Classical concert connects to Glenholme's history

Alexander Henry, the great grandson of the philanthropic Van Sinderen family, performed a classical guitar concert during an April 16 visit to Glenholme.

The school was established in the late 1960’s when Jean White Van Sinderen generously donated her 110-acre country estate to the Devereux Foundation for the creation of a school where students with special needs could develop their unique potential. Through the years, the Van Sinderen family continued to demonstrate their support for the school. The visit connected Alexander Henry and several family members with the Van Sinderen history at Glenholme. Alexander’s grandmother, Jean Henry, spent her young summers at Glenholme when her parents Adrian and Jean White Van Sinderen lived on the property. The visit to campus included a tour of the buildings and grounds, where Jean Henry recalled with nostalgia the appeal of the property. The tour was followed by a classical guitar performance by Alexander Henry in the main dining hall.

Alexander Henry possesses an impressive resume. A professional concert guitarist, a graduate of Yale College, where he received the Wrexham Prize in Music, and the Yale School of Music, where he was awarded the Eliot Fisk Prize in Guitar Performance. As the winner of the William Waite Concerto Competition, he was the first guitarist to perform as soloist with the Yale Symphony Orchestra. After graduating, Alexander received a Fulbright Scholarship to study early music in Basel, Switzerland. He has also studied in masterclasses in Siena, Italy, and at the Aspen Music Festival, and performed in the U.S. and Europe. In addition to performing, Alexander has taught guitar in Boston and New York, and in 2008 he was a guest instructor at the Second Annual Palestinian Music Festival in the West Bank.

The forty minute classical guitar concert included works of Bach, Spanish and Latin American guitar composers such as Sor, Tarrega, and Villa-Lobos. The performance left the audience with the strong appreciation of Alexander’s passion for performing. Afterwards, he engaged the audience in a Question and Answer session where the students asked thoughtful and insightful questions. The Henry visit and concert was a wonderful way for the students and staff to appreciate the school’s history.