By Eileen Wingard
LA JOLLA, California — Two remarkable young men will be the next featured soloists on the January 29, Musicians in the Making program at 2 p.m. at the Astor Judaica Library of the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center.
Pianist and bass-baritone Elliott Wulff, 17, is a senior at Rancho Bernardo High School where he sings in the Madrigal Choir. Oboist Ben Brogadir, 16, is a sophomore at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. He plays in the SCPA Orchestra.
Elliott studies piano with Irina Bendetsky, a Russian-trained piano virtuosa and pedagogue. Elliott performs frequently for charitable events and simchas. Ben studies oboe with Andrea Overturf, principal English horn of the San Diego Symphony. After three years of study, he is principal oboe of the San Diego Youth Symphony’s Sinfonia.
Both are active in their Congregations. Cantor Lori Frank of Temple Adat Shalom called Elliott “one of our stars,” and Cantor Arlene Bernstein of Congregation Beth Israel, a specialist in woodwinds, praised Ben’s remarkable progress on the oboe.
Elliott has led children’s high holiday services at Temple Adat Shalom since he was nine years old. He also served for two years as music teacher for the children from pre-K to 6th grade. Ben, who also plays guitar, leads songs at Congregation Beth Israel’s religious school, plays oboe in the CBI family band and is a leader in the temple’s youth group.
Elliott was the second place winner in a music competition at Nazarene University in Point Loma and won a $400 scholarship from the Associated Arts Organization in downtown San Diego. In addition to piano and voice, he plays violin, viola and guitar and holds a first degree black belt in Tang Su Do.
Ben spends time perfecting his skills in oboe reed making, a necessary skill for oboists, and enjoys listening to classical music. He also is an expert skateboarder and is a flow rider for a local skateboard company.
The concert will feature piano works by Russian composers Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and Shostakovitch, songs by Chopin and Schonberg/Boublil and oboe works by Mozart and Hindemith.
Musicians in the Making is under the auspices of the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture’s Performing Arts Series: Look and Listen.
This program is free and open to the public.
RSVP at 858-362-1154
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Wingard is a former violinist for the San Diego Symphony Orchestra and a freelance writer. She may be contacted at eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com