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90_HR0489
LRB9012216KBkb
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The Illinois House of Representatives is proud
3 to honor citizens of Illinois who have achieved outstanding
4 success in their chosen professions and made significant
5 contributions to the people of this State; and
6 WHEREAS, Rachel Barton, a twenty three year old violinist
7 and native of Chicago, is one citizen of Illinois who
8 deserves such recognition; and
9 WHEREAS, Rachel Barton has appeared as a soloist with
10 the Chicago Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, the Montreal
11 Symphony, the Vienna Symphony, the Belgian National
12 Orchestra, and the Budapest Symphony; and
13 WHEREAS, Miss Barton began her study of the violin at the
14 age of three; four years later she made her debut with the
15 Chicago String Ensemble; she gave performances on public
16 television at the age of 10 and 15 with the Chicago Symphony;
17 and
18 WHEREAS, Rachel Barton has received many awards and
19 prizes from many of the world's leading competitions; at the
20 1992 Quadrennial J.S. Bach International Violin Competition
21 in Leipzig, Germany, she won the gold medal, becoming the
22 first American and the youngest artist to win that prize;
23 other top honors include the Queen Elisabeth (Brussels,
24 1993), Kreisler (Vienna, 1992), Szigeti (Budapest, 1992), and
25 Montreal (1991) international violin competitions, as well as
26 national and regional wins; she won the prize for
27 interpretation of the Paganini Caprices at both the Szigeti
28 Competition and the 1993 Paganini International Violin
29 Competition in Genoa; and
30 WHEREAS, Miss Barton was one of the torchbearers in the
31 Olympic torch relay in June of 1996; at the Paralympic Games
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1 at Centennial Olympic Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, she was
2 featured as soloist with members of the Atlanta Symphony
3 Orchestra; in 1996 she performed her own arrangement of the
4 national anthem at the first Chicago Bulls playoff game, and
5 also at the 1996 Democratic Convention in Chicago; she was
6 selected as a "Chicagoan of the Year" by Chicago Magazine in
7 1996 and a "Woman of the Year" by Today's Chicago Woman
8 Magazine; she has appeared on the "Today" show twice, has
9 been profiled in People magazine, and in the Arts & Leisure
10 section of The New York Times; and
11 WHEREAS, Rachel Barton is a member of the faculty of the
12 Music Center of the North Shore in Winnetka, Illinois; she
13 often coaches chamber music, leads sectionals for youth
14 orchestra, and gives master classes; besides her touring
15 activities she enjoys giving special programs and
16 demonstrations for children; in her appearances she often
17 incorporates spoken program notes or pre-concert
18 conversations; in an effort to reach younger audiences Miss
19 Barton often appears on rock music radio stations for
20 interviews and performances; and
21 WHEREAS, Rachel Barton's principal teachers were Roland
22 and Almita Varnos of the Oberlin Conservatory; she has also
23 studied with Ruben Gonzalez, Werner Scholz, Elmira Darvarova,
24 and several specialists in baroque and classical period
25 performance practice; Miss Barton plays the 1617
26 "ex-Lobkowicz" A & H Amati violin, on generous loan from the
27 Stradivari Society of Chicago; Miss Barton also maintains a
28 site on the World Wide Web; we are proud to say that Rachel
29 Barton is a part of the fine culture of Illinois; therefore,
30 be it
31 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
32 NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
33 congratulate Rachel Barton on her career, her talent, and her
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1 ability to make other people smile through her music; may she
2 have a long and prosperous life doing what she does best; and
3 be it further
4 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
5 presented to Miss Rachel Barton.