Westminster Stars Feel the Beat

Adam Koplan, director of performing arts at the Westminster School, noted that their band’s “percussionist section is one-third Jewish, three members out of nine, at a school that is five to six percent Jewish. So, I guess the Westminster Jews are feeling that groovy beat!”

Note also that Koplan’s daughter, Nina, is part of the 33 percent. Koplan himself was featured in the Atlanta Jewish Times “Chai Style Art” column on June 28, 2023, “Koplan is King of the Arts.”

Westminster star Eve Gordon is part of the band and has been the focus of publicity, making her solo debut with the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra where she will perform the third movement of “Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra” by Emmanuel Séjourné.

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Percussion instruments produce sound through striking, shaking, or scraping rather than blowing or plucking. Percussion instruments are crucial for establishing rhythm, accents and texture. Imagine a full range of bells, rattles, cymbals, xylophones, maracas and tambourines to the more traditional vibrating stretched membranes like drums.

Eve enjoys practicing the snare drums.

Gordon started studying percussion at age 8. After playing piano for several years, she came to percussion by chance passing time after school and in a friend’s band. At 9, Victor Pons, a noted soloist and performer, became Gordon’s private instructor. He recognized her natural talent. Pons described Eve as “the most exceptional student musician I have encountered in many years of teaching at high school and university levels. She maintains impeccable rhythmic precision while remaining flexible enough to breathe with an ensemble, a rare combination in young performers.”

Gordon studied piano for five years alongside percussion with Judy Cole, recently retired member of the Kennesaw State University music faculty.  For the last three years, Gordon has focused exclusively on percussion. Between Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, Westminster Band, and private instruction, Gordon estimates she spends around 15 hours per week on music. She participates in a dozen concerts during the school year, and more during summer.

Gordon related that, in addition to her ensemble playing, it’s especially fun for her to play modern percussion ensemble pieces, like Giovanni Sollima’s “Millenium Bug” (1999), because of the complex rhythms and intricate nonverbal communication that the players must master to perform successfully. In the future, Gordon would like to attend an academically challenging university with a strong music program and an excellent symphony orchestra. Currently, she is considering a double major in music and science. Gordon said that because she wants to be well-rounded, she has her sights set on universities rather than conservatories. She noted that even if she opts not to pursue music as a career, she is sure that music will be a lifelong pursuit.

Regarding the solo debut, Séjourné’s composition has become a staple of marimba concerto repertoire and is frequently performed worldwide. The piece includes virtuosic playing for the marimba with fast intricate passages and slower expressive ones.

Séjourné, a French composer and percussionist, is currently on the faculty at the Conservatoire de Strasbourg. Gordon said that when she posted the piano reduction of her performance of Séjourné’s concerto on YouTube, Gordon was surprised to receive comments from Séjourné, who praised her performance and was “not shy” about offering notes.

For the last four summers, Gordon has attended Interlochen Arts Camp. This summer, she will attend the six-week highly selective program at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass. She anticipates the opportunities that Tanglewood offers because of its connection to the Boston Symphony Orchestra and outstanding faculty.

Westminster’s band director, Dr. McKinley Stinson, percussionist and musician, is Gordon’s percussion teacher. He remarked, “Although Eve’s talent is quickly recognizable, her tenacity, courage, and willingness to embrace challenges garner great respect from peers, musicians, and educators … we can always count on Eve to bring her best each time. We’re grateful to be a small part of her musical journey.”

Nina Koplan, classmate, said, “It’s an honor to get to play with Eve. She’s incredibly talented; and I’m so glad I got to know her through band.”

Mom, Rachel Lipson, noted, “Eve’s roots with Judaism have always been intertwined with music. Since her bat mitzvah was during COVID, we ended up having an outdoor service at the Dunwoody Nature Center, followed by a jazz luncheon -much more Eve’s style than an evening party!”