The Experience
Youthful brio and prodigious talent are the common denominators of this concert presenter; whose roster of emerging artists you may not know now but likely soon will. Among Astral's terrific variety of talent is string trio Time for Three, clarinetist Igor Begelman, contralto Meredith Arwady and pianists Natalie Zhu and Simone Dinnerstein.
Astral artists are chosen annually from a nationwide pool of applicants. They have graduated from top music schools and won such coveted prizes as the Walter W. Naumburg Competition, Avery Fisher Career Grants, the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Foundations. Programs are intelligently assembled; Astral soloists often join forces to perform in imaginative combinations and in collaborations with world-renowned artists and ensembles.
History
Vera Wilson founded Astral Artistic Services in 1992 to provide a "career bridge" between the conservatory and the professional stage for young classical musicians. Developmental mentoring in many aspects of performing may include practical advice in networking, public relations, handling of business affairs, auditions and repertoire.
The nonprofit organization features its artists in a prominent Philadelphia concert series and maintains a large outreach program that serves Philadelphia schools and senior facilities, providing Astral musicians the opportunity to explore and refine.