20th Annual ‘Teeny Awards’ Ceremony Takes Place at Riverhead High School on June 5, 2022

Theater students from 20 East End High Schools are awarded live and in-person for their performances during the 2021/2022 season in this Tony Awards-inspired tradition. 

Riverhead, New York - East End Arts & Humanities Council, Inc. presents the 20th Annual Teeny Awards on Sunday, June 5th at 3:00 p.m. at Riverhead High School, with the

East End Arts Announces Music Masters Fellowship Program

Intensive Tuition-Free, Nine-Week String Ensemble Workshop, Fall 2013

Led by Professional Cellist & Conductor Nico Olarte-Hayes

Riverhead, New York - East End Arts is thrilled to announce the commencement of the 2013 Music Masters Fellowship, a string ensemble of local high school student musicians participating in an intensive tuition-free, nine-week workshop under the baton of professional cellist and conductor Nico Olarte-Hayes. Nico Olarte-Hayes is an alumnus of the prestigious Perlman Music Program and is quickly establishing himself as one of today’s most promising musical talents.

Students applied to participate back in late summer and a select few were chosen to participate in this program. Applications came in from across Suffolk County and the final nine-piece string ensemble includes five violin students, one viola student, two cello students, and one double bass student:

•Matthew Barnard (age 17), violin, from Riverhead High School;

•Megan Brunner (age 15), violin, from Riverhead High School;

•Alaina Cruse (age 16), violin, from Westhampton Beach High School; 

•Sarah Halpin (age 16), cello, from Riverhead High School; 

•TeAndra Jenkins (age 15), violin, from Riverhead High School; 

•Nicholas Kleinman (age 17), double bass, from Sachem High School North; 

•Yasmine Kocan (age 13), cello, from Riverhead Middle School; 

•Lauren Schaefer (age 12), violin, from Riverhead Middle School; 

•Sarah Vaccaro (age 14), viola, from Bellport Middle School. 

The ensemble has been rehearsing Monday evenings since the end of September in East End Arts’ Carriage House rehearsal space and the group preparing for their final concert in early December. 

Members of the community are invited to attend the free final concert that will take place on Tuesday, December 3 at 7:30 PM at Suffolk County Community College’s Eastern Campus, specifically the Shinnecock Building, Hall 101, located at 121 Speonk-Riverhead Road, Riverhead, NY. We thank Suffolk Community College for graciously providing the performance space. For more information about the final performance, visit http://www.eastendarts.org/calendar/event/2013/12/03/music-masters-fellowship-string-ensemble-final-concert.

The Music Masters Fellowship program is made possible through donations from within the community.

More about the Music Masters Fellowship Program

The Music Masters Fellowship Program was created with the goal of providing local students with one-on-one learning opportunities with masters in the music field, and to encourage student pursuit of post-graduate education. The program employs master performers and composers in rock music, jazz, world music and classical music to mentor small groups of talented high school students from Eastern Long Island. Through one-on-one learning opportunities with masters in the music field, the students are given training in rehearsal and performance skills, in addition to recording, marketing, composition and songwriting. They leave with life-long friendships, as well as portfolio materials to assist them in future endeavors, including their pursuit of post-graduate education. Participating students are selected based on application and performance sample. By creating this exciting and enriching program for the students, East End Arts is the catalyst for an expanded sense of opportunity and possibility throughout the academic year.

The pilot program, which took place during the spring of 2011, was mentored by Corky Laing, drummer and songwriter from “Mountain,” and “West, Bruce & Laing”; the second program, which took place in the spring of 2012 was mentored by singer/songwriter Lauren Kinhan of New York Voices and JaLaLa. The 2013 program is under the leadership of the young and incredibly gifted Nico Olarte-Hayes, a professional cellist and conductor, who is an alumnus of the very prestigious Perlman Music Program, which is under the direction of the world renowned master violinist Itzhak Perlman. 

For more information about Nico Olarte-Hayes, visit http://www.eastendarts.org/programs/music-masters.html#olarte-hayes-bio. 

For more information about the Music Masters Fellowship Program, contact the East End Arts School at 631-369-2171 or education@eastendarts.org.

East End Arts Announces New Board Member: Patricia Cruso

Riverhead, New York - East End Arts is proud to announce a new addition to the Board of Directors: Patricia Cruso. Executive Director Pat Snyder states: “We are thrilled to welcome Patricia Cruso to the East End Arts Board of Directors. Her professional experience as well as her passion for community are so valuable to the organization. I look forward to working with her.”

When asked of her recent appointment, Ms. Cruso comments, "This is an exciting time of great potential for East End Arts; I am delighted to be working with the Board and staff to advance East End Arts’ mission."

Patricia Cruso is an education and community advocate, with a strong background in fundraising, and a life-long passion for community service. For over 17 years, she worked at Stony Brook University in a variety of capacities, representing and advocating for higher education goals of the University. During her tenure, she worked in the Office of Governmental Relations, representing the university to Washington-based higher education associations, research organizations, professional societies and public policy organizations; served on several steering and outreach committees; served as the Recruitment Chair for Stony Brook Day in Albany, the university’s annual advocacy day in Albany, where she increased participation ten-fold; as well as worked as the Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving in the Office of University Advancement. Additionally, in a volunteer capacity, Patricia served on the Stony Brook University SEFA/United Way Campaign as fundraising counsel to Campaign Chair; Stony Brook University Public Relations Team; Stony Brook University Campus Beautification Team; Stony BrookAdult LiteracyCenter; and was a conversation partner in the Stony Brook University English Conversation Partners project. During her time at StonyBrook University and beyond, she has participated in the Stony Brook University Undergraduate Mentoring Program since 1994. Patricia formerly held fundraising positions at the Museum of Contemporary Art and WTTW/Channel 11, a PBS station, both in Chicago.

It is no surprise that Patricia has continued her advocacy and community support far beyond her career. She volunteers weekly at the Bread and More Soup Kitchen at First Congregational Church in Riverhead; and is Vice-President of the Board at the Jamesport Meeting House. She was also Vice President of the Board of Trustees at the Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington; was Secretary of the Board of Directors at Long Island Head Start Child Development Services. At East End Arts, Patricia has volunteered on numerous fundraising and event committees throughout the years. Patricia has a master’s degree in social work and was a member of Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), National Association of Social Workers, and National Society of Fund Raising Executives (NSFRE).

Patricia Cruso joins the esteemed and dedicated Board of Directors of East End Arts, composed of 14 active members with backgrounds ranging from business to education, from media to finance, from creative to legal, some with tenures over 25 years, under the leadership of the 2012-13 Board Officers: President Annika Shapiro, Vice President Jim Lennon, Treasurer Diane Murray, and Secretary Tina Folks. For the full list of East End Arts’ Board of Directors, visit http://eastendarts.org/aboutus/board.html.

For more information contact East End Arts at 631-727-0900.