Last month members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra performed at a gala benefit at Carnegie Hall...not a bad place for a high school student to make her debut! Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School student Meena Bhasin did just that when she performed Vivaaldi's Concerto in B minor for four violins, strings and continuo, Op. 3, No. 10 on stage, under the direction of famed conductor Itzhak Perlman. After a special introductory presentation by CBS Charles Osgood, the Israel Philharmonic began a memorable performance for both the audience and for Meena.

Meena began studying the violin at the age of 4 under the direction of Yukako Tarumi. In addition to her studies in Plainview-Old Bethpage, she has been a scholarship student at the Manhattan School of Music for the past four years, where she studies under the distinguished Patinka Kopec. During the past several summers, Meena has been a scholarship student at the Perlman Music Program and received coaching by Mr. Perlman. She has been to Japan twice at the request of the Japanese government in a cultural exchange program and has performed on numerous occasions in the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations.

Meena has won the Tilles Music Scholarship for three consecutive years, the Queens Symphony Competition, the Great Neck Young Musicians Competition and has earned honorable mention in the Concerto Competition at the Manhattan School of Music.