An act of generosity by an Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra patron has inspired a family to pay it forward.
Arabella Alvarez, 17, was given a violin from longtime IPO supporter Elaine MacKenzie, who wanted the instrument to find a new home with a musician who needed a good-quality violin. Now the Alvarez family, of Oak Forest, has donated a different instrument from their home.
“We’re inspired by the donation as well and donated a cello to the Youth Symphony Orchestra,” said Stephanie Alvarez, the teen’s mom. “My son (12) plays cello for the symphony and outgrew it. We decided to donate it to hopefully keep inspiring other kids to keep going.”
Arabella, who received the refurbished violin at a Valentine’s Day concert hosted by the IPO, said she was “so shocked but so happy and honored at the same time.”
She’s already noticed a difference in her playing. “It sounds nicer. It sounds a lot smoother and it’s a very nice quality” when compared to her previous violin, a basic student model her family ordered online, she said.
It was clear at the presentation that the violin was important to MacKenzie, Arabella said. “She told me it was her son’s and how happy she was that it was being passed on to someone else,” the teen explained. “It was also in her family for a really long time.”
Arabella began playing the violin when she was 12, joining the Suburban Youth Symphony Orchestra about two months later. “I thought it sounded like a beautiful instrument, and I’ve always loved music,” she said. “It felt like the violin was a good fit for me after trying so many other instruments.”
Her mother is grateful for the donated violin.
“I thought it was such an amazing opportunity for her and gesture from both sides — from Mr. Brian (Ostrega), who is her director, and the donor. I thought it was really nice they thought about her,” she said. “There are so many students, and it was awesome that she was the one they thought of.”
The presentation of the violin, which happened after the youth symphony played a mini-concert before an IPO performance, took a few months to come about.
“Late last fall, word got to us through our education director Roosevelt Griffin, who came to me with a proposal that a donor was willing to give a violin to a potential student,” Ostrega explained. “He wanted to know if I knew of anybody in the youth orchestra. I said ‘I have a student in mind.’ That is where Arabella came in.”
Although she had a “decent student violin,” Ostrega, who directs the youth symphony and plays violin with the IPO, noticed when helping her tune it that she probably needed one that was a bit nicer. He’s been teaching her more closely the last three years, so he was familiar with her violin.
“The best way I can put it is her abilities exceeded the instrument she had,” he said. “Once I heard there was an opportunity for someone to receive a higher-grade student instrument, she was the first person I thought of – both deserving and technical.”
Ostrega checked in with the teen’s mom once things were more finalized to make sure a new violin wasn’t coming for Christmas, and the IPO and the donor coordinated efforts to get the violin a shop to get it refurbished.
“We do restorations and general maintenance and make some instruments … as well as preparing instruments for sale. This was a special thing and we were happy to do it,” said Paul Kubacki, who handles sales for Kenneth Stein Violins in Elmhurst.
He said the donated violin was made in West Germany, guessing it likely was made around 1990. “It was in good shape in terms of not having cracks or anything,” Kubacki said. “It didn’t have any devaluation. It just needed normal work.”
That work included a new sound post and bridge, as well as new strings and a Wittner tailpiece, he said. “For the bow, we recambered the stick and rehaired the bow.” He explained that the “camber” of the bow is what’s curved, and the curve was a bit off. The violin also got a new case.
The shop worked with the IPO to get the repairs done, and Katie Dodd, the technician who did the refurbishment, graduated from the Chicago School of Violinmaking in Skokie two years ago.
“The level here is very high-level,” said Kubacki, who also makes violins. “Everyone has gone to violin school or worked for 20 years,” which helps explain why the shop has customers all over the country, including California, Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin.
Once the refurbishment was done, the violin was ready to be presented to Arabella.
“We are extremely excited to be able to make this match,” IPO Executive Director Christina Salerno shared via a news release. “Together with our Marilynn Tannebaum Youth Music Education Institute, IPO is very resolute in our desire to enhance and further the musical journey for our area youth musicians in any way possible. To be able to pair this young violinist with an instrument of this caliber is an absolute joy.”
Ostrega has noticed a difference in the teen’s playing since receiving the new instrument, both in solo music opportunities as well as with the youth symphony as a group.
“It’s greatly elevated all the abilities that she’s got, and she plays with a lot more confidence,” he explained. “I compare it to a carpenter. You can have a $1 hammer, but having the know-how and the ability to trust your ability, you need a tool that’s more responsive. You have more at your disposal with which to create.”
Those interested in hearing Arabella’s new violin are invited to the youth symphony’s spring concert, scheduled for 3 p.m. May 3 at Crete-Monee High School, 1515 W. Exchange St. in Crete.
“It’s a free performance, so come one, come all,” Ostrega said
Melinda Moore is a freelance reporter.
