JANUARY 7, 2015
Arizona Musicfest and Musical Instrument Museum Young Musicians Winter Concert
Arizona's top young classical talent to perform Jan.11 at 2 p.m.
PHOENIX – Arizona Musicfest, the acclaimed Winter Festival has partnered with the Musical Instrument Museum to host its annual Young Musicians Concert Series. The Concert Series is part of the Festival's mission to provide unique music education programs and youth performance opportunities to children, schools and audiences throughout the Valley and beyond.
Young Musicians Concerts will be held in the Music Theater at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), 4725 East Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85050 January 11 at 2 p.m. and the 2015 Competition Winners Concert held on May 3 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $10 and are on sale at www.mimmusictheater.themim.org
The January 11 concert will showcase 12 inspiring young violinists, violists, pianists as well as an accomplished flautist, oboist and spectacular string quartet. These young performers are comprised of past winners and top competitors of several different competitions including the Arizona Musicfest Young Musicians Competition.
About the Arizona Musicfest Young Musicians Concert Series
Each year Arizona Musicfest identifies top classical music talent through juried competitions, and subsequently provides many of these extraordinary young musicians with valuable public performance opportunities. These performances allow the musicians to hone their performance skills, while they provide audiences with a special opportunity to experience virtuosity from the start.
Past participants in the Arizona Musicfest young musician competitions, have gone on to attend the prestigious Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, Eastman School of Music and many other distinguished conservatories and collegiate music programs. Additionally, these young artists have been featured performing on NPR's nationally syndicated radio program, From The Top, as well as locally through KBAQ broadcasts of the annual Arizona Musicfest finals competition. Arizona Musicfest's young musicians have been featured as soloists with the Phoenix Symphony and with many other professional ensembles, and have also been presented in recital programs throughout the country, including at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
January 11, 2015 at 2 pm
Arizona Musicfest Young Musicians Winter Concert
at the Musical Instrument Museum
Lily Kwak, piano
(Phoenix)
Lily Kwak, age 11, is a 6th grader at Kyrene Altadena. She has studied piano with Ms. Hong Zhu since she was six years old. Lily has won many competitions, including the 2011 and 2013 DVMTA Piano Competition, 1st place in the 2013 EVMTA Piano Competition, 2nd place in the 2013 Avanti Future Stars Steinway Piano Competition, and performed in the Honors Recital for the 2012 Arizona State Music Teachers Association. Lily also enjoys ice skating, gymnastics, reading books, and doing crafts.
Belle Wang, violin
(Mesa)
Belle Wang, age 13, is an 8th grader at Mesa Academy for Advanced Studies. She began learning the violin at seven years of age and has been a member of Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestra since 2011. Belle was a winner of the 2014 Arizona Musicfest Young Musicians Competition, Division I. She participated in the 2014 InterHarmony International Music Festival in Arcidosso, Tuscany, Italy, where she performed with highly selected outstanding young musicians from around the world. Belle currently studies violin with ASU professor, Danwen Jiang.
Kathleen Wu, flute
(Scottsdale)
Kathleen Wu, age 16, is a Junior at BASIS Scottsdale. She won 2nd place at the 2014 Arizona Musicfest's Youth Musicians Competition, Division II. Kathleen was the principal flutist of the 2014 National Association for Music Education All-National Honor Orchestra, the 2014 All-State Orchestra, and the 2014 North Central Regional Orchestra. She has been a First Place winner in the Phoenix Symphony Guild Concerto Competition in the Junior Woodwind Division, the Arizona Flute Society Solo Competitions in the Senior and Junior Divisions, and the Arizona State Solo and Ensemble Festival. She was selected to play at the All-State Winner Showcase Recital. Kathleen is a member of the Phoenix Youth Symphony.
Alicia Wu, viola
(Scottsdale)
Alicia Wu, age 13, is an 8th grader at BASIS Scottsdale and studies viola with Ms. Susanne Rothaar. In 2013, Alicia won 2nd Place in the American Protégé International Concerto Competition and 3rd Place in their Piano and Strings Competition and as a result, she made her Carnegie Hall solo debut in 2014. She also won 3rd place in the 2014 Phoenix Youth Symphony Young Musician's Competition Jr. Division and was a winner in the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Scholarship Competition. Alicia was a member of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony for two years where she served as concertmaster of their summer institute. She is also a member of the Phoenix Youth Symphony. Alicia's hobbies include reading, drawing, and Chinese traditional dancing.
