Our Story
In 1995, Lynnelle Ediger-Kordzaia founded a music school called the Academy of Music. As thousands of students walked through its doors to develop, enjoy and share their musical talents, the Academy grew to become Richmond’s premier classically-based music school. In the Spring of 2018, the Academy of Music rebranded as GreenSpring International Academy of Music.
First Carnegie Hall performance, 2001
The American Youth Harp Ensemble, which Ediger-Kordzaia founded in 1999, continues to captivate audiences around the world as America’s finest youth harp ensemble. With an annual reach of more than a million listeners, the ensemble has 25 national and international tours to its credit. Highlights include multiple performances in Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, the White House and celebrated concert halls across Europe, Australia and Canada. The AYHE has been featured in a variety of television specials and was considered for a Grammy award in 2016.
The success of the harp ensemble inspired her creation of other ensembles including the Virginia Choristers in 2007, the Chamber Music program in 2010, and the Chamber Orchestra in 2017. Along the way, summer programming evolved from one harp camp in 1995 into the current multi-week, multi-instrument Summer Music Institutes and International Summer Touring program. The GreenSpring Young Artist Program, a special track for the conservatory-bound student, features world-class faculty and guest artists, student concerts and performance seminars. From these core programs, outreach programs have developed such as Sound Experiences, a multi-day, tuition-free music education program in partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs; the Harp Therapy programs including Harping in the Hospitals in partnership with local healthcare institutions and the Harp Therapy Outreach Program in which peer mentors are matched with youth with disabilities to teach them to play the harp; and, Community Service, a program in which our young musicians provide over 300 performances annually often for audiences with limited access to live performance or the arts.
After a live performance on NPR affiliate, the Community Idea Stations, 2012
An early photo of the American Youth Harp Ensemble, 2000
GreenSpring Today
Studying music at GreenSpring is an exciting, enriching and rewarding experience. Students benefit from an outstanding faculty, a supportive environment and a classically-based music education.
Offering private and group instruction, ensembles, summer music programs, master classes, performances, outreach opportunities, and workshops, GreenSpring welcomes all students, from the complete novice to the professional.
Partnering with eleven local K-12 public and private schools and youth-centered service organizations, GreenSpring supports the community, specifically youth with the greatest need, by providing in-school and after-school music programs that incorporate performances by our students and professional musicians. GreenSpring also offers concerts in diverse settings with a special focus on performances for those in our community with limited access to the arts.
With two convenient locations in Richmond and multiple partner organizations, GreenSpring serves music students in the Richmond, Virginia metro area and in Frederick, Maryland.
Why GreenSpring?
i thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes […]
(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
- e. e. cummings
Growing up on GreenSpring, our family farm in Frederick County, Maryland that dates back to 1738, I was filled with awe at the natural beauty surrounding me every day. Even in the quiet, there was music. Amidst the rolling pastures and Catoctin mountains, the sounds of rustling grass, birds, animals, and wind were the symphony of my childhood.
As a professional musician, I've been fortunate to travel all over the world to incredibly inspiring places, but I always return to GreenSpring. It’s where the world stops for me, and I have the space to be creative. Like the final lines of the e.e. cummings’ poem above, GreenSpring is where “the ears of my ears awake and [...] the eyes of my eyes are opened.”
Every summer when Summer Music Institute students visit the GreenSpring farm, I have the opportunity to share this uniquely inspiring place with the next generation of musicians. Although our headquarters are in Richmond, GreenSpring holds a very special place in the hearts of all who study there. As we continue to expand our programming in Maryland, I look forward to growing rich musical experiences there for students year round.
As we reconsidered our brand in 2018, the name GreenSpring resonated as the perfect metaphor for who we are. It evokes renewal, growth, young life blooming and music blossoming. It is a place for creative inspiration. It is a home for students to appreciate the power and beauty of music.
I hope to share the spirit of GreenSpring through everything we do, everyone we teach and everyone we touch through music.
- Lynnelle Ediger-Kordzaia, Founder and Director
The Benefits of a GreenSpring Music Education
Heightened focus, imagination, self-discipline, confidence and perseverance are all valuable skills gained through learning music. Research shows that music education can enhance academic performance, while also boosting self-esteem, creative thinking, self-awareness and problem-solving skills.
Being part of a musical ensemble has the added benefits of better listening and communication skills, more effective teamwork and interaction, and developing leadership abilities.
Learning to perform benefits students far beyond the realm of music, inspiring confidence and poise in front of others, be it a Carnegie Hall audience, a classroom, or a board room. All GreenSpring programs perform in local, regional, national and international venues.
Not only does GreenSpring enhance personal growth and development, but it strongly supports building a sense of community and the importance of giving back. Students have opportunities to participate in outreach programs from Sound Experiences to Harp Therapy to Harping in Hospitals. GreenSpring also offers concerts in diverse settings with a special focus on performances for those in our community with limited access to the arts.
Best of all, a lifelong love of music often inspires great joy and a deep appreciation for the arts.
Our Philosophy
The moment a student finds their instrument, there are no more words. Their language becomes the notes that they play. And how they make music expresses who they are. At GreenSpring International Academy of Music, we believe in the transformative power of music.
Every student who comes to GreenSpring deserves to be heard. We provide a space for them to discover their unique talent, to be championed, encouraged and celebrated regardless of their background or abilities.
GreenSpring fosters your child’s growth as a musician and as a human being. Whether students pursue music as a career or not, they develop skills that can help them find success in life. Discipline, dedication, work ethic, friendship, camaraderie, team spirit, the ability to be in front of an audience, responsibility to oneself and others; these are all attributes that contribute to having a positive impact on the world. Our music-filled environment is rich, immersive and joyful.