|
 Fifty promising school-age musicians from throughout the Valley, grades 7 through 12, soloists and ensembles, competed in the annual Young Musicians Competition on April 2 and 3, with the Finals on April 10, 2011.
The panel of distinguished judges consisted of well-known adjudicator Dr. Barbara Spoelman; Dr. Robert Strava, violinist with The Phoenix Symphony; and Ms. Marian Buswell, principal oboe of The Phoenix Symphony.
Judges’ Bios…
In Division I (solo instruments, grades 7 and 8), pianist Eric Lin won with his performance of Chopin’s Nocturne.
Violinist Jeanelle Brierley won Division II (solo instruments, grades 9 and 10) with her rendition of Tzigane by Ravel.
Division III (solo instruments, grades 11 and 12) was won by pianist Karen Nguyen, who played Liszt’s Paganini Six Grand Etudes: VI.
The Trio took top honors in Division IV (ensembles, grades 7 through 12). The Trio – Anes Sung, violin; Anna Han, piano; and Peter Eom, cello – performed the Piano Trio in C Major by Haydn.
2011 Winners…
The Competition is held annually in honor of two founding members of Arizona Musicfest, Chet and Ann Goldberg. This year’s event was sponsored by Patricia and Robert Goulstone.
The application for next year’s Competition will be posted on the Arizona Musicfest website in December. If you have questions, please call 480.488.0806 or toll free 866.488.0806.
 |
|
 |
|
|
2011 YMC Finalistists
Front row [L-R]: Karen Nguyen, Michelle Chiang, Joyce Yang, Anes Sung, Peter Eom, Patricia Goulstone (Competition Sponsor)
Back row [L-R]: Andrea Terhune (Competition Chairman), Zhihan (Jennifer) Zhang, Eric Lin, Usha Kapoor, Jeanelle Brierley, Stephanie Kha, Anna Han, Evan Pensis, Robert Goulstone (Competition sponsor)
|
|
2011 Winners, Runners-up and Honorable Mention
|
Division One (Solo Instruments, Grades 7 & 8)
|
|
Winner
Eric Lin, Piano, Kyrene Aprende Middle School (grade 8), Tempe
Finalists
Linda Han, Violin, Altadena Middle School (grade 8), Phoenix
Michelle Chiang, Piano, Kyrene Middle School (grade 8), Chandler
Honorable Mention
Nicole Darmawaskita, Piano, Santan Junior High School (grade 7), Chandler
|
|
|
Division Two (Solo Instruments, Grades 9 & 10)
|
|
Winner
Jeanelle Brierley, Violin, Perry High School (grade 10), Gilbert
Finalists
Anna Han, Piano, Arizona Virtual Academy (grad 10), Chandler
Jennifer Zhang, Piano, Desert Vista High School (grade 9), Phoenix
Joyce Yang, Piano, Desert Vista High School (grade 9), Phoenix
Honorable Mention
Julie Song, Piano, Corona del Sol High School (grade 9), Tempe
Thomas Menefee, Double Bass, Tempe Preparatory Academy (grade 9), Tempe
Hao Zhao, Piano, Hamilton High School (grade 10), Gilbert
Austen Yueh, Piano, Desert Mountain High School (grade 10), Scottsdale
|
|
|
Division Three (Solo Instruments, Grades 11 & 12)
|
|
Winner
Karen Nguyen, Piano, Corona del Sol High School (grade 12), Chandler
Finalists
Usha Kapoor, Violin, Mesquite High School (grade 11), Gilbert
Evan Pensis, Piano, North Canyon High School (grade 11), Phoenix
Stephanie Kha, Piano, Red Mountain High School (grade 12), Mesa
Honorable Mention
Gabriel Dotson, Piano, Yamaha Music School (grade 12), Chandler
Andrew Boyle, Piano, Mountain Ridge High School (grade 11), Glendale
Rajan Kapoor, Cello, Mesquite High School (grade 11), Gilbert
|
|
|
Division Four (Ensembles, Grades 7 - 12)
|
|
Winner
Trio
Anes Sung, Violin, Desert Vista High School (grade 11), Phoenix
Anna Han, Piano, Arizona Virtual Academy (grade 10), Chandler
Peter Eom, Cello, Highland High School (grade 10), Gilbert
Honorable Mention
La Vista del Sol Piano Trio
Patric Cao, Piano, Corona del Sol High School (grade 9), Chandler
Jasmine Xi, Violin, Corona del Sol High School (grade 9), Chandler
Paula Li, Cello, Desert Vista High School (grade 9), Phoenix
|
2011 Judges’ Bios
Marian Buswell was named principal oboe of The Phoenix Symphony at the beginning of the 1982-83 season. An alumna of the University of Minnesota and the North Carolina School of the Arts, Ms. Buswell came to Phoenix from the Kansas City Philharmonic, where she was Principal Oboe and frequent soloist for five seasons. Additionally, from 1979 through 1984, she served as Principal Oboe at the Summer Eastern Music Festival. Buswell has performed with the Oklahoma City Symphony, the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra and the Piedmont (NC) Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Buswell studied with Dayna Larason Fisher, Richard Killoren, Joseph Robinson and John Mack (of the Cleveland Orchestra). She resides in Scottsdale with her daughter.
Dr. Barbara Spoelman holds degrees from Eastern Illinois University and Arizona State University in Piano Pedagogy and Performance. She spent 19 years as an instructor in the ASU Piano Prep/Conservatory Program, and served on the music faculty at Scottsdale Community College. Dr. Spoelman has devoted her career to the advancement of classical music study in children and adults. She is a member of MTNA, EVMTA, serves on the State board for the Arizona Study Program and is a frequent adjudicator. Currently, she serves as Director of Spoelman Piano Studio, where she provides a curriculum of group and private piano instruction.
Dr. Robert Strava, violinist with The Phoenix Symphony, holds the degrees of Bachelor of Music from Arizona State University, Master of Music from The Catholic University of Arizona, and Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Iowa. His teachers have included Eugene Lombardi, Berl Senofsky, and Allen Ohmes. Strava is active as a performer in numerous chamber groups and has performed with the Mainly Mozart Festival, the Flagstaff Festival of the Arts, and the Sedona Chamber Music Festival. He loves teaching and maintains an active studio of private violin students. He has been on the faculty of the Sewanee Summer Music Center (held at the University of the South in Tennessee) and the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Prior to joining the Phoenix Symphony in 1980, Strava was on the faculty of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota..
|
