Local 802’s Music Performance Trust Fund scored a resounding success with a series of four concerts given in conjunction with and co-sponsored by Mentoring USA for their summer camp program. Entitled “Sounds of Summer,” the series opened with a brass quintet led by Bruce Bonvissuto. That was followed by Sean Lyons’ woodwind group, featuring 18 different woodwind instruments, and then by David Pleasants’ ensemble, emphasizing percussion and drums. Ray Vega’s Latin Jazz quintet closed the series with a demonstration of different styles of Latin music fused with jazz. All the participating ensembles had great rapport with the audience of about 100 youngsters ranging in age from about 8 to 15 years old.

Matilda Cuomo, who started Mentoring USA when she was in Albany with former governor Mario Cuomo, attended several of the concerts and was gratified by their success. She said she particularly appreciated the interaction between the musicians and the audience, and expressed a desire to seek additional funding to continue this series during the school season.

Music Performance Trust Fund appreciates the efforts of our many cosponsors, who brought public performances to thousands of people in every borough of the city this summer. They ranged from the Medgar Evers College jazz series of 13 summer concerts to the large orchestra concerts given in many venues of New York City and Long Island.