"How do you get to Carnegie Hall? In the case of Thatcher Harrison, win an international competition."
(Note: The article says that Thatcher Harrison was born in Tiverton, Rhode Island. While Thatcher did live in Tiverton for several years, he was actually born in Bradenton, Florida.)
The NBSO is pleased to announce Orlando Montalvo Avalo (at left) and Thatcher Harrison (right) as our 2018 Lillian B. Lamoureux Scholarship recipients. NBSO President & CEO David Prentiss presented both young men with $1,000 scholarship checks (while our office mascot Franz Liszt looked on approvingly!)
Thatcher plays classical and jazz guitar as well as piano and plans to use his scholarship award to offset costs of his upcoming music college applications including expenses for on-campus auditions.
Thatcher Harrison remembers picking up a guitar and mimicking musicians he saw on TV when he was just three years old. That experience has influenced major life decisions for the now 15 year old, who will star in his own solo concert on February 11.
Harrison will only get two hours of stage time during the Paskamansett Concert Series at the Dartmouth Grange, and his goal is to cram as much variety as possible into his set. He started preparing a set list a several weeks ago, but it won’t be finalized until the day of the concert.
We first met Thatcher Harrison at the 2016 Art’s and Cultural Alliance of Newport County Annual Meeting earlier this year. The 14-year-old was among the entertainment for the evening at the Newport Art Museum, his performance left us a bit speechless.
Thatcher is returning to Newport very soon to participate in Newport BridgeFest, we caught up with him before his performance on Bowen’s Wharf…
Newport Festivals Foundation is excited to continue the tradition of Bridgefest to celebrate folk, jazz, and the musical heritage of Newport....
Lois Vaughan, Bridgefest coordinator, and guitarist Thatcher Harrison give us a preview of this upcoming event. Thatcher also gives us a performance live in studio!