photos by Steve Andrascik/ViewTop, Thomas Bromley of Adelaide, Australia, plays the piano as Hal Weller, former conductor of the Las Vegas Philharmonic and founder of the Foundation to Assist Young Musicians, listens at the Bersendorffer Piano store at 1215 S. Fort Apache Road, Suite 110. Bottom, Bromley plays Bach?s Partita No. 2 in C Minor.
photos by Steve Andrascik/ViewTop, Thomas Bromley of Adelaide, Australia, plays the piano as Hal Weller, former conductor of the Las Vegas Philharmonic and founder of the Foundation to Assist Young Musicians, listens at the Bersendorffer Piano store at 1215 S. Fort Apache Road, Suite 110. Bottom, Bromley plays Bach?s Partita No. 2 in C Minor.
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Former Las Vegas Philharmonic music director and conductor Hal Weller has dreamed of creating an organization to help young classical musicians for close to 40 years. After decades of determination and belief in his cause, Weller's vision became a reality in late 2007 with the formation of the Foundation to Assist Young Musicians (FAYM).
The foundation's mission is to give talented kids an opportunity to develop through early training, advanced study, financial assistance and performance opportunities.
As founder of the nonprofit entity, Weller said he has found a great deal of support in the Las Vegas community at large.
"The more people find out about what we're doing, the better off we'll be," Weller said. "We are still a very young organization, and while we are getting on our feet, we have already received a tremendous amount of community support. That's encouraging because we definitely need it."
According to Weller, too many gifted children are robbed of the chance to develop what could be an incredible talent due to a lack of community awareness.
"There are plenty of social programs out there designed to help those in need, but few are aimed at aiding those with talent, and it's a shame," Weller said. "I think that they are expected to make a go of it on their own, and that's not always possible. There have to be mentors who are willing to help cultivate young talent so that it can blossom to its fullest potential."
Since the group's formation in November, two international students have benefited from Weller's vision and connections.
Weller discovered Australian pianist Thomas Bromley, 19, more than a year ago on YouTube.com, where Bromley had posted videos of himself playing original compositions.
"I was amazed by his skill level and seriousness," Weller said. "That was before the foundation was formed, but even at that time, I wrote to him and asked if he'd considered studying in the United States."
Bromley, who said that he plans to dedicate his life to becoming a classical musician, spent about a week in the United States last month, auditioning for the music program at UNLV and schools in Colorado.
"This experience has been very positive," Bromley said. "I have been playing and composing for seven years. I'm very serious about music. It's nice to know that (there are) options out there for someone like me and people who are willing to help me make the best decision."
The group is completely dependent on public donations, with Weller footing the bill for promotional necessities.
"Every dime of what is donated goes to the students," Weller said. "Right now, we are trying to build up a reserve so that we can continue on, and it's a process. But community support of any kind is needed and appreciated."
Weller said that his ambition is to help hundreds of kids per year.
"This is the foundation's mission at work, bringing Thomas here and trying to get him in the program circles," Weller said.
"I think that so many phenomenally talented young classical artists get overlooked because nobody is paying attention ... they enroll in programs that perhaps are not the best and have not built a network within the community to assist their development. But that's where we come in."
While there is no application process for foundation assistance, Weller is confident that those truly dedicated and gifted students will be brought to his attention through music teachers and directors.
"That will happen, especially here in Las Vegas," Weller said. "I'm a firm believer in serendipity. Those kids who need our help the most and are deserving will surface."
For more information on FAYM, visit www.myspace.com/thefaym.
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