EDITORIAL: Juilliard: It's music to Aiken's ears

The glorious sounds of music spread throughout Aiken last spring in the first Juilliard in Aiken Festival. This year more music will be heard as the Second Annual Juilliard in Aiken Festival provides additional performances for local audiences.

Juilliard in Aiken originated after Joye Cottage owners Steven Naifeh and Gregory Smith bequeathed the property to the New York based school for the arts. Since then the collaboration between Juilliard and Aiken has resulted in some interesting collaborations, principal among them the Juilliard in Aiken Festival.

This year's Festival will be held March 8-12 and will feature 10 concerts - up from the six presented at last year's inaugural event.

Included among the benefits the community receives from Juilliard will be workshops for local students to help them hone their skills. This invaluable connection between Aiken County students and the excellent musicians and instructors of Juilliard has life changing opportunities.

For the rest of Aiken, having an opportunity to hear high-caliber musicians in a number of settings is a rare treat and adds to the variety of arts endeavors available in this community.

We give a hearty welcome to the return of the Juilliard connection and look forward to the arrival of March and the Juilliard in Aiken Festival.