About
Through submission of a CD, Mackenzie was selected to attend "PianoSummer at New Paltz". This summer music festival is under the artistic direction of Vladimir Feltsman, with piano masters such as Susan Starr, Phillip Kawin, Alexander Slobodyanik, Robert Hamilton, Paul Ostrovsky, and Alexander Korsantia. The festival offers students the opportunity to take master classes, participate in individual lessons, hear lectures, and perform recitals in an intensely concentrated setting. This is a unique feature, as students take 5 lessons a week with different teachers each day. 35 Students ranging from the ages of 13-middle age, and from countries as "far flung" as China, Korea, Israel, and Russia will participate this year.
Mackenzie Melemed was honored on June 27th, 2008 with a citation from the House of Representatives. The award states that Mackenzie Melemed is recognized for his volunteer spirit and selfless offering of his musical talents. Mackenzie directed a Benefit Concert for the Webber Family in need of financial assistance after a tragedy struck the family.
For the second summer Mackenzie spent 5 weeks at the Walden School in Dublin, New Hampshire which is a highly regarded music camp. There he took composition classes, musicianship, music literature/history, and chorus. While there, Mackenzie composed a piece titled, Destroyed Nature. It was written for violin, cello, trumpet, flute, and oboe. It is his first piece that does not include the piano. He enjoyed meeting people from all over the world.
In 2006 Mackenzie was selected as a winner of the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition!
He was awarded a Mayoral Citation from Mayor Timothy Murry of Worcester for outstanding contribution and for his inspiration to the community at such a young age. Mackenzie received a certificate of recognition from Mayor Dean Mazzarella from the city of Leominister for being a talented and outstanding young citizen in our community. He was recognized by Mayor Gerald St. Hiliare of Gardener for outstanding accomplishment in the Performing Arts and for his multiple philanthropic contributions to others. He received a Mayoral Citation from Mayor Langford of Atlantic City for doing over 10 charity performances while he was in New Jersey for the Prodigy Show. He was also recognized on WBZ Channel 4 for a Hometown hero segment acknowledging outstanding accomplishments in the New England Area. He is also the youngest honoree member of "Artists for Alzheimer's", an initiative program of the Hearthstone Foundation.His media coverage includes appearances on the Rosie O'Donnell Show, The Wayne Brady Show, and The Sharon Osborne Show. He appeared on America's Funniest Video's, The Morning Show in Philadelphia, NECN's show T.V. Diner, numerous national television and radio commercials, where he is a union member of A.F.T.R.A. One of his greatest achievements was to play a lead role in a Mozart Medical Mystery series on the Discovery Channel, delving into the life of the famous prodigy and his death. Mackenzie portrays the young Wolfgang in the throes of illness and also plays an antique harpsichord while blindfolded. Young Mozart dreamed of playing to the royalty, including the kings and queens of his day…Mackenzie's dreams are similar.
He was thrilled to be invited to perform and speak with the INCREDIBLE Marvin Hamlisch on April 30, 2005 at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA. Two nights later he performed before the talented Judy Collins for the Lupus Foundation of New England at the Seaport Hotel in Boston.
Mackenzie spent the 2004 & 2005 summers at Summer Sonatina, in Old Bennington, Vermont at an exclusive overnight piano camp; the only one of it's kind in the country. It is a mansion of 45 rooms that has over 30 pianos. Mackenzie played a minimum of three hours a day, 7 days a week. This included theory, composing, master classes and trips to Tanglewood and other exciting venues.
He enjoyed all the camp had to offer. It was really exciting meeting many campers from all over the world. His music was recognized and put on the "Best of Summer Sonatina CD 2005." He really enjoyed performing on piano with Ann Dagmar singing Angel Eyes by Denis/Brent and Dan Newman on bass. That was so exciting for him.
Friends & family of Mackenzie gather before the show at Carnegie Hall on May 21, 2006. In all, there were 30 supporters coming from Maryland, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and MA.
Mackenzie and his good friend and mentor, Arlene Betteridge after his performance at Carnegie Hall.
Olga Rogach
Mackenzie in a Mozart Medical Mystery series on the Discovery Channel
Mackenzie was a guest on The Wayne Brady Show March 27, 2003
With Clay Aiken on the set of American Idol, spring 2003
