Evento – 87

The MountainTop Strings of California is a high school strings ensemble that has grown out several school strings programs in both the Greater Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead areas, which have been in existence for 10 years. These programs have been solely developed through the talent, tenacity, and intense desire of their director, Sharon Rizzo. They have also become regionally recognized. Many of the students compete individually, as well as collectively, on their instruments and enjoy performing a variety of genres in many unique venues.

Ms. Rizzo, a cellist, was inspired to start her strings program in the San Bernardino Mountains after having performed for 3 summers in the famed Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, where music and mountains unite!

Ms. Rizzo and her students have formed a strong bond because of their unique and isolated location. These students have the joy of rehearsing and performing in an unbelievably artistic and inspiring locale in Southern California, located 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles and surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest, altitude around 7,000 feet. With over 300 days of sunshine each year, summer temperatures average around 80 degrees, and winter brings about 100 inches of snowfall.

This mountaintop, filled with small picturesque wooded communities, is full of artistic opportunities, as well as many recreational opportunities, both on the beautiful lakes and the ski resort. All in all, an idyllic place to grow.

Ms. Rizzo has had a long time dream to provide her students with the opportunity of performing abroad and to share with them the unique musical experiences that she was so fortunate to have. We hope you will enjoy the musical magic that these hard-working and dedicated students create for you!

DIRECTOR :  SHARON RIZZO

Sharon Rizzo, a Connecticut native, holds music degrees in cello performance from the University of Connecticut and the University of California, Irvine. Sharon also holds an Artist Certificate in Cello from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and a single subject teaching credential in music from the University of Redlands in California.

As a professional cellist, she has been a member of the Redlands Symphony Orchestra for ten years and has performed with many symphony orchestras in California, Texas and Connecticut.

Her strength is chamber music, as she is one of the founding members and cellist of the Bella Musica Quartet. She has performed with various ensembles across the U.S. and abroad to Italy, Singapore, Canada and Hong Kong.

Through the Bear Valley Unified School District and Steven G. Mihaylo Strings Programs in Big Bear Lake, along with the Arrowhead Arts Strings Program in Lake Arrowhead, Sharon has built her Programs to serve over 150 students per year. Her dream has been to take her students to perform abroad and share her unique musical experiences with them.