Image from The Norwalk Art Space

By Dirk Langeveld

NORWALK — Children in Norwalk will have an opportunity to receive free musical instruction starting later this year, with the debut of a new music school.

The Alon Music School is slated to begin in September, with the goal of providing tuition-free, year-round music education to Norwalk children. The school is named for Alon Panovka, who died on Feb. 26th at the age of 63.

The school is a collaboration of INTEMPO, a musical education organization, and The Norwalk Art Space, which provides free arts and music education to underserved children. The school will be operated by INTEMPO and hosted at The Norwalk Art Space. 

All students welcome

Panovka was a resident of Atlanta, Ga. but had strong connections to the local community in Fairfield County. In addition to his involvement in business development initiatives in Westport, including the revitalization of its historic post office, Panovka was a key figure in the creation of The Norwalk Art Space.

“Alon was instrumental in launching The Norwalk Art Space and supporting our music programs,” said Robin Panovka, board chair of the organization. “He was a brilliant, kind, and generous man, and we hope his spirit will be reflected in our students’ musical development and pursuit of excellence.” 

Alon, along with his family and friends, have already helped to establish a substantial endowment of $500,000 for the school. This will help ensure that any Norwalk families will be able to participate in the program, regardless of their financial circumstances.

“It has been an honor to work alongside Alon over the years to establish The Norwalk Art Space as a beacon of artistic freedom and inclusion for all,” said Duvian Montoya, executive director of The Norwalk Art Space. “This generous endowment is a testament to that shared vision and ensures that our commitment to providing free access to the arts will continue to flourish for years to come.”

The school will offer instruction in strings, choir, guitar, ukulele, and ensemble performance. Classes will take place after school and on weekends and be open to elementary, middle, and high school students with varying levels of musical experience. Further enrollment information will be released through the summer at thenorwalkartspace.org.

In addition to INTEMPO and The Norwalk Art Space, the City of Norwalk and the Norwalk Youth Symphony have provided support for the school.

“The Alon Music School represents the kind of collaboration our community needs — organizations working together to remove barriers and create meaningful opportunities for young musicians,” said Sara Watkins, executive director of the Norwalk Youth Symphony.

The Alon Music School expects to serve 100 students in its first year. A grand opening will take place from 3 p.m. at 5 p.m. on Aug. 23rd at The Norwalk Art Space.

Inaugural program manager

The first program manager at The Alon Music School will be Shabnam Abedi, who has worked as an educator, vocalist, and arts advocate. Abedi received a master’s degree in jazz studies from The Juilliard School, and was this institution’s first South Asian American jazz voice graduate. More recently, Abedi made her debut as a member of the New York Philharmonic Chorus. 

Abedi will oversee student recruitment, family engagement, community partnerships, artistic planning, and day-to-day operations at The Alon Music School.

“INTEMPO and The Norwalk Art Space have been such powerful forces through their work in music and art education,” she said. “I couldn’t be more excited to be at the intersection of these two dynamic teams.”

To complement the school’s launch, Abedi is hosting a free five-week choir class at The Norwalk Art Space, beginning today.

Composer-in-Residence program

In addition to its educational programs, The Alon Music School will offer a Composer-in-Residence program. The first person to hold this title will be Icli Zitella, a composer, violinist, pianist, and educator. He will also serve on the faculty teaching string ensemble, giving students a unique opportunity to learn works that Zitella is creating specifically for their program.

“Writing music tailored specifically to these young musicians within the vibrant, living fine arts studio of The Norwalk Art Space is an incredible privilege,” said Zitella. “This setting creates the ideal atmosphere for students to connect sound and sight, turning rehearsals into a multidisciplinary laboratory where composition and visual inspiration meet. My goal is to show our students that they are active collaborators in bringing new art to life.”

Expanded coverage of Fairfield County cultural events is made possible with support from the Fairfield University Quick Center for the Arts


Dirk Langeveld

Dirk Langeveld has worked as a news reporter, content marketing specialist, and freelance writer. He is the author of “The Artful Dodger: The 20-Year Pursuit of World War I Draft Dodger Grover Cleveland Bergdoll” and has contributed to several books on Connecticut history.