Linda Han, violin
(Phoenix)
Linda Han, age 17, is a 12th grader at Desert Vista High School and studies violin with Ms. Susanne Rothaar. Linda was a finalist in the 2011 and 2012 Arizona Musicfest Young Musicians Competition. In 2014, she was the Otranto Prize Winner in the Phoenix Youth Symphony Young Musicians Competition and as a result, she made her solo debut with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra. Other awards include 1st Place in the ASTA State Solo Competition, 1st Place in the Four Seasons Orchestra Bach Competition, 2nd Place in the Music Teachers National Association State Solo Competition, and 2nd Place in the Chandler Symphony Concerto Competition. Linda was a member of the 2014 National High School Honors Orchestra and the 2013 All National Honor Orchestra. In addition, she attended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute on a full scholarship. She has been a member of the Phoenix Youth Symphony since 7th grade and is currently their Concertmaster. Linda's hobbies include reading, writing, and drawing
Bobby Nunes, oboe
(Mesa)
Bobby Nunes, age 16, is a junior at Highland High School. He has been playing the oboe for four years along with many other woodwind instruments. He has won numerous awards, including first prize in the 2013 Arizona Musicfest Young Musicians Competition, Division II and a scholarship winner of the 2012 Phoenix Youth Symphony Concerto Competition. In addition, Bobby was Principal Oboe of the 2013 Arizona All-State, and Principal Oboe of the 2013 ASTA National High School Honors Orchestra. He has been a member of the Phoenix Youth Symphony since 2012 and is currently Principal Oboe. Bobby currently studies under Martin Schuring at ASU.
Bobae Johnson, violin
(Ahwatukee)
Bobae Johnson, age 15, is a sophomore at Desert Vista High School and studies violin with Dr. Jonathan Swartz at Arizona State University. She has been a member of the Phoenix Youth Symphony since 2011 where she has served as Principal 2nd Violin and as Concertmaster. Bobae placed second in the 2013 ASTA state solo competition and was a finalist in the 2013 Phoenix Youth Symphony Young Musicians Competition. Also, she was the strings winner of the 2013 AMEA All-State Solo & Ensemble competition, for which she received an invitation to perform at ASU's Gammage Auditorium at the All-State Festival. During the past two summers, Bobae has studied at the Innsbrook Institute, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Le Festival International du Domaine Forget, where she performed at masterclasses with Elizabeth Wallfisch, Patrice Fontanarosa, and the Emerson String Quartet. She is currently co-president of Melodic Minors, a charitable music outreach group.
Eric Lin, piano
(Tempe)
Eric Lin, age 17, is a senior at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, Arizona. He has been playing piano since age of six, studying with Ms. Hong Zhu at the New Century Conservatory. Eric was the first place winner of the 2013 and 2012 Arizona Musicfest Young Musician Competitions, Division II. He was the 1st place winner in the Senior Division of the 2013 Steinway/Avanti Future Stars Piano Competition and was honorably invited to play with MusicaNova Orchestra in February 2014. In addition, he was the 1st place winner the 2011 Arizona Piano-Schimmel Young Artist Piano Competition and 2011 Arizona State MTNA Piano Competition (Junior Division) and the Yamaha Piano Gallery Young Artist Piano Competition.
Stretto Quartet
Kimberly Schneider, violin, Mitchel Wang, violin, Eric Frankel, viola, Christina Wang, cello
The Stretto Quartet made a notable debut by capturing second place in the ensemble division of the 2014 Arizona Musicfest Young Musicians Competition after only five months of playing together. The ensemble is comprised of Kimberly Schneider (first violin, 7th grade), Mitchel Wang (second violin, 6th grade), Eric Frankel (viola, 9th grade), and Christina Wang (cello, 9th grade), and all of them perform with the Phoenix Youth Symphony as members of the Symphonette Orchestra. Individually, they have earned awards such as the Paul Grimes Scholarship (NAU Curry Summer Music Program) and first place in the Junior Division of the Young Musician's Competition (Phoenix Youth Symphony) as well as performed in touring ensembles in Europe. The Stretto Quartet receives direction from Mr. Thomas Landschoot, Professor of Cello at ASU, and the Tetra String Quartet.
The members of the Quartet reside in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley.
