BY JASON COHEN
Zeta Charter Schools released a video today of a first-of-its-kind virtual violin lesson for dozens of city students with New York Philharmonic violinist Kuan Cheng Lu.
Lu, an award-winning, world-class musician, led Zeta’s Bronx and Inwood elementary school students through violin practice and personalized instruction on May 8, before opening the lesson up for engagement with students.
“This pandemic has created an incredibly challenging time for our city and for our schools,” said Emily Kim, founder and CEO of Zeta Charter Schools. “At Zeta, we remain committed to our promise of excellent, whole-child education. It’s why we continue to provide video violin lessons to our elementary students. Learning from a world-class musician like Mr. Lu underscores to our kids that their potential is limitless.”
Lu joined the New York Philharmonic at the start of the 2004–05 season and was the first Taiwanese classical musician to earn a seat in the Philharmonic in its 170-year history.
He has received numerous awards and scholarships that include the top prize in the Taiwan National Violin Competition, first prize in the ASTA string competition, the Raphael Bronstein Award and the Taiwan Chi-Mei Corporation’s Outstanding Young Artist award.
Following city-wide school closures due to COVID-19, public charter schools across New York have launched remote learning programs for students including virtual math, reading and science lessons, as well as sports classes and student check-in sessions.
This story first appeared on bxtimes.com.
