in the program.  As a soloist, Ms. Cariglia has given recitals in France, Iceland and the US, and was recently featured on WGBH’s Nova series, performing Bach’s solo suites. Comfortable exploring a wide range of styles, Ms. Cariglia enjoys performing both with historical performance orchestras and chamber groups on period instruments as well as premiering new works by today’s most exciting composers. Ms. Cariglia is an active performer in Boston, appearing regularly with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, The New England String Ensemble, The Cantata Singers and Back Bay Chorale.

Marta Zurad is the Conductor of ICP orchestra. The 2009-2010 season marks her first year with the BYSO and ICP as Conductor. In that season Ms. Zurad will also serve as the Conductor of the BYSO's Young People's String Orchestra. She received her Bachelor of Music degree  from New England Conservatory and her Graduate Diploma and Master of Music degree from Longy School of Music. She also attended the Academy of Music in Krakow, Poland. Her violin teachers have included Wieslaw Kwasny, Valeria Kuchment, and Erik Rosenblith.  She is a very active chamber musician, and is a past participant of Yellow Barn Music Festival and Apple Hill Chamber Music Festival. She plays regularly with a number of local chamber groups, both as a violinist and a violist. She is a member of the Lexington Symphony, and has performed with many other orchestras in the Boston area. Ms. Zurad conducts the Longy Concertino and the Longy Youth Sinfonietta and has been on the string faculty since 1993. She is also a faculty member and the founder of Summer Festival for Strings at Winchester Community Music School. She serves as an adjudicator for various local concerto competitions

Six talented and dedicated music educators make up our ICP Faculty. These musicians provide weekly private and semi-private lessons to all of our students as well as lead group music classes each Sunday for our youngest members. Their long-term concern for and commitment to the progress of each individual student is a cornerstone of ICP program. For the 2009-2010 season, they include:

Kathy Almquist, viola

Nicole Cariglia, cello / bass

Mona Rashad, violin

Colleen Ruddy, bass

Klaudia Szlachta, violin / viola

Randy Zigler, bass

Bonnie Black is the Intensive Community Program (ICP)  Founding Artistic Director. She brought to BYSO and ICP her experience as director, conductor and master teacher for many successful programs, including the Harlem School of the Arts, the Harlem Children’s Orchestra, the Ichimura Music School and the Arcady Music Festival. Her strong dedication to building a close and supportive musical community for young musicians has resulted in wonderful performing experiences for each group with which she has worked. She served ICP and BYSO for ten years and in that time built a strong foundation from which the program can continue to grow.

For more information, contact ICP Coordinator at ICP@bu.edu or call 617.353.5330