Keeping classical music alive: Allegro Music may be the local classical
scene’s Alamo — the last place artists can help fight to preserve Miami’s
classical music scene
Jose Pagliery, The Miami Herald – Florida – KRTBN
Published: Jun 03, 2007

the last place artists can help fight to preserve Miami’s classical
music scene -TEXT- The Miami Herald McClatchy-Tribune Regional News

Jun. 3–Inside, it resembles a small warehouse, decorated with dozens
of violins and acoustic guitars lining the southern wall. But outside,
Allegro Music is unostentatious, surprising for what some call a vital
center for Miami’s classical musicians.

"Everything we need, they have," said violinist Nicole Berriz, a
15-year-old student at Killian High School who will soon play with the
Greater Miami Symphony.

Like her, thousands of Miami’s classical musicians visit the store in
Coral Gables since it opened 46 years ago. It is one of the county’s
only full-service violin shops and has one of the largest collections
of sheet music in the state — 22,000 titles, imported from three
continents and sold internationally.

The store is owned by Manuel and Marina Berberian, a music-loving,
Armenian couple dedicated to keeping Miami’s music alive.

Marina is an accomplished pianist who specializes in finding
international customers rare sheet music. Her recent challenge:
Sinfonia No. 2, a score for wind ensemble by Dutch composer Henk
Badings.

Manuel, whose parents survived the Armenian Genocide of 1915, received
his first violin at the age of 5 as a gift by another violinist,
having never played before but picking up a choir tune by ear. Now 64,
he is a luthier, repairing and regraduating violins, and he offers
free classes to underprivileged, talented and dedicated violinists.

"I think it is a tremendous feat for a child to get up and play
something in public," said Manuel, whose four children each play
instruments.

"Music should not be optional," Manuel said.

The pair bought the store five years ago during the calm before the
storm of the real estate boom. Since then, they have remade the store,
turning more focus to the sale and repair of string instruments such
as cellos, violins and classical guitars. They also have invested more
time and money into cultivating the city’s musical scene.

The store doubles as a kind of recital hall, all thanks to Manuel, who
put wheels below the large, wooden racks he built to house his large
collection of sheet music. When the racks are pushed to the side of
the store, almost 100 people can sit in chairs.

‘ "He’s a sensitive musician who really cares about the music
community in Miami," said Glenn Basham, a violin professor at the
University of Miami who held an informal benefit concerto for his
Young Musicians Camp at Allegro.

Professor Basham tells his students about the store because of its
proximity to the campus and its prices; although the store is the
city’s only source for sheet music, they refuse to "reticket" the
prices. It no longer retains the nickname "Arm and Allegro," one it
had 10 years ago.

"You don’t get rich doing this. I’m in this business because of my
love of music," Berberian said, recalling Allegro’s toughest business
year.

When Katrina hit in 2005, an electrical surge caused a small fire that
triggered the store’s sprinkler system, causing $250,000 in
damage. The store lost two pianos, dozens of guitars and violins —
all before the busiest season of the year.

Surprisingly, while the Berberian family thought all was lost, the
community responded. Teachers from offered their financial help to
keep the shop open during the fall, as hundreds of their students
would need new instruments and sheet music.

Having survived a storm, Allegro may still have troubles to come. Its
lease has been up for a year and is on a month-to-month
basis. Historically, the store has been in Coral Gables, but shifting
prices and an overdeveloped real estate market may soon push it out of
the city.

Manuel is currently having patrons sign a petition in order to
convince local government to create a variance for developers so the
store can have a space at a regulated price.

More than 400 have signed so far, but he hopes to have a few thousand
supporters before presenting it to the City Commission.

To some, Allegro has become a cultural landmark, relied upon by young
musicians who see it as an Alamo: keeping classical music alive in an
area without a classical music radio station despite its 2.4 million
inhabitants.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